Rules

The NCAA recently conducted additional testing of the previously-certified 33 in./30 oz. Louisville Slugger 2020 Meta (-3) BBCOR baseball bat. The conclusion of this additional testing resulted in the NCAA and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) removing this specific model from their approved-for-play bat list. Those bats are therefore not permitted in USSSA Play effective immediately. At this time, no other sizes of this bat model, or any previous model years of the bat model, have been decertified.

Impacted Models: WTLBBMTB32033, WTLCBBMP20V, WTL23630103033

Pitching FAQ

Can I protest a pitcher who is over his innings on the next pitch after he has reached his max innings? NO, you have to let him record an out above his pitching limits and he has to be the pitcher of record to win the protest. If he has been replaced as the pitcher, you have missed your chance to protest.

If a pitcher is over his innings and he is in the dugout on offense, can I protest with that team being on offense. Yes you can, that player is still the pitcher of record.

Pitching Rules to Keep in Mind
1. You can never pitch more than 3 days in a row.
2. You can never pitch more than 6 innings in a day for 12 and under and 7 in a day for 13 and up.
3. If you pitch more than 3 innings in a day, you must rest the next day.
4. There is an 8 inning max for any three days for all ages. Remember, you must always look back 2 days from the current day to check on the 8 Inning max.
5. An out has to be recorded before a pitcher is in violation of any pitching rules.
6. A day of rest does not reset pitching .

Pitching Examples for Tournaments Longer than 2 Days
A. Examples that apply to all ages 14 and below:

(1) Day 1: 3innings, Day 2: 0 Innings, Day 3 max is 5 innings.

(2.) Day 1: 1 inning, Day 2: 1/3inning, Day3: 2-1/3 inning, Day 4 player can’t pitch because would be 4th day in a row. Day 5: max of 5-2/3.

(3) Day 1: 6innings, Day 2: 0 innings, Day 3: 2 innings max.

(4) Day 1: 2innings, Day 2: 3 innings, Day 3: 3 Innings, Day 4: 0 innings, Day 5: 5 innings max.

B. Example that only applies to 13 and Up:

(1) Day 1: 7 innings, Day 2: 0 innings, Day 3: 1 Inning, Day 4: 3 Inning, Day 5: 4 Inning max

Pitching Rules are ultimately the Manager's Responsibility

Any verbal answers received by park staff will still be the responsibility of the coach to make sure he is within the pitching guidelines. It is easy to be confused when talking about pitching. Please use this along with the national USSSA rule book to determine what pitching you have left each day. There are no free passes on pitching violations for any reason. Don’t ask umpires about pitching rules. That is not their job. This is the responsibility of the manager and there are no acceptable reasons to violate the pitching limits. You will forfeit if protested for being over the pitching limits.

How a roster freezes:

If you are a major team and you win a Super Nit, Select 30 Super Nit, or NABC qualifier at any point during the season, your roster is frozen.

If you are a major or AAA team and you finish in the top 25% of an event after May 1, your roster will freeze.

If you are a AA team and you finish in the top 50% of a tournament after May 1, your roster will freeze.

Why did my team get frozen when I did not finish in the top 50% of a AA or top 25% of a AAA/Major event? If there are teams that have previously been frozen, the freeze/berth will pass down to lower teams. Teams that do not win a game in an event will not be frozen.

Can I add players after my roster is frozen/qualified? Yes you can add up to three players after you are frozen but they can not be on another frozen roster in the same age group. If you are major, you may have the ability to add more than three players. Please refer to our rule book online to determine your eligibility in adding more players.

Can I drop players from my frozen roster? Yes, but you can not add a player back to your frozen roster if you dropped them after you were frozen.

Can players be on multiple rosters? Yes, players can be on multiple rosters during the season until rosters start to freeze. At that time, you can only be on one roster per age group. A player can still be on 2 rosters after rosters start to freeze, but they have to be different ages. Example: 8AA and 9AA would be ok for a player to be on both all year.

Can a player play on two teams in the same weekend if they are different ages? NO

Can a player who was frozen to a AAA team come to my AA team? No, if a player is frozen to a higher classification of equal or greater age team, he can not go down in class until August 1.
This is a brief summary of questions we get asked. For a complete list of rules, go to www.usssa.com and review our rule book.