ASA NATIONAL UPDATES

Here is a couple of items fresh off the press.
1) 16U will now pitch from 43' in ASA.

2) Metal cleats now ok in 16U and 18U for ASA play.

Other updates as they come forth. Keep posted....

 

Both are the right decisions in my opinion. I am glad to see the ASA is doing this. I almost wish they would have made the 14U go to 43 feet, but I can see where it may not be needed right now.

 

College players eliminated from ASA Gold and 18U B

JUNIOR OLYMPIC FAST PITCH

Article 501 C 02 d. New and Re-number

Rostered Player.d. Once a player participates in a club or varsity softball program for any university, community college, or junior college, he or she is ineligible to play in the Junior Olympic Class B program.

Comments: Eliminates college players from the JO Class B program. ​

Article 501 C 05 a 07 New and Re-number

07. Once a player participates in an intercollegiate softball program for a university, college, or junior/community college, she is ineligible to play in the Junior Olympic Gold Program

Comments: Eliminates college players from the JO Gold Program. ​

Article 509 B 04 f Girls’ ASA Gold 18-Under Fast Pitch. This National Championship Final shall be scheduled to conclude on the first Saturday in August and not be scheduled more than seven (7) days. This event will not have and opening ceremonies event and the managers meeting cannot be scheduled prior to 6:00 PM on the prior Sunday.

Article 602 H 09 The Junior Olympic Girls 18 and Under Gold Fast Pitch will be rotated to Oklahoma City every third year and in the off years will be placed in other parts of the country by the Executive Director.

 

From our of our GA reps at the meetings

Not sure there won't be differences, but here are the Rules Changes on my list.

YES:
All 16U & 18U to pitch from 43'.
All 16U & 18U may wear metal cleats.
Foul first bag can be any contrasting color.
Warming/heating bats not considered altered.
Slow pitch arc now 6'-10', instead of 6'-12'.
Ban electronic equipment in the dugout.
Ban artificial noise makers.
Ratified requirement of ACE certified coach in JO championship play.
Added that all adults in the dugout or on the field in JO must be background checked.
College Players may play 18A, but not 18B or 18 Gold.
18 Gold Pool Play will not be used for seeding.
18 Gold will place top 4 returning teams (if they qualify to return) in four corners of the bracket.
Territory has the option to host (4) 18 Gold Qualifiers instead of 2 (split berths evenly).
There will be (4) Territory Nationals for 18 Gold teams that do not qualify (Southern National, but no berth attached).
18 Gold National will be in OKC one out of three years, Executive Director to award the other two years.
18 Gold Tournament to be 7 days, ending FIRST Saturday in August.
Women's 23U to have East/West Championships to lessen travel costs.


NO's:
Keep 10U at 35' pitching.
Keep SP base and pitching plate distances.
No added penalty for warmup catcher mot wearing a mask.
No requirement for defensive players to wear face mask.
No added EP players in fast pitch.
No requirement to pull bat back if squared to bunt.
No added "courtesy" foul in Slow Pitch.

 

Rick, Ty -

What is the reasoning behind allowing college players to play 18U 'A', but not 18U 'B' or 18U 'Gold'?

 

????

Got me.
Dumbest thing I've heard come out of the meeting.
There was, from what I understand, a lot of oposition to any change. The upper crust of the Gold level teams, that have formed the new Premier Fastpitch organization, pushed for the restrictions at the ASA Gold level for several years. ASA National didn't listen, so they started their own organization with their own National tournament. Now they(ASA National) are trying to control the damage so to speak.
I think ASA did this to appease them. While I personally agree with most of the decisions about college players in 18U, I don't think they were correct in leaving 18 "A" where it's at. I personally would like to see the college player playing 23U and that age group taking off. It would be a fun game IMO.

My opinion, they should have made it across the board if they were going to change anything.
But you know how opinions go. Everyone can and will have different takes on this.

I am excited for my team though. We may try our hand at Gold next year. ASA has decided to make more qualifiers available and will have 4 "regional" Nationals at the Gold level like currently in 18U.
Some will look at it as watering Gold down, but from my expierence it's already been watered down. Gold has been just a "color" in many instances.

 

agree

Ric,
I agree, I am not sure what the thought process was behind leaving them in 18u "A". My first thought was, 18u A just got a lot better, but then the D1 18 year old is probably not going to play 18u A, they will look to a 23u or do like many and take the summer off. I think they felt they could not exclude the totally, so this was a way of working it in. My thought was they were going to exclude them all together based on the mentality that girls in college are no longer ameture's since they are receiving some sort of compensation for their softball ability.

I know my KT is very upset. She likes my new group and was looking forward to trying to qualify for OKC next summer. Like you, looks like a 23u Angel team may be on the horizon.

The rotation of Gold nats is not good in my opinion and was done to appease So Cal. OKC in 2010, then we will see if it goes West or East for 2011.

The moving of Gold Nat back a week is not good either. Now every A and Gold will be held at the same time. Does not set Gold up on the pedestal like it was. And we know that was done to appease So Call and not interfere with the "NEW WORLD" premier event.

Very bothererd that ASA would take a back seat.
Ty

 

Happens every where

Political clout is every where and softball is no different. Not sure why ASA would try to appease when the main faction of the new league was already gone! Some will be missed, some not! The "ME Factor" causes a great deal of issues, the main one, it hurts many more than it helps!
Well we will play as always and hope our team is competitive enough to get a few wins and some colleges to notice.

 

My opinion

Ok, so as I see it(and this is strictly my opinion) 18A will become the GOLD of ASA and they will want the 18A teams that can't compete at that level due to college players, to drop to 18B. It sounds like they want to get rid of the Gold classification all together and this is the way to get it started.

I know of a few 18A teams who had college players on their team last year, so I am not sure what the fuss is about. We all know it is done to try to get to the National stage.

I am curious as to how the Showcase tournament directors are going to handle this issue? Most showcases usually put a requirement that you can not have any college players on your team to compete in their showcase tournaments. If we need to have them on the roster to compete for the National stage, and it is legal by ASA rules, and the showcase sanctions as ASA, then how can showcase directors keep us from putting them on our roster? I currently do not have any college players on my team, but I wouldn't turn any away at this point.

 

ASA and Showcases

Hopefully this will help understand.
ASA rules per say, govern "Championship" play, which is anyhting associated with attaining a berth to a national tournament, ie, qualifiers, states, regional nationals, ect...

Showcases can be sanctioned by ASA but the ASA Code allows states and directors the opportunity to adjust the rules, so to speak, to fit their specific needs. From my understanding, the ASA sanctioned showcases and invitational tournaments can be modified in any way except when it comes to illegal equipment, something that could possibly make them liable for personal injury.

Gold will still be considered the top level of play in ASA's eyes.
I look for 18A to be changed later on regarding college players. (It happened the same way with the 43' pitching distance. Gold was the first to go, 18A followed, and now Gold/18UA/18UB/16U)