Home of Senior Softball-USA and Senior Softball World Championships
| March 1, 2026 DaveDowell | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Run scores? Good luck with that, Randall! ... My extensive life experience over 74+ years tells me that the elimination of sniveling will happen right about the same time the world eliminates cockroaches! ... The key point in this one remains the NOTE: There can NEVER be a force out on a caught fly ball, because the caught fly does not result in ANY runner being "forced" to advance to the next base ... |
| Feb. 27, 2026 DaveDowell | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Run scores? Randall ... RUN (R2) SCORES ... The third out of the inning was NOT a force out, therefore it's a timing play ... The R2 scoring before R1 was retired is the criteria ... The only time the run does not score is if the third out is by a force play ... NOTE: There can NEVER be a force out on a caught fly ball, because the caught fly does not result in ANY runner being "forced" to advance to the next base ... |
| Feb. 24, 2026 DaveDowell | Topic: Bats Discussion: Balanced bat It's been a long time now, but I still believe the best answer I ever heard to that question was by Miken's Corky Pellien when he was driving and selling from the Miken Truck at SSUSA events all over the country: "..The best bat for you is the one that feels best in your hands.." ... It's difficult to imagine a better answer ... |
| Feb. 21, 2026 DaveDowell | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Curtesy Runner Rule Question In the PHX situation, there was no "shenanigans" involved, just a pretty astute and paying-attention team that saw it unfolding and knew their rulebook ... And a Runner-up manager that felt terrible about it ... |
| Feb. 21, 2026 DaveDowell | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Curtesy Runner Rule Question TOTF ... I'm reasonably confident that everyone in the park that day, and all of the readers of this post, know it was about a 97% probability of being a fake injury ... Here's where it fails, assuming the umpire(s) and Director are as versed in Courtesy Runners as they should be ... Rulebook §8.5(3) • COURTESY RUNNER REPLACEMENT is the game they were playing on you ... But the operative correct section is the very next one: §8.5(4) • COURTESY RUNNER COMING TO BAT WHILE ON BASE ... When R2 is on second, the moment the pitcher intentionally walks the batter, R2 is awarded third during a dead ball situation ... Whether or not it's in fact a legitimate "injury" is irrelevant; he's awarded third ... If they want to go that way, the umpire or Director should say, "You may substitute for the baserunner, but it's a bit late since he is deemed to be on third when it was his turn to bat, and accordingly he is declared OUT under §8.5(4), ending the game." ... I suspect this was destined to have exactly a 50% approval rating no matter which way it goes, and some may even argue about it here ... But I would steer this to the decision that is not trying to make a mockery of the game by a potentially (and highly likely) phantom injury during a dead ball situation ... By the way, a LONG time ago (2011) at the World Championships in Phoenix, I watched a team win the title in the championship game with exactly this in-game situation ... They walked two batters while leading by three with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 7th ... |
| Feb. 19, 2026 DaveDowell | Topic: Tournaments Discussion: West Covina tribe24 ... The very first post (yours) in this thread is asking about the 50's ... There were no changes for the 50's (still a two-day, weekend-only structure) ... The revisions being discussed and handled today were for 55-AAA and 60-Men only ... Maybe you could hold off on any more wildly speculative false assumptions until we post the game schedules, then have at it to your heart's content! ... |
| Feb. 19, 2026 DaveDowell | Topic: Tournaments Discussion: West Covina To the 60-Men and 55-AAA Divisions: All of the managers were called by either Director Jerry Smith and/or Tiffany from the SSUSA office, and most were successfully contacted ... We have accumulated your comments and are re-drafting the Friday afternoon / evening schedule to get your games as late as is feasible ... There WILL BE Friday play in these groups ... Good luck! |
| Feb. 19, 2026 DaveDowell | Topic: Tournaments Discussion: West Covina Micara ... Nothing has changed with the 65+ and more senior age groups: Friday thru Sunday for most ... A couple of smaller groups (70-Major and 70-AA) will finish Saturday ... |
| Feb. 19, 2026 DaveDowell | Topic: Tournaments Discussion: West Covina Richard ... Your team will be playing at 8:00 and 9:30 AM on Friday morning in your 75-AAA seeding games ... The four lowest seeded teams will also play the first-round games #1 and #2 of the bracket at 12:30 PM, then your division is done for the day ... Six more bracket games on Saturday and then the 3rd place, championship and potential "If" game on Sunday morning ... Good luck! |
| Feb. 14, 2026 DaveDowell | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Major playing wants to go up an age to play AAA When a player matriculates to the next age group, he "takes his rating with him," which means he is now a 50-Major player ... In the hypothetical you mention, he is eligible to play 50-AAA so long as [1] he does NOT play 40-Major anymore and [2] if the team he seeks to join has one of their maximum of three (3) out-of-rating player exemptions available on their roster ... NOTE: He is NOT eligible for the 50-AAA team if he continues to play 40-Major, which is the equivalent of 50-Major+ ... Major+ players are NOT permitted to be on the roster of a AAA team in the same age group ... As always, if this explanation isn't clear please call the Sacramento Home Office at (916) 326.5303 during normal business hours in the Pacific time zone and ask for an eligibility specialist ... |
| Feb. 14, 2026 DaveDowell | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Orange bag Please see SSUSA 2026-27 Rulebook §8.4(1) • BATTER-RUNNER REACHING FIRST BASE on page 47 ... "..A double bag shall be used at first base, the double portion of the bag being in foul territory abutting first base. If there is a play on a batter-runner going to first base, the batter-runner must touch some portion of the double bag extending into foul territory. He will be called out if he fails to do so, except if, in the umpire's judgment, the batter-runner is avoiding a collision. The batter-runner simultaneously touching both portions of the double bag is permitted. This is NOT an appeal play.." |
| Feb. 14, 2026 DaveDowell | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Orange bag Automatic OUT call by the umpire ... This is NOT an appeal call situation ... |
| Feb. 13, 2026 DaveDowell | Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Tournament Score Updates TOTF ... Thanks for the kind words! ... The tournaments that fall into the category of "Non-T.O.C. Qualifiers" are not required to participate in the WhoIFollow system ... The Independent T.D.'s who run them may choose to do so if they have the desire and resources ... A few have indicated they likely will take advantage of that opportunity ... Events run by Top Gun (west coast), Potomac Sports (east coast) and some Midwest events where Donna McGuire is involved are likely users, but to my knowledge, Tournament Sports (Arizona), promoter of the Gold Glove Spectacular, is not yet ... Good luck this season! ... |
| Feb. 8, 2026 DaveDowell | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Interpretation It's no hardship at all ... Quite the contrary, they're fun to consider! ... |
| Feb. 8, 2026 DaveDowell | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Interpretation Randall ... If no CR comes out and takes his place BEFORE the next pitch is delivered (your timing), he is OUT for having abandoned the base ... Since this is a dead ball situation, there are two other potential scenarios available until that next pitch ... [1] He may come back out of the dugout and return to 1B and run for himself, OR ... [2] An otherwise eligible CR may come out of the dugout and complete the CR entry process ... [You're getting pretty darn creative at these "stump the ump" games!] ... |
| Feb. 4, 2026 DaveDowell | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Safe or out Randall ... Please see Rulebook page 48 ... §8.4(9) • WHEN A RUNNER CAN BE PUT OUT A runner can be put out: A. If, while the ball is in play, a runner is not touching the base. |
| Feb. 3, 2026 DaveDowell | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Safe or out Umpire made the correct call: R2 is OUT ... The defensive player's foot is not a part of the base ... The R2 base runner was off the base and, accordingly, is out on the tag ... So long as the fielder is in the act of receiving a throw, he has a right to be in contact with the base while making that play ... If the ball gets by him, for example, and there will be no play, then there could be an obstruction call if, in the umpire's sole judgment, the defender prevented R2's access to the bag ... |
| Feb. 2, 2026 DaveDowell | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: rerating Let's be honest here ... The purpose of your post was to complain and be argumentative about your team's rating in response to my immediately previous post directed to DJ12 ... We don't argue specific team ratings publicly ... And your post contained nothing about getting "..a conversation started with other team managers and players about what exactly are the criteria for moving a team up.." Lastly, "GOOD LUCK" is a term commonly used when wishing success to an individual or team participating in an athletic endeavor ... That was its only context here ... |
| Feb. 2, 2026 DaveDowell | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Fair or foul I thought that's what I typed (twice) ... |
| Jan. 31, 2026 DaveDowell | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Courtesy runners Randall ... B.J. is correct ... Here's some additional relevant information ... A base runner may have a CR any time he gets on base, even if that's multiple times in an "open inning", subject to the following two conditions ... [1] A CR may only run one time per inning [2] A runner replaced by a CR may not subsequently be a CR in that inning ... The practical effect of the limitations is that ½ of the players on the lineup card may run for the other ½ of the players on the card each inning ... Please see the courtesy runner rules at §8.5 on page 51 of the 2026-27 Rulebook ... |
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