IT'S LAS VEGAS IN 2012!

June 1, 2011

LAS VEGAS – In a major merger that is expected to change the landscape of the sport, Las Vegas Senior Softball Association (LVSSA) and Senior Softball-USA (SSUSA) have announced they will join forces to produce the largest tournament in the history of the sport.

The combination of the LVSSA World Masters and the SSUSA Senior Softball World Championships is expected to draw 400 to 450 teams to Las Vegas from Sept. 28 through Oct. 7, 2012.

The new name is: The LVSSA/SSUSA World Masters Championships (WMC).

“This merger draws the best from both organizations – so it will be great for players,” said Terry Hennessy, chief executive officer of Senior Softball-USA.

The Joint Operating Agreement covers the both the combined “World Masters Championships” and the “Spring Classic Southwest Championships” beginning in 2012.

QUOTE FROM LVSSA

Teams will qualify for the WMC by playing in the Spring Classic or any of the 60 SSUSA Qualifiers and Regional Championships. The tournament will be administered by SSUSA, with LVSSA supplying many of the field directors and helping secure softball facilities.

The Winter Worlds, which have been held in Las Vegas for the past 10 years, will be moved to Phoenix in 2012.

“Phoenix has been a great venue for the World Championships for the past five years,” said Hennessy, “and we think it will be a perfect spot for the Winter Worlds.”

Las Vegas Events, the Title Sponsor of the 2012 World Masters Championships, has been instrumental in providing the necessary support to create the largest senior softball tournament in the world.



LVE QUOTE

One of the critical issues in fashioning the Joint Operating Agreement was reaching a consensus on the rules.

Fortunately, the rules were relatively close.

A special joint rules committee largely adopted the LVSSA Major-Plus Rules and the SSUSA AA, AAA, Major rules (See Discussing the Rules on Page X for details).

The main rule changes included:

Home run rules were changed in AAA, Major and Major-Plus so that any home runs over the limits were walks, instead of outs. Home runs over the limit for AA remain outs.

Regional restrictions of California and Florida adopted last year by SSUSA were dropped. All states can draw from their home state and bordering states.

Snowbird exemptions were dropped.

The joint committee studied the differences in LVSSA and SSUSA rules and proposed a compromise that drew rules from each. The LVSSA Board is in the process of approving the compromise and the SSUSA Rules Committee met in a special session to approve them in September.

In addition, two LVSSA members have been appointed as permanent members of the SSUSA Rules Committee, which will meet at the SSUSA Convention in Florida in December to discuss other rule changes for 2012.

SSUSA will approve rosters and establish team ratings, with input from LVSSA.

The agreement takes effect beginning in the 2012 season.