Tssaa Practice Restrictions

[coachrt]

Everybody (including other coaches) that I talk to has a different interpretations of the TSSAA restrictions on what you can or can't do while playing school softball. The regulation in the TSSAA handbook is clear as mud. It states:"Players that are registered with TSSAA as members of a high school baseball or girls softball squad shall not participate in independent play untill the season has closed. For teams not entering the tournament series, the season closes with the completion of the last scheduled game. For teams participating in the tournament series, the season closes when the team has been eliminated from the tournament series or has won the state championship. After their school term has closed, players on teams that are still in tournament series may participate as independents on amateur teams without endangering their eligibility." My three questions are: 1.>What constitutes "independent play"? 2.>If the JV season has ended but the varsity is still playing, is the JV still restricted? 3.>Do you interpret the last sentence as saying they can play on another team if their school term has been completed even though they are still playing in the state tournament series?

[ELA]

My three questions are: 1.>What constitutes "independent play"? 2.>If the JV season has ended but the varsity is still playing, is the JV still restricted? 3.>Do you interpret the last sentence as saying they can play on another team if their school term has been completed even though they are still playing in the state tournament series?

 

Coach,

 

here are my answers to your questions from the TSSAA HANDBOOK:

 

1. Independent play is defined as :

An independent team is a team that is organized to play a schedule. An all-star team is a team

composed of players from different schools who are usually assembled as a team for playing one

particular game.

 

2. Here is what the TSSAA HANDBOOK says about the last two questions:

 

Page 37 July 28, 2002

Independent-Game Participation

1.

Q. Team A is eliminated in the district basketball tournament. May players on Team A participate in

an independent game or tournament without endangering their eligibility?

A. The basketball season ends for any member school when the school is eliminated from

tournament play. Students may participate as members of independent teams in any sport after the

season for that sport has closed without affecting their eligibility, provided the amateur rule is not

violated.

2.

Q. A golfer, tennis player, or bowler wishes to participate in a club tournament during the golf,

tennis, or bowling season. Is this a violation of the independent rule?

A. No, provided the golfer, tennis player, or bowler participates as an individual and not as a

member or representative of his or her school. The independent rule does not apply to golf, tennis,

and bowling.

3.

Q. May a player participate in a scrimmage, practice game or game with an independent team after

being registered with TSSAA in that sport?

A. No. The student shall be ineligible immediately in the sport in which the violation occurs.

2002-03 TSSAA Handbook

4.

Q. Is it a violation for a registered athlete in baseball or softball to practice with an independent

team?

A. No, provided he or she participates in practice situations only (batting practice, infield practice,

etc.), provided no game situations are involved.

5.

Q. Is it a violation for a registered athlete in track or cross country to participate in a road race?

A. No, provided the race is longer than 3200 meters during track season or longer than three-miles

during cross country season.

6.

Q. A basketball player participates in an independent game and the school notifies the state office

of the violation. What is the penalty?

A. The student will be ineligible for the next seven contests (25% of the number of games allowed

under the sports calendar) or the remainder of the season, whichever is the least.

7.

Q. A student is registered on the girls’ softball team with school A. The student then participates in

an independent girls’ softball game. She then returns to school A’s softball team where she plays

three games. The coach of school A determines that the student has played in an independent

game and reports the violation to the state office. What is the penalty?

A. School A has played an ineligible player for three games. The three games will be forfeited and

disciplinary action will be taken. The student is ineligible for nine games. (If a student participates in

three contests as an ineligible player, the three contests will be forfeited, disciplinary action will be

taken against the school, and the student will be ineligible to participate in the next nine contests or

for the remainder of the season, whichever is the least.)

 

I hope this helps!

[PureFP]

1. Independant refers to independant of the school's baseball or softball TSSAA sanctioned team. They had to state it like this because many teams continue to use and fund summer/traveling teams.

 

2. Yes, because the TSSAA does not make a distinction between the 2. As a coach, you can play a JV player in varsity games (as you probably already have). The distrinction between varsity and JV is merely the number of innings played on varsity. Therefore, they are still eligible to participate all the way to the state tournament. THey are, after all, listed the same are they not?

 

3. Yes. The TSSAA has only guidelines to follow from the TSBA as to when the school term is to end when scheduling the state tournament. If your school's (key word "your") school term has ended, your players can certainly participate in other independant (of TSSAA) sports. This is a new rule put into place for those schools who are doing year-round schooling.

 

Hope this helps.

 

By the way, last year's District 5AAA champion Bradley Central had to forfeit nearly all of it's games this year for using a 14 year old who played on a travel team this spring. OUCH!

 

Coaches....make sure your younger players and younger player's parents clearly understand the commitment they are making to your school's team prior to March, which absolutely includes JV players.

 

Most often what I see are Freshman pitchers who end up playing mostly JV games feeling left out. They could easily play for an independant 14U team and get many more innings. Coaches can help make this clear to the new players. Coaches should also understand if a Freshman who is told they will most likely be delegated to JV wants to play for a travel team instead.

 

Posted this just after ELA. Sorry, good post!

Edited May 5, 2003 by PureFP

[ELA]

no problem pureFP... I'm all about understanding the rules and following them! I wish the TSSAA had more extensive rules training classes, but most coaches just don't seem to have the time! Thanks for your post... it looks like a very good response!

[Guest]

This is straight from Bernard Childress, the man over TSSAA softball. Bernard stated that a player on a school team "CAN" practice with their summer team or another team "AS LONG AS" the player doesn't hit off of LIVE pitching in practice or compete "IN A GAME LIKE SITUATION",(which means no team scrimmage, even among themselves). No player can play with another team other than the school team that he/she is a member of!

 

Most of the time, the Coach says no to practice with your summer team anyway!

 

Hope this helps.

[KenHawk]

Clarification: I believe that a JV player who is no longer with the varsity team can play with another team without penalty. Only 18 players can be on the varsity for post season play. We "turn loose" JV players after their final JV game, even if some of these have made an appearance in a varsity game during the regular season. However, as long as they are practicing or playing with the varsity, they must follow TSSAA regulations.

[PureFP]

Kenhawk, you are correct.

 

18 is the maximum for post season, and as long as they don't return to the team (to supplement an injured player,etc..) they can indeed play for an independant.

 

Some coaches keep JV players on thier roster just in case they are needed for post season play, but then tell them they don't have to travel with the team or make practices, therefore they are done, which certainly isn't the case.

 

And yes sftblcoach, it's all about game situations, although I have never heard the strict interpretation of live pitching being a game situation. It would be hard to interpret a pitcher throwing to a player a game situation if there was no one else in the field and no one running bases. For example, is my daughter in a game situation if I pitch to her for practice?

 

At the last state rules meetings, the TSSAA board described this to be scrimages, games, or any situation that would simulate a game. I have no doubt that Mr. Childress said that though. It really isn't his interpretation to make, but maybe it has already come up in previous meetings.

 

Interesting.

 

Good Thread y'all!

[sbcoach]

sftblcoach is correct in his interpretation from B Childress. Game Situations can not be simulated which means taking infield, live pitching, etc. If you think you are helping yourself & that is what you want to do, quit your high school team. Just when you think no one cares, but there is someone always watching from another team. If you get caught, the team can forfeit games AND COULD be ineligibe for tournament play.

 

It was mentioned that the difference in JV & Varsity is number of innings. THat has nothing to do with it. If you are playing JV game, then you are using JV Players on BOTH TEAMS. Starting pitchers & catchers, ss, etc are not playing. Normally, juniors & seniors are not being used, but may if need for players. I saw a team this year calling a JV game, that changed pitcher & catcher, but had seniors in game & all other positions filled with starters. THIS IS NOT A JV GAME (with 5 freshmen sitting on the bench). And guess what, when the end of game came up & score was close, the starting pitcher came back in. This is called VARSITY, there is a difference.

 

Seems like everyone wants to get by the rules, just like teams that organize in pre-season & start practicing (game situations or scrimage out of state) before season starts. This is just as bad or worse. The integrity of the game is on "THE COACHES" to abide by the rules, what are you teaching your players, to cheat?

 

It's not worth forfeiting the season because someone's summer coach wants to start. Guarantee he would rather have a high school player than one that isn't. Follow the rules, don't act like they are hard to figure out. Rules, something to go by!!!

[coachrt]

Thanks to everyone on their input. As I stated, there are many different twists to the interpretations. Does anyone else have a different view?

[ELA]

We just have to be very vigilant to educate our parents and students about these rules because it will hurt our teams more than the students if they are caught. The same thing is true for other sports as well. Most kids and parents don't think anything about this sort of thing; consequently, they can easily break the rules without knowing it.