ASA NATIONAL COUNCIL
The Amateur Softball Association approved at its national council meeting a fundamental change in the structure of ASA Gold, Class A and Class B national championship finals. The Council met November 11 in Mobile, AL.
Beginning with national championship tournaments in 2005 (2006 for Class B), a 3-game elimination bracket will be used. Pool play is eliminated. The four teams, which finished 1-2-3-4 in the previous year, are guaranteed berths, and, the Code remains in effect which requires that they be seeded into the four different quadrants of the bracket. However, their place on the quadrant will be determined during the single draw. The teams which finished 1-4 and 2-3 will be in separate halves of the bracket.
Teams qualifying from the same region shall be protected, where possible, from playing each other for the first two rounds of the winner’s bracket. The region with the most teams will draw first, etc.
The Council sustained without debate a motion previously approved in committee which permits ASA to divide the 64-team Gold tournament into two 32-team brackets if the tournament is televised when Gold moves to Oklahoma City in 2006 and beyond.
Although a sample 48-team bracket, using the three-game elimination concept, was included in the delegates’ book of amendments, no motion was offered to reduce Gold from 64 teams to 48 teams.
A motion which would have extended the three team bracket to all levels of qualifying was rejected in committee, and not further considered in Council, thus allowing current Code for a double-elimination bracket at these lower levels to stand. Similarly, a motion which would have redistributed Gold berths, as well as a motion to retain the double elimination bracket at the championship level, and to advance the dates of all JO tournaments, were previously rejected in committee and those and other committee actions were sustained en bloc. Eg, the Council did not change the age rules therefore no action was taken to bar college players. Similarly, no action was taken with respect to the rules on pickup players – but, not only were several problems slated to come before the Ethics Committee and then the Executive Board at its meeting Friday, there was an abundant top-down understanding that the Code will be understood and enforced. The ban on foreign players remains in effect, but an exception was allowed for slow pitch (2 players). Also sustained was a committee rejection of a motion requiring all ASA national tournaments and national championship tournaments to have a dedicated website (much needed).
ASA, after several years of consideration, changed its internal rules to permit motions to pass on a 60% majority. Over the years, a number of proposals failed narrowly to reach the two-thirds majority, deemed untenable with the increase in eligible voters to 280. The Council also adopted a 60% majority for changing playing rules.
That change did not save an amendment which SPY quietly supported, which would have let the ASA Director of Umpires select all umpires for Gold national championship events. The Code allows for one-third host region selection, two-thirds by the Director of Umpires. The argument was that, in some past tournaments, there were not enough umpires with extensive backgrounds in Gold-level fast pitch. While the motion was defeated, it garnered a 65% vote in favor, virtually assuring its passage in 2005. There should not be a problem at Salinas in 2005, given the number of umpires involved in Gold-level softball.
The Council parted with long-standing tradition with 88% of the members agreeing that all players may be considered for election to the ASA Hall of Fame. Until now, only those who participated in the Super and Major Division levels could be nominated. The amendment would permit consideration of players on the Olympics and other women’s national teams, for example.
The Council sustained a restructuring of Class A national championships – 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 -- which increases the possible number of teams to 153-169. As amended, the change increases the number of berths awarded on the basis of registration from 96 to 123 – reflecting a desire by many to get more teams involved in more areas of the country. This change is effective in 2005. Class B changes in 2007. The Council also sustained an amendment which prohibits teams which have qualified for a Junior Olympic Girls Fastpitch National Championship from competing in an ASA National Championship (the distinction is the JO nationals are separate entities). (Yes, the near duplicate nomenclature creates confusion.)
Also sustained without further debate were a playing rule change which redefines infield fly to mean a ball which can be caught with ordinary effort; a proposal regarding batting helmets would have required the face mask to be permanently attached; this was amended to read securely attached; and a playing rule change clarifies that time begins with the first pitch.
President-elect
Pacific Coast regional director D. Stephen Monson was elected president-elect for a two-year term beginning at the annual meeting in 2005. He defeated At Large Player Rep Tony Laws of North Carolina, 167-78. Monson, who is also Commissioner for Southern California, is very familiar with Junior Olympic softball, and also serves as an official with the International Softball Federation. He earned a solid record for fairness as chairman of ASA’s legislative committee. Laws has also drawn high praise for his chairmanship of the committee on equipment testing, much involved in changes to bats and balls and safety issues.
Future Tournaments
In 2005, the ASA Council will meet in Tucson, and in 2006 in Colorado Springs.
Host cities for 2006 tournaments are:
10U – Moline, IL
12U – Bloomington, IN
14U – Johnson City, TN
16U – Seattle, WA
18U – Owensboro, KY
The Council voted last year to hold the 2005 Gold tournament in Salinas, CA, and the 2006 tournament (and thereafter) in Oklahoma City at Hall of Fame Stadium.
These tournaments grow ever larger – as do the bids to host them Bids for 2006 tournaments ranged as high as $45,000.
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