Got our schedule yesterday for an upcoming tourney and our 50AAA division has 10 50AAA and a 55M along with a 55AAA team giving us 12.
Now there is also a 55-65s division which consists of 8 teams:
2 55AAA
1 55AA
4 60AAA
1 65M
Who in their right mind puts the 55 teams in the 50s divsion when you already have 2 55AAA teams in the 55-65 division?
Then our division is broken up into a Gold and Platinum division which we were told the director hand selected what he felt were the best 5 AAA teams and put the 55M in that division then put the other 5 AAA teams with the 55AAA team. Which under normal circumstances would not be out of the ordinary. However the 2 divisions at no point will play each other, not in pool play nor in bracket play. What the hell is the point of attracting 10 50AAA teams only to place 55s in there and then divide them up so they don't play against each other? This makes zero sense to me.

I agree with John. I've never liked this and it makes no sense. What's the point when there are plenty of teams for each division?

I don't normally read or engage in message boards/social media forums, as a former umpire and a veteran team manager (nobody else would take the job:) it has always seemed a lose lose endeavor...
that being said: i thought i could help clear the air in regards to the above mentioned "55 Major team" ...

as to the two separate divisions i was told it was due to field availability and that if time allowed a championship game between the 2 division winners would be an option...

if the team played in the 55 division it would go as follows:
2 55AAA---- we would have to give an equalizer
1 55AA-----2 equalizers ( not sure if that's an option)
4 60AAA----2 equalizers ( not sure if that's an option)
1 65M----- would play straight up

According to SSUSA rules "a 50 AAA team is = to a 55 Major team" where both teams will play straight up...

It was requested that the Director place us in the 50 AAA bracket even tho we will have 3 less home runs to hit and would have to play against younger players (all but 4 of our players are 60 or older, oldest being 67, he might be the father to a few of our opponents...(probably not,he would of been 17 :))



I hope the young guys take it easy on us and give us a chance, we just wanted to play ball in a tourney with more than 3-4 teams in it before we go off to happy acres home for the elderly...

looking forward to playing Softball Next Weekend!!

DJP18,

Well that not really true, those teams you listed as "if the team played in the 55 division it would go as follow":

Those teams are already all in that division, if you and the 55AAA team that is also in the 50AAA division it would be 10 teams and not 8. Pretty much almost every game in that division is already dealing with equalizers and different HR rules. Why when you have 10 50AAA teams already signed up would you add the 55 teams to the 50 division to complicate things further on purpose.

Not quite sure how separating the divisions would free up more fields to be honest. The Championship game is scheduled for 2 30 PM if BOTH games go to the IF game then you're looking at 4 00 PM for the Championship of the Gold and Silver division. Nobody wants to be starting Championship Sunday IF game at 4 00 PM. I just don't see how a director gets to say these 5 AAA teams are better than those 5 AAA teams so they shouldn't have to play each other when we all have the same AAA ranking.

Fellas, the best (maybe only?) way to get an accurate take on why it was set up the way it was is going to be from the independent T.D. directly ... His contact information is on the event's tournament page of this website ... He's wise enough to not comment here, so that's going to be your best shot ... Good luck ...