NORTH TEXAS SOFTBALL MESSAGE BOARD: Please keep posts clean and related to North Texas only! Derogatory, racial, defamatory, explicit, profane and/or threatening posts are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Violators, along with their posts will be removed.
2014 NTX Men's Bump List IP: 199.46.199.232 Posted on December 11, 2013 at 02:20:53 PM by Arnie Burke/NTXUSSSA
There were only two rules that were passed at the 2013 USSSA National Convention in Ft. Myers, Florida in November that will affect play in 2014.
No More “Extra” Strike Foul
The first rule change is the removal of the “Extra Strike Foul” in USSSA play, both league and tournaments … in other words, a batter steps into the box with a 0-0 count … he takes the first pitch for a strike … he then fouls off the next pitch … the change is, in 2014, he is now considered “out” … in prior years, he would have had one more foul … not anymore!!
Courtesy Runner
The other rule change for 2014 is the inclusion of a courtesy runner to be used in all levels of play. While this rule was ‘technically’ voted down, it will be presented again in 2014 at the convention and will pass. So we decided to begin play in an attempt to get all the teams acclimated to the new rule. A courtesy runner can be used ONLY once per inning by a team. The courtesy runner is the last person who was “out” according to the team’s game lineup. In mixed play, a courtesy runner MUST replace another runner of the same gender. If a courtesy runner enters the game and, while on base, his/her turn comes up, he/she will be recorded as an “out.”
2014 Team Classification Bumps
The change for 2014 that will affect the most players/teams is in regarding to a team’s classification for 2014.
In the past, when we’ve bumped teams, we’ve made that entire team play “up” for the entire year. A player on a ‘bumped’ team COULD NOT play down for the entire season that he was on the ‘players’ bump list.’ That has now changed. All players on any team that are bumped for 2014 are considered ‘bumps’ and can play down ONE LEVEL on a lower-classed team in 2014. Again, the limit of one (1) D bump on an E team and three (3) C bumps on a D team and above will remain in effect.
As a result, we have increased the number of teams bumped for 2014 in an attempt to keep our E classification as a ‘true’ E class. And, as a reminder for those C players who said they couldn’t find a team to play on as an “upper class” player, at the D state tourney, we had a total of 49 North Texas teams participating, which meant there was room for 147 C players. There was a total of 99 C players who properly reclassified. However, that means there was room for 48 more C players to play on a D team and be reclassified for 2014. So there’s room out there … with that said, here are the 2014 bumps:
Men’s C to B (2)
Club Chill
Jokers
Men’s D to C (24)
All Day Sports.com
Beer 30
Biscuits
Classic Softball
Color Station LLC
Farm Club
Focus
Half ####ed
HWK
Icon Machine
L3S
Norman Radiator
North Texas Takeover
NTX Elite
OK Shockers
R & R
RH Micro
Routine Reloaded
Rumors
Streamline/Cetaphil
Texas Bullets/A3 Construction
Texas Pride
Torres Empire/Lethal Assault
Vendetta/Duron Masonry
Men’s E to D (42)
Absolute Mayhem/NES Gear
ABN Softball
Addicted
Alcoballics
Always There Live/ATL Nation
Ball So Hard
Borracho Mafia
Bud Light Mafia
Buck’em
Carnales
Dallas Starz
Dodging Bullets
Doomsday
East Texas Rangers
Elevate
Get N Dirty
Halos/Eckos
Ice Cold
Juiced
Killzone/GoHuntFish.com
Los Gallos
Malicious
Middles Open/MISI
Motown Madness
NTX Ducks
NTX Outlaws
Party Rockers
Platinum
Player Haters
Quieres Mas
Roll with Us
Royalty
Sangre
Slapaho
Southern Mercenaries
Sudden Death Softball
Tail Gunners
Team Mojo
Texas Heat
Texas Hurricanes
Them Boyz
Underdogs
Mixed and Women’s Bumps
2014 bumps for mixed and women’s teams are being reviewed by the program’s respective State Director and will be released on Friday afternoon.
These bumps are for 2014 and will be in effect THROUGH the 2014 State Championships. However, if a team is going or wants to go to World, we will meet individually with those teams and give serious consideration to reviewing your classification for the World tournaments. But this WILL NOT take place until AFTER the State tournaments.
There will be a list of each player from the above teams posted on the North Texas USSSA website (www.ntxusssa.org) as well as list of those teams that are included in the team bump for 2014.
Individual Players’ Reclassification Requests
Beginning May 1st, 2014, a player may request to be reclassified from his 2014 classification by presenting valid reasoning before the North Texas Players’ Classification Committee as to why he/she should be reclassified. A simple “I can’t play at that level” is not ‘valid reasoning.’ The duty is on the player to prove to the Committee why he/she should be reclassified. This Committee will meet once a month, either in Euless or in Garland. A player must contact the State Director via email (arnie.burke@usssa.com) with his/her request and an opportunity to come before the Committee will be scheduled.
Team’s Reclassification Requests
Beginning May 1st, 2014, a team may request to be reclassified from its 2014 classification by presenting valid reasoning before the North Texas Classification Committee as to why they should be reclassified. A simple “I can’t play at that level” is not ‘valid reasoning.’ The duty is on the team to prove to the Committee why they should be reclassified. This Committee will meet once a month, either in Euless or in Garland. A player must contact the State Director via email (arnie.burke@usssa.com) with his/her request and an opportunity to come before the Committee will be scheduled.
PLEASE – PLEASE – PLEASE
DO NOT CALL ME to tell my why you or your team DOES NOT need to be on this list … there is a method in place that resulted in your team to be reclassed at this time … but the first part of that method is for your team to TRY TO PARTICIPATE at your new level for 2014 before YOU decide that your team cannot compete at your new level.