Rule Question?

[norton_65]

What are the rules specifically in the summer for offseason workouts and or "FALL ball? I read some of the handbook and did not see it. Any help works?

[CoachMD]

http://www.tssaa.org/Handbook/handbook.pdf

 

Page 24, 50% Rule applies to "fall ball"

 

Page 29 gives the calendar for softball.

 

Hope that helps.

[JC#1fan]

What are the rules specifically in the summer for offseason workouts and or "FALL ball? I read some of the handbook and did not see it. Any help works?

 

After a team is eliminated from their respective tournament they are allowed to play summer "travel ball" as a team (all players from the same high school team can play together) until August 1st(this date was set due to different school systems starting the new school year at different times). The head coach is allowed to coach this team with the exception of the two "dead" weeks in July (the team can pracitce together, but cannot use their high school facilities and no contact from their coaches during dead times) until August 1st. After August 1st the coaches of the high school team can no longer coach the "travel ball" team and no more than 5 girls from the same high school are allowed to play on the same "travel ball" team including incoming 8th graders and still be eligible for the high school team in the spring. The rule does not say that no more than 5 can play together, but that no more than 5 can make the team the next spring. In other words you can play 10 girls that willl try out for the same high school team in the fall, but no more than 5 can make the same high school team. The bad part of this is that high school coaches may not know who is playing with who and the high school team is who will "pay". This is the "dumbest" rule that has ever been made. The obvious thing is that no girl is guaranteed they will make the team next year and if your girl is not playing a fall sport they are not on a TSSAA roster, so how can TSSAA put a rule in effect that disallows a athlete from playing where they want when they are not on a TSSAA roster. School districts with only one high school suffer the most, counties with multiple high schools don't have to travel 30-40 miles to practice as they can combine with other high school in their own county. This is a rule that only affects the athletes. Other states play year round, no wonder all the big schools go mainly for girls out of state.

[Turnadouble]

I agree this is the stupidest rule ever enforced in TSSAA Softball! There are so many little stipulations to what you can & can't do. The stupidest thing is that a lot of it applies to ???future??? players(in coming freshman)??¦.how do you know who will make the team? This really hurts the fast pitch program because Spring/Summer is the season for softball. Softball doesn't have a full season anymore because Basketball has become a year round sport & that takes a lot of our girls who wants to play both sports and makes them choose. TSSAA should let us play in our Season??¦.if they want to crack down on something look at cutting time on Basketball!

[mwtfan]

After a team is eliminated from their respective tournament they are allowed to play summer "travel ball" as a team (all players from the same high school team can play together) until August 1st(this date was set due to different school systems starting the new school year at different times). The head coach is allowed to coach this team with the exception of the two "dead" weeks in July (the team can pracitce together, but cannot use their high school facilities and no contact from their coaches during dead times) until August 1st. After August 1st the coaches of the high school team can no longer coach the "travel ball" team and no more than 5 girls from the same high school are allowed to play on the same "travel ball" team including incoming 8th graders and still be eligible for the high school team in the spring. The rule does not say that no more than 5 can play together, but that no more than 5 can make the team the next spring. In other words you can play 10 girls that willl try out for the same high school team in the fall, but no more than 5 can make the same high school team. The bad part of this is that high school coaches may not know who is playing with who and the high school team is who will "pay". This is the "dumbest" rule that has ever been made. The obvious thing is that no girl is guaranteed they will make the team next year and if your girl is not playing a fall sport they are not on a TSSAA roster, so how can TSSAA put a rule in effect that disallows a athlete from playing where they want when they are not on a TSSAA roster. School districts with only one high school suffer the most, counties with multiple high schools don't have to travel 30-40 miles to practice as they can combine with other high school in their own county. This is a rule that only affects the athletes. Other states play year round, no wonder all the big schools go mainly for girls out of state.

 

I think most of us agree, we don't like the rule. I have a question though, where did you come up with the 8/1 date that no more than 5 (for softball) athletes from the same school can play on the same team without affecting eligibility? I see that 8/1 starts a dead period, which HS coaches can't have any involvement, but the way I read the rule, there's not a limitation on the number of players until the 'school year' begins (which is different for each school district). I'm not sure it really makes a difference though because it's tough to find tournaments right after the end of July anyway after all the World Series are over.

[minihaha5]

I agree this is the stupidest rule ever enforced in TSSAA Softball! There are so many little stipulations to what you can & can't do. The stupidest thing is that a lot of it applies to ???future??? players(in coming freshman)??¦.how do you know who will make the team? This really hurts the fast pitch program because Spring/Summer is the season for softball. Softball doesn't have a full season anymore because Basketball has become a year round sport & that takes a lot of our girls who wants to play both sports and makes them choose. TSSAA should let us play in our Season??¦.if they want to crack down on something look at cutting time on Basketball!

 

I agree that basketball takes too much time and I know several outstanding softball players who would have liked to play basketball for their school but the time required would have precluded softball.

 

I have a question concerning summer ball. Why would any good player want to play with her high school team in the summer. Obviously a team of only players from one high school would not be able to compete with most travel teams

 

I do think the 5 player rule for the fall is stupid. The fall leagues are beneficial especially to the younger players

[JC#1fan]

I think most of us agree, we don't like the rule. I have a question though, where did you come up with the 8/1 date that no more than 5 (for softball) athletes from the same school can play on the same team without affecting eligibility? I see that 8/1 starts a dead period, which HS coaches can't have any involvement, but the way I read the rule, there's not a limitation on the number of players until the 'school year' begins (which is different for each school district). I'm not sure it really makes a difference though because it's tough to find tournaments right after the end of July anyway after all the World Series are over.

 

This was a presidence set last year when the rule was unvoked to give a date for every school to abide by so that no school gained an advantage of playing time. I came across this somewhere on the TSSAA site I will try and find it again. If I do I will post it. I think this date applies to all TSSAA sports that were included in the 50/50 rule.

[Indian]

I agree this is the stupidest rule ever enforced in TSSAA Softball! There are so many little stipulations to what you can & can't do. The stupidest thing is that a lot of it applies to ???future??? players(in coming freshman)??¦.how do you know who will make the team? This really hurts the fast pitch program because Spring/Summer is the season for softball. Softball doesn't have a full season anymore because Basketball has become a year round sport & that takes a lot of our girls who wants to play both sports and makes them choose. TSSAA should let us play in our Season??¦.if they want to crack down on something look at cutting time on Basketball!

 

 

Instead of cutting time (weeks) in basketball they cut games. That hurt schools in large districts such as the team here (nine teams), they had only three non-district games other than in tournaments and Hall of Fame. It wouldn't have hurt to play three games a couple of weeks, it would help prepare for the postseason anyway. Funny how the softball coaches aren't supposed to have upcoming player candidates play too many to a team, but are supposed to have limited contact at times in the offseason. How are they supposed to coordinate this?

 

Another thing I wouldn't like is if a summer team is playing after August 1, probably in a national event, is following the five-player rule and one or more of their other players is hurt or can't attend due to vacation, etc. The only available player for that position might be a school teammate of one of the five. Do they tell her no and just not play anymore?

[JC#1fan]

Instead of cutting time (weeks) in basketball they cut games. That hurt schools in large districts such as the team here (nine teams), they had only three non-district games other than in tournaments and Hall of Fame. It wouldn't have hurt to play three games a couple of weeks, it would help prepare for the postseason anyway. Funny how the softball coaches aren't supposed to have upcoming player candidates play too many to a team, but are supposed to have limited contact at times in the offseason. How are they supposed to coordinate this?

 

Another thing I wouldn't like is if a summer team is playing after August 1, probably in a national event, is following the five-player rule and one or more of their other players is hurt or can't attend due to vacation, etc. The only available player for that position might be a school teammate of one of the five. Do they tell her no and just not play anymore?

 

If they want to play on the same team in the spring they do not play. the problem with national events is you cannot change your roster at the event so an injured player would still on that roster and considered on of the five.

[norton_65]

what about eighth and seventh graders playing up in fall and summer ball

[dore83]

For you TSSAA rules gurus...

 

Jack City Softball is opening a new training facility in what used to be the Club K building on Old Hickory Blvd. They are building two indoor softball infields and are playing tournaments and games that will be infield only - 6 on 6. I was over there this week when they were hanging nets and bringing in dirt, and it's impressive. It might still be softball, but it is different than outdoor 9 on 9 softball, much the same as indoor 6 on 6 soccer is different than 11 on 11 full field soccer or perhaps like Arena League Football and the NFL.

 

The question is: Since it is not the same game / sport as high school softball, does the 50% rule actually apply to 6 on 6 softball? Common sense says that it isn't the same game as what is played in the spring by high school teams. If that is the case, then the 50% rule wouldn't apply.

[JC#1fan]

This isn't true. If you have 5 girls playing on the same travel team from the same high school, they are not violating the rule. If one of those 5 quit or are injured and the travel team picks up another girl from that same school, they still only have 5 girls from the same school participating on the travel team, and none of the girls are violating a TSSAA rule. An ASA roster would be irrelevant. Keeping them listed on the roster is an ASA rule, not a TSSAA rule, and being on a roster isn't the same as participating. If the player has quit or is injured, and didn't travel with the team, she wouldn't even be present, much less participate. If she's sitting on the bench in street clothes, she wouldn't be participating as a player. The roster is nothing more than a piece of paper that locks particular players to particular teams for travel ball qualification purposes. I could have 5 Riverdale players play with me at an ASA tournament in June, sign the roster for that tournament, and then cut them 2 weeks later. I could then sign 5 more Riverdale players to play the rest of the season, and they would have to sign the roster to play at State and Nationals. I'd have the names of 10 Riverdale players on my roster at Nationals, but only 5 were participating together in practice or games. They would all still be eligible for high school in the spring.

 

Plus, the only national travel ball event (Nationals or World Series for travel organizations) which extends beyond August 1st is ASA. And the teams that are good enough to qualify for ASA Nationals aren't ones which have more than 2-3 players from any one high school, if even that.

 

I understand and agree with your post, but the post I was anwering referred to "National" events in which case you cannot change the roster. The TSSAA rule says nothing about participation it refers to rosters. If someone where to challenge a roster and it contained more than 5 girls on the same high school roster even though they did not compete together it would be a violation of the 50/50 ruie as it exsits now The reason for this is that TSSAA cannot watch every player on every field at every time, so they are left to look at rosters. If your team has more than 5 girls from the same school on a travel ball roster how can you prove they did not play together, the answer is you can't. the only proof of participation is the roster. This rule is very tricky and could very easliy get teams in to trouble that are trying to do the right thing. I am just a poor boy or I would challenge this rule as a violation of civil rights. How can anyone "force" a decision to make someone do something when they are not part of their organization. i.e. not on a TSSAA roster. When high school season is over and you don't play another TSSAA sport how can TSSAA tell you what you can do. Its ridiculous and only hurts players that cannot afford to travel long distances three times a week to practice and forces them to not participate in the sport they love. It is a crime in my opinion.