USSSA Tournament USSSA Redefines 18Under Classifications for 2009

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The recently published 2009 USSSA rule book (online at usssa.com) redefines how 18U teams may be classified. For the last 3 years, if a 18U team had a college player on it, it automatically was classified as 18Under Major.
In the 2009 rule book, there is still a 18Under Major Classification but the requirement that any team with a college player must be classified as 18Under Major has been withdrawn. Therefore, any team with a college player may be classified as a 18Under A or 18Under B team based on their overall strengths.
I am not sure how 18Major will be defined, but to me it seems to line with up with ASA Gold.
I doubt if any teams will classify themselves as 18Under Major-- I know I wouldn't recommend it.

 

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Couldn't find an 18U-Major tournament last year anyway... even those that said that they were, weren't when we got there.

 

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The USSSA is covering their butts from the mess they created in Columbus, Indiana this past summer. I gues Mr. Glennie doesn't want to have to justify the "recertification" of teams before the world series.

 

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RedRover-- I can understand where you are coming from---but these rules were not in effect when the Columbus IN situation happened. They are new for 2009. I am confident that the Ohio USSSA crowd and quite a few other state directors are very unhappy with that situation. I think it will be a volatile topic at the upcoming USSSA National meeting. Whether the CEO of USSSA takes any action is something none of us can control. We USSSA TDs remain committed to not letting that situation interfere with us running quality events here in Ohio.

I don't think the new rules would necessarily stop another Columbus IN situation from happening--that is, where a team that was classified as a A team in Ohio took steps to reclassify in Michigan as a B team and then brought in a superior pitcher. That falls back on the team itself first and then on state director to make sure classification is correct.

Bear May-- I hear you. Going to 18Under Major a couple of years ago was big mistake in my opinion---especially when the ruling was the team had to be 18 Major if it had a college player, even if they were a sub. I just don't think one player could make that much difference unless they were a pitcher and besides after one year of college a lot of the players like to take time off and to add to that there was 18Over/23Under for college players. Bottom line 18Major wasn't well thought out.