https://www.vspdirect.com/softball/welcome?utm_source=softball&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=partners

 
SIGN IN:   Password     »Sign up

Message board   »Message Board home    »Sign-in or register to get started

Online now: 4 members: Bump29, Papajoe56, Roscoe 65, TABLE SETTER 11; 114 anonymous
Change topic:

Discussion: Help settle player eligibility issue

Posted Discussion
Jan. 6, 2019
curveball
Men's 65
705 posts
Help settle player eligibility issue
Player plays entire season at the 75 Major Plus level. The following season he signs up and plays for a 70 Major team. Can he get a release after 1 tournament and join a 70 AAA team as one of their three Major players?
Jan. 6, 2019
Lefty
Men's 75
721 posts
That's a good question. I'd like to know the answer.
Jan. 6, 2019
missouridave
Men's 60
166 posts
As is always the case, the best way to get the correct answer is to call the office in Sacramento. That being said, my understanding is that once you play at a level like Major Plus, you carry that level with you for 3 years. Playing down in age does not drop the rating you carry. So in the hypothetical case above, a Major Plus player cannot play down 2 levels even when you drop an age bracket. Just my opinion.
Jan. 6, 2019
SSUSA Staff
3483 posts
YES he may play 70-AAA after receiving his release from the 70-Major team... The Rating Index for BOTH 75-Major Plus and 70-Major is four (4) ... The R/I for a 70-AAA team is three (3) ... In your hypothetical fact pattern, he is only playing down one "equivalent rating index", and may do so if the target team has an available (one of three) "out of rating" exemption spot on their master roster ...

missouridave is correct as it relates to the general rule on Major Plus restrictions, but that applies ONLY to the same age division ... The more concise evaluation is made when "equivalent rating index" numbers are applied to the analysis ...
__________

4.2(7)MAJOR-PLUS PLAYER RESTRICTION

Major-Plus players may only play on Major-Plus or Major teams in their same age group. Players who have no Major or Major-Plus team in their region OR players who are determined not to be Major-Plus caliber by SSUSA may request an exemption in writing.

Jan. 6, 2019
SSUSA Staff
3483 posts
Forgot to mention the actual rule that governs the original question ...
__________

§4.2(6)PLAYING IN TWO AGE DIVISIONS

A player may play in two age divisions under the following conditions:

A. Player is playing in two separate age divisions. EXAMPLE: One team is in the 55+ division and the other is in the 60+ division; AND

B. A player can only play on a team in the same or equivalent skill level when playing in two age divisions. EXAMPLE: A player on a 55-Major division team cannot play on a 50-AA division team unless the 50-AA team has an approved “out-of-rating” roster exemption available.

Jan. 7, 2019
MurrayW
Men's 65
221 posts
Please help me clarify this for me. In the example above, the 75 Major Plus player may play 70 major or 65 AAA. But no matter what age group he plays he is still considered one of 3 out of rating exemptions for his team? So even if he played 50 Major (5 age divisions lower, he would still count as one of the 3 Major Plus players that 50 Major team is allowed to have? Thanks for your help on this!
Jan. 7, 2019
DaveDowell
Men's 70
4312 posts
MurrayW ... Please take a look at the "Team Rating Index" chart available from the TOURNAMENTSFORMS page of this website ... A 75-Major Plus team has an R/I of four (4) ... That means a player from that team may play on a younger team with the SAME R/I (70-Major, 65-AAA or 60-AA) without being one of the "out-of-rating" allowance ... He may also play down ONE R/I (75-Major, 70-AAA or 65-AA) as an "out-of-rating" roster spot ... That player should be cautioned that if he plays UP to a higher R/I, he could cause potential unintended consequences as it relates to his player rating experience history ...

As mentioned above, the Major-Plus restriction is based on the SAME age group ... Your 50-Major hypothetical is, therefore, irrelevant ... Think in terms of "equivalent rating index" numbers, and this is quite simple ... Good luck! ...

Jan. 7, 2019
MurrayW
Men's 65
221 posts
Thanks Dave, that's what I thought it was but was just a little confused about the ability to play down age groups vs. counting against the out of rating players. I guess I should be looking at everything as equivalent rating rather than actual rating within a specific age group.
Sign-in to reply or add to a discussion or post your own message and start a new discussion. If you don't have a message board account, please register for a free nickname. It will only take a moment.
Senior Softball-USA
Email: info@SeniorSoftball.com
Phone: (916) 326-5303
Fax: (916) 326-5304
9823 Old Winery Place, Suite 12
Sacramento, CA 95827
Senior Softball-USA is dedicated to informing and uniting the Senior Softball Players of America and the World. Senior Softball-USA sanctions tournaments and championships, registers players, writes the rulebook, publishes Senior Softball-USA News, hosts international softball tours and promotes Senior Softball throughout the world. More than 1.5 million men and women over 40 play Senior Softball in the United States today. »SSUSA History  »Privacy policy

Follow us on Facebook

Partners