ASA COUNCIL CHANGES GOLD
Effective January 1, 2008, there will be no returning berths at Gold. The four berths for the national champion and three runners-up will be awarded to the four sectors.
This change in ASA Code was one of several adopted during the ASA Council meeting this past week in Colorado Springs.
The Council again rejected a proposal to make 43 feet the pitching distance for 18A. Gold will remain at 43 feet.
A fundamental change: the Council approved a motion to allow JO teams who have qualified to enter other ASA national qualifiers.
The Council changed the rule for 10U A&B: no new inning after 1 hour 15 minutes, but complete the inning in progress.
The Council agreed to let Disney sponsor Hall of Fame qualifiers at its Orlando and Anaheim facilities.
The Council approved Louisville as the site for the 2008 annual meeting. The Council also voted to install long-time Commissioner Jack Mowatt in the ASA Hall of Fame, which will occur at the Louisville meeting.
Finally, ASA agreed to a reorganization of the Maryland-DC-Virginia structure. Effective January 1, there will be a Maryland-DCASA Association, which will include DC and Prince Georges and Montgomery Counties, now in DCASA. Jack Mowatt will be the commissioner for the new statewide association.
In Virginia, Loudon County will become part of the Piedmont Association under Commissioner Andy Dooley, while Fairfax and Arlington Counties and the city of Alexandria become part of the Central Virginia Association, under Henry Pollard.
Significantly, three associations – Piedmont, Central Virginia and the Tidewater Association will now hold a combined state championship, which will have three national berths for Junior Olympic competition. ASA will select a JO Commissioner and each association will have a deputy JO Commissioner.
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