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Rules | Tournaments | Results | Points | Classification

 

 

SPECIAL WASHINGTON STATE RULES: See Items of Interest

NEW FOR 2008:  

  1. All Men’s Church Classes Renamed: Church A will be called Major, Church B will be called Competitive, Church C will be called Recreational, Church D will be called Novice.
  2. The winner of Church Competitive & Recreational Nationals with 16 or more teams will automatically be required to compete the following year in the next highest classification. (This includes the 2007 National Tournaments).
  3. All classes may bat the lineup. (except at Church World and Nationals)
  4. Para-Ministry program is now incorporated into the standard Church Program. These teams will be classified the same as all other Church Teams.
  5. 9 player ejection rule now a National rule.
  6. Teams may only add a maximum of 2 (two) players to the roster between the last tournament played and the July 24th cut off
    date.

 

Rules Menu

 

CLASSIFICATION:

Men’s Major + & Major   Five (5) home runs allowed per game per team.

Men’s Competitive + & Competitive  Three (3) home runs allowed per game per team.

Men’s Recreational + & Recreational  One (1) home run allowed per game per team. Then progressive to 2.

Men’s Novice + & Novice  No home runs allowed (untouched over the fence) 

Women’s  All teams will start with a preliminary class of ‘C’ with adjustments made based on strength.

Mixed : All teams will start with a preliminary class of Competitive or Recreational with adjustments made based on strength.

  • A. The penalty for exceeding the allowable home run limits in all Church classifications will result in a dead ball out and one run will be awarded to the other team, except in the 7th inning and beyond, or at any time in the game that the run being awarded would result in the game being over because of the run rule. In these instances the home run will result in a dead ball out (DBO) only.  (Washington State only)
  • B. On a fair fly ball hit over the fence for a home run the batter and all Base Runners are credited with a score. The Batter and any Runner on base do not need to advance and touch the bases. They should go directly to the dugout area. This would eliminate any base running appeals.

Teams

Men's Major

Men's A/B+

Men's B/C+

Men's C/D+

Men's D/E+

Men's    E

Church Major

Church Comp.+

Church Competitive

Church Rec + & Rec

Total # Allowed

Church 'Major'

1

1

2

3 Maximum

Church ‘Competitive +’

1

3-(3Max)

1

2 Maximum

Church‘Competitive’

1

2

1

or 1

2 Maximum

Church‘Recreational + & Recreational’

1

2

1

or 1

2 Maximum

Church‘Novice + & Novice’

2

1

2 Maximum
1. These allowances are for players who are competing in the current year or had competed in the previous year at these levels.
2. The addition of a 3rd Men's Player or a 2nd Church Player from a Higher Classification will automatically reclassify this team to the next appropriate level. For example, if a Church Recreational (+) or Recreational team adds a 3rd Men's player or 2nd Church player from a higher classification, the team will be reclassified to Church Competitive.
3. Church Para-Ministry Teams will be classified as all other church teams (Major, Comp., Rec. & Novice) and play in the Church Program.
4. Men's Major or Men's "A" Players are required to play in a division no lower than Church Major.
5. Men's B+/B Players are required to play in a division no lower than Church Competitive.
6. Men's C+/C, and D+/D Players are required to play in a division no lower than Church Recreational.
7. Men's E+/E Players are required to play in a division no lower than Church Novice.

 

CHURCH CLASSIFICATION:


1.  Church Major teams shall be allowed only one player who has competed during the current or previous year in the Men's Major Program or appears on the Men's Major Players list.

2.  Church Competitive + /Competitive, Recreational +/ Recreational and Novice +/ Novice teams shall be allowed to add one player who has competed during the current or previous year at the next highest Church Class (i.e. Competitive to Major, Recreational to Competitive and Novice to Recreational). An addition of a 2nd player from a higher class will result in that team being reclassified to the next highest level (i.e. Competitive to Major, Recreational to Competitive and Novice to Recreational). (Teams may petition to the classification chairperson for the 2nd player).

3.  Men's Major or Men's "A" Players are required to play in a division no lower than Church Major.
     Men's B+/B Players are required to play in a division no lower than Church Competitive.
     Men's C+/C, D+/D Players are required to play in a division no lower than Church Recreational.
     Men's E+/E Players are required to play in a division no lower than Church Novice.
     Church Competitive + / Competitive, Recreational +/Recreational and Novice +/Novice teams shall be allowed to have a maximum of two players who have      competed during the current or previous year at the next highest Men's level allowed. An addition of a 3rd Men's Player at the requirements listed above will      result in that team being reclassified to the next highest level (i.e. Competitive to Major, (Recreational to Competitive and Novice to Recreational).

4.  Church Para-Ministry Teams will be classified as all other church teams (Major, Comp., Rec. & Novice) and play in the Church Program.

ELIGIBILITY:

  1. Any player of a Church team that is competing in a State, Area, National, or World tournament that are considered exclusive Church tournaments must be active participants in the worship services of the Church for which he/she is playing.
  2. Any two churches that are unable to field a team may request to the State Church Program Director to combine their teams into one for tournament play.
  3. The Washington State Church Program Director has the authority to contact any pastor to verify any roster or roster addition.
  4. All roster additions for all classes must be done by July 24, 2008.  (State Tournament)
  5. 72 Hour rule -- No player may be added to a roster within 72 hours of National and World tournaments.
  6. All players added to qualified frozen rosters cannot be from another qualified team’s roster.
  7. For tournament play, a player may drop only one (1) class from one year to the next without obtaining permission from the Church Program Director.  A team may pickup a maximum of one (1) player from a higher class team, 'Major +' players may only drop to ‘Major’. (See classification guidelines above to see what player can be picked up for the classification your team is playing).
  8. All teams must submit a new 2008 online USSSA Roster upon entering a sanctioned tournament
  9. A team may pick up a maximum of two (2) players for any regular season tournament from another Church tournament team roster. Players being picked up must be of equal class or lower and must have played in a USSSA Church tournament. There is no penalty for these players to go back to their original teams after playing as a pickup player. A player may only be picked up one time by the same team, but may be picked up by as many teams as he wants on separate weekends. Players' names, teams coming from and teams playing for must be emailed to Paul Schukar by 6:00 p.m. Thursday at pdschukar@comcast.net before the tournament. (Regular Season Tournaments Only). Pick up players' names will be posted on the Washington USSSA web site under the Church Program. (NO NAMES SUBMITTED MEANS NO PICKUP PLAYERS ALLOWED).
  10. Church Para-Ministry Team must be affiliated with a Church or Para-Church Ministry Organization. All players must be active participants of the Ministry Organization they are representing.

 

SATURDAY ONLY CHURCH COMPETITIVE TOURNAMENTS COMBINED WITH MEN'S D+ OR D TOURNAMENTS:

  1. When two Church Competitive teams play each other, Church Competitive rules will be used.
  2. When two Men's D+ or D teams play each other, Men's D+ or D rules will be used.
  3. When a Church Competitive team plays a Men's D+ or D team, Men's D+ or D rules will be used.
  4. Church Competitive teams will receive points for the Church program only. Points will be awarded towards qualifying for the Church Competitive State tournament. Church Competitive teams are classified as Men's D+ or Men's D in the Men's Program.
  5. A player may play on a Church Competitive roster in a combined tournament and also play on a Men' s roster in a NON Combined tournament. No player will be allowed to play for two teams in the same tournament.
  6. Church Major, Competitive & Competitive + teams must register as a Church team and as a Men's D+ or D team. If the team is registered through a league then there will be an additional $10 fee. If the team is not registered through a league then the fee will be $45.

 

QUALIFYING FOR STATE, NATIONAL & WORLD TOURNAMENTS:

  1. Men’s Church Major teams must compete in three (3) Church Major/Competitive tournaments.
  2. Men’s Church Major & Competitive teams must compete in at least three (3) Church Competitive tournaments.
  3. Men’s Church Recreational teams must compete in at least three (3) Church Recreational tournaments. (Exception Eastern Washington teams must only compete in two (2).
  4. Men’s Church Novice teams must compete in at least Two (2) Church Novice tournaments.
  5. Berths are awarded through USSSA tournaments and participation points. Teams playing in any USSSA sanctioned league will receive ten (10) bonus points toward the State Tournament.
  6. Bonus Point System- Recreational and Novice teams that play the Lynden tournament will receive 5 additional bonus points. Recreational and Novice Eastern or Western Washington teams playing in the other’s area tournaments will receive 5 additional bonus points for each tournament played.
  7. Teams that have been awarded a berth to a National or World tournament are required to participate in the State Championships. If there are no tournaments or State championship offered, then that team must play together as a team and meet the minimum requirements in the Men’s program in order to accept that National or World berth.
  8. Any Recreational team playing two (2) tournaments and placing 1st or 2nd, must play a third tournament. The Recreational + team must play at the Competitive level and the Recreational team must play at the Recreational + level to be eligible for the Church Recreational State Tournament.
  9. Recreational teams that win two (2) tournaments with 5 or more teams must play their next tournament at the next higher class prior to their respective State tournament. Failure to do so will result in disqualification from all post season play.
  10. Competitive teams that win a tournament must play their next tournament as a Competitive + team.
  11. Rain Out -- Coin flip to determine the first (1st) place team does not count against the first (1st) place team as winning a tournament for playing at the next higher level.
  12. The USSSA Church Classification Committee reserves the right to have any team deviate from any Church Program policy.

 

REGULAR SEASON TOURNAMENT ENTRY CUTOFF DATE WILL BE ONE (1) WEEK PRIOR TO TOURNAMENT ENTRY START DATE.

STATE ENTRY CUTOFF DATE : July 10 by mail & July 15, 5:00 PM by credit card.

CHURCH PROGRAM DIRECTOR:

David R. Nusser
P.O. Box 732030., Puyallup, WA 98373
(253) 445-8900  nussd3@hotmail.com

ASSISTANT CHURCH PROGRAM DIRECTOR / CLASSIFICATION CHAIRMAN:

Paul Schukar
2732 Alpine Dr. S.E., Auburn, WA 98002
(253) 333-1985  pdschukar@comcast.net