News story

SSUSA Adopts Major-Plus Task Force Rules

Oct. 1, 2008 – Dave Dowell National Director

By Dave Dowell

Softball News Report

SACRAMENTO – Senior Softball-USA (SSUSA) announced it has adopted eight of nine recommendations made by a Major-Plus Task Force commissioned to come up with rules for that division.

The eight adopted recommendations ranged from tournament format, to time limits, to home runs and roster restrictions.

The ninth recommendation was to drop the “Pitcher Protection” rule.

“We feel it is never OK to hit up the middle toward the pitcher,” said Gary Tryhorn, chairman of the Task Force. “By putting a penalty on this, it would give the hitters the idea that if they accept the penalty, it’s OK.”

The SSWC Board, however, not only retained the “Pitcher Protection” rule in the Major-Plus Division, but extended it to all age groups and skill levels.

“The Task Force has really done the sport an invaluable service,” said Terry Hennessy, SSUSA chief executive officer. “We would like to thank all of the managers who replied to the survey, and especially thank the Major Plus Task Force for establishing an important consensus on key rules and game formats. We are very grateful.”

SSUSA commissioned the Major Plus Task Force in June to survey the Major Plus managers in the 50’s, 55’s and 60’s age groups and to use the responses from those managers to formulate recommendations concerning playing rule modifications for those divisions.

The Task Force was chaired by Gary Tryhorn (Old A’s 60’s), and included Bob Woodruff (GSF 60’s), Audie Hollis (Hollis Appraisal 50’s and 55’s), Butch Drake (Travelodge 55’s), Randy Hendricks (Hendricks Sports Management 50’s), Ken Lipinski (Seacrest Mavericks 50’s) and Jim Hornus (W.E. Ruth 55’s).

The effective date for all of the adopted recommendations is Sept. 1, 2008, except as otherwise noted.

Here are the Task Force Recommendations that have been adopted:

1. TOURNAMENT FORMAT – Major Plus teams will play two seeding games on the first day, double elimination (or three game guarantee, field availability permitting) brackets starting on the second day, with the third day concluding in the early afternoon.

2. TIME LIMITS – Sixty-five (65) minutes plus open inning in seeding games, 75 minutes, finish current inning, in bracket, and seven innings full, no time limit, in Championship game(s).

3. RUNS PER INNING – Seeding games: Seven (7) runs per half-inning at bat, with last inning open. Bracket and Championship Games: No run limit (open scoring) per half-inning at bat, with mercy rule of 25 runs after 5 innings.

4. HOME RUNS – Ten (10) plus 1-up, Singles thereafter, in all three age divisions.

5. SOFTBALLS – Each team will be provided with two dozen new softballs at the beginning of the tournament. Teams will hit their own softballs and chase their own home runs. Additional softballs may be purchased at the tournament or teams may bring their own SSUSA approved (only) softballs.

6. BALL / STRIKE COUNT – The current SSUSA rule of a 4-3 ball/strike count will be retained. No courtesy foul.

7. ROSTER RESTRICTIONS – Team’s home state plus bordering states, Snowbirds prohibited, and one (1) out-of-region exception player allowed per team, using East/West of the Mississippi River boundary. [EFFECTIVE DATE: Nov. 1, 2008, to prevent disrupting current rosters for the 2008 World Championships in Phoenix].

8. ROSTER PUBLICATION – Major Plus rosters will be made public through the SSUSA web site.

The managers surveyed by the Task Force voted exactly 50/50 percent on whether or not to drop “Pitcher’s Protection” rule, and the Task Force’s recommendation was to eliminate it. The rule will be retained, in modified form, and is simultaneously being extended to all ages and divisions of play, effective Sept. 1, 2008.

The Pitcher’s Protection Rule will apply only if the pitcher is in the pitcher’s box and, in the judgment of the umpire, the pitcher has no chance to make a defensive play on the ball.

The adoption of the Task Force Recommendations will result in additional softball costs and longer game times, for which umpires will be entitled to, and receive, additional compensation. The 50’s, 55’s and 60’s Major Plus teams will be charged an additional entry fee of $200 to help defray a portion of the additional costs.