Extra Hitters

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I am seeing more and more ASA tournaments allowing teams to use 2 extra hitters or bat there lineup in pool play games. I have seen this in qualifiers as well. Obviously this is not the "norm" for ASA.... Curious of others opinions on allowing extra hitters in the batting lineup, are you in favor or not? Why?

 

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I would like to see Batting 10 as a option. . We only carry 10 Players,All deserve to play. It is very hard to leave a girl on the bench during Sunday Play,even with a DP and Flex.

Sam. Valley Extreme 14u

 

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I think it's nice to have that option ... some TD's not getting so hung up on "rules" and realizing it's more about the girls and/or the TD's customers, the teams entering their tournaments. With that being said, while it's sometimes "easier" on coaches to allow more girls to hit and not have to sit someone, it's certainly not to their advantage in trying to win games and, as a coach, I reserve that right as to whether I want to use it in a particular situation or not.

 

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I have heard ASA say that their rules are for "Championship Play Only" That when not in that mode, it is up to TD's...........
Think silly not to give teams the option during pool play to do as they please & get as many in as possible..........

 

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I love getting the entire lineup hitting, always do when we can. Not so "all" play... so we can keep everyone in action and ready to be called into action and not be cold for the weekend. As a parent, it gets their DD in... as a coach its allows us to prepare and be ready. Come bracket play, you can put a confident player in and move without question. Psyche is huge and this helps IMO.

 

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Personally I am for it in pool play. It allows us more flexibility and the girls get more playing time. As coachjwb mentioned from a strategic point, it hurts us because we don't turn our lineup as fast. But, I believe in the long run it benefits us more because the girls are getting more playing time.

 

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train them all... hope they all hit .400-.600...turning the lineup over becomes a null point.

Top teams have endless options 1-15 in their lineups. Nationals teaches us that every freakin' single freakin' frackin' time .

 

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Teams should be allowed to hit as many as they want and do free substitution whenever they want. What does this hurt? It only hurts the team doing it unless the entire team can hit and the free substitution should be available at any time, not just pool play. This makes it equal for both sides. Only ones getting hurt are the girls not playing all the time. I know some have to sit but that can be rotated and for the ones that do have to sit can at least hit. I know we need rules but some rules make no sense to me. If you do not like it when all can bat and play whenever then you are in it for the wrong reason in my opinion.

 

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As stated above, I like having that option and bascially agree with what everyone is saying. But aside from the impact on scoring runs, understand that there are other impacts as well. In the end, there are only so many at bats available in timed games or full length games for that matter. More players batting means everyone batting less. If you take turns sitting girls, they will eventually get as many at bats as they would have if you had batted everyone. A girl batting in the bottom of a 12 person batting order will frequently only get one at bat in a timed game ... whereas if she was batting in a 9 person lineup every other game, she will probably get 2 at bats the games she plays. Additionally, it takes away the team's ability to substitute for situations ... pinch runners, etc. And if one team does it and another doesn't in bracket play, the team that doesn't do it and turns that top of the batting order over more often is more likely to move on everything else being equal, and the players on those teams are going to get to play more games and get more at bats.

I'd be interested to hear from SoCal Dad whether they allow everyone to bat out there in tourneys, and whether teams use this or not.

 

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I am seeing more and more ASA tournaments allowing teams to use 2 extra hitters or bat there lineup in pool play games. I have seen this in qualifiers as well. Obviously this is not the "norm" for ASA.... Curious of others opinions on allowing extra hitters in the batting lineup, are you in favor or not? Why?

I expect you're referring to ENQs. They should be playing by the book for ASA/USA qualifiers.

I'd be interested to hear from SoCal Dad whether they allow everyone to bat out there in tourneys, and whether teams use this or not.

Friendlies, showcases and unsanctioned pool play usually allow free substitution and any number in the batting order. Most teams take advantage of the relaxed rules to bat more than 9, although they may not bat everyone. The rules tighten up for elimination games.

Our teams last Summer and Fall were similar - large rosters (15+) and the batting order was more than 9, but not everyone. I'd say the main criteria is how competent they were against strong pitching. The better hitters stay in the order, the average ones split a spot and the weaker ones get at bats in games we're winning handily. The girls that don't get regular at bats do surprisingly well when they do get to hit because the other team's pitcher is not very strong. Regardless, there is quite a bit of hooting and hollering amongst the players when those girls get hits.

For example, our #1 pitcher rarely plays other positions or is in the batting order, but he tries to get her an at bat in games she's not pitching. We were a little shorthanded Sunday evening (showcase) and winning easily, so she got to play CF for a couple innings, got a basehit and was audibly bummed time ran out just before her next turn to bat.

 

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Teams should be allowed to hit as many as they want and do free substitution whenever they want. What does this hurt? It only hurts the team doing it unless the entire team can hit and the free substitution should be available at any time, not just pool play. This makes it equal for both sides. Only ones getting hurt are the girls not playing all the time. I know some have to sit but that can be rotated and for the ones that do have to sit can at least hit. I know we need rules but some rules make no sense to me. If you do not like it when all can bat and play whenever then you are in it for the wrong reason in my opinion.

my take is that's how the "game" was setup back in the day and just "how it's played" in a disciplined fashion. Evolution may force the changes we are seeing but for now, is what it is. Not that you are wrong...

 

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Hitting is the dessert of softball... I say let them all have dessert!