Pick up player and team rankings

[Fort83]

I have been doing some reading and talking about this ever since one of DD's coaches said you have to be careful playing pick up with other teams. They were talking about a player from a "B" team going to play with an "A" team multiple times or bringing "A" players in to play with a "B" team. It was said that doing either of these could result in the lower level team being forced to move up to the higher level.

I have only found a few things over "pick up players" in USSSA rules and did not see anything about players playing up or down. With that said, I also find it funny that the 12A IL state champs last season played and won (shocker) a 12B USSSA national.

So I guess my question would be along the lines of, were the parents fed a line of BS over pick up players? If not then how can a "B" team win an "A" tournament and still be considered a "B" team?

 

[coachbubbles]

With that said, I also find it funny that the 12A IL state champs last season played and won (shocker) a 12B USSSA national.

?

Not really answering your question but I know that team and they were clearly an A team that sandbagged all year. Multiple GIANTS that could hit the ball 220+. I just do not get why teams like that go play B tournaments. No wait....I do....plastic collections.

Kinda to the point - I’ve always disliked USSSAs position on classifications. Once you win an A tournament you should NOT be allowed to play B only. And likewise for B and C. We have so many full time travel teams that load up a roster and then go play C only tournaments and get away with it. One in particular had a girl that threw 58+ and they rode her like a show pony driving all over playing C only tournaments. Occasionally played an open tournament and went to several championship games beating quality B and some A teams but were still allowed to play C.

 

[Strike2]

You won't find rules on player or even team classification in USSSA rules, because it's a state director issue.

Teams can usually self-classify, but in some states, a team is automatically a "B" at registration and then requests to be moved up or down. Teams can be involuntarily reclassified upward during the season if they are significantly outplaying their competition and/or winning higher level tournaments...I've seen it happen several times.

As for individual players...a player from a lower classified team can always pick up with a higher level team. A player from a higher level team generally can't pick up on a lower level team UNLESS the tournament is an "Open" or the same classification as the pickup player. For example, a "C" team is playing in an "Open" tournament...in that situation, they can pick up a player from an "A" or "B" team.

 

[Silver 2200]

I have only found a few things over "pick up players" in USSSA rules and did not see anything about players playing up or down. With that said, I also find it funny that the 12A IL state champs last season played and won (shocker) a 12B USSSA national.

Who are you talking about? There are some many state championships it is hard to figure out.

 

[coachbubbles]

Who are you talking about? There are some many state championships it is hard to figure out.

True story. Guessing the team in question is the (dontwannahurtanyonesfeelings) who won the USSSA Illinois State Championships 12a division in the IF game 19-0. A few weeks later they won the USSSA Southern Illinois State Championship in 12 open. Then a few weeks later won the USSSA Great Lakes Nationals 12B. Played open and A tournaments all year until Nationals when they played their only B tournament.

 

[Momo'sDad]

I have been doing some reading and talking about this ever since one of DD's coaches said you have to be careful playing pick up with other teams. They were talking about a player from a "B" team going to play with an "A" team multiple times or bringing "A" players in to play with a "B" team. It was said that doing either of these could result in the lower level team being forced to move up to the higher level.

Strike2 gave you to the scoop on USSSA. There are no clearly defined rules or criteria for classification. Teams are expected to police themselves.

What your coach described lines up with the rules in USA Softball (was probably ASA when he was involved with them). If a B player plays for an A team in any USA Softball-sanctioned event after a certain date on the calendar - normally just before the start of the spring rec season - then that player is no longer eligible for championship play in the B division for the remainder of the year and may be restricted from participation in any B events.

 

[ArmWhip]

In USA how do you get rated? We are a quality B team and got hammered in several B tournaments. I had a hard time understanding what some of these teams were doing in B tournaments. One team we met in a final scored 16 runs in the first inning of their semi!

 

[Fort83]

True story. Guessing the team in question is the who won the USSSA Illinois State Championships 12a division in the IF game 19-0. A few weeks later they won the USSSA Southern Illinois State Championship in 12 open. Then a few weeks later won the USSSA Great Lakes Nationals 12B. Played open and A tournaments all year until Nationals when they played their only B tournament.

I would hate for a team to get slandered on here for the decisions of the coach. The team you mentioned is a very good team and you left out the Super 7 (7 game guarantee in 3 days to bracket) tournament in Cape that they won as well, which had several very good teams from around the mid-west.

 

[Fort83]

You won't find rules on player or even team classification in USSSA rules, because it's a state director issue.

Teams can usually self-classify, but in some states, a team is automatically a "B" at registration and then requests to be moved up or down. Teams can be involuntarily reclassified upward during the season if they are significantly outplaying their competition and/or winning higher level tournaments...I've seen it happen several times.

As for individual players...a player from a lower classified team can always pick up with a higher level team. A player from a higher level team generally can't pick up on a lower level team UNLESS the tournament is an "Open" or the same classification as the pickup player. For example, a "C" team is playing in an "Open" tournament...in that situation, they can pick up a player from an "A" or "B" team.

Is there any opinion on from the members about posting the state directors for every state and keeping the list updated with an active email for them? If there is I would be more than happy to start tracking down that information. We could keep it up under the rules tap as a pinned post like the bat weight database we have going on the equipment side.

 

[djcarter1966]

I guess it is kinda hard sometimes you play B for lets say first half of the year and win a couple tournaments then go to A and maybe do OK then at the end of the year what are you supposed to do? Go play A championships (maybe you didn't even qualify for A championships) or go play the B championship that you qualified for at the beginning of the season.

Plus in some instances you have an A/B pitcher on a C team....makes the team look really good but up and down the roster maybe they aren't but that girl isn't quite good enough to start for a solid A/B team.

It's hard all the way around everyone wants a challenging game they can win but no one want to 0 for BBQ every weekend.