Hello SSUSA... Just finished our version of the Worlds in Vegas. It was a great tournament and very well run, thank you. I would like to put a bug in someone's ear about something that doesn't seem logical to me. I'll start by saying, I already know it's hard to get so many games scheduled at so many places, so I get the challenge. However, it doesn't seem logical to have a Major-Plus division which allows 7 runs per inning and 9 HR's but use the same time limit as all lower-level teams use when they get 5/inning and fewer HR's. Logic tells me that it takes longer to score 7 than is does 5. Almost all of the games in major plus this weekend only went 5 innings. When you're taking the best players in the highest levels and cutting the games short, it makes me think we haven't considered the unintended consequences of having a major plus division. Since there are so few Maj+ teams, Vegas is the only place we have a real tournament with more than four teams; this is our only chance to battle it out. So, when the games are only 5 innings, it seems like we aren't getting our money's worth. Please consider extending Major plus time limits even if it means adding an extra day to the schedule.
In my opinion it should be 5 runs an inning for all levels if a time limit is used. I also think it COULD help increase participation in the plus level. I imagine the guys who play plus probably disagree, but they aren't removing the time limit due to scheduling limitations.
Great post by the way.
hARDER 100% need more time..
Major plus should get 10-15 more minutes of game time. It’s like SSUSA punishes teams for playing at the higher level.
More time, more money. Higher entry fees. No such thing as free time in a tournament. There are more major and below teams than there are major+ and the lower-level teams shouldn't have to subsidize extra time for major+ teams. Major+ has better sponsors. Let them ante up if they need extra time.
Great idea. We would definitely pay more for the extra time.
Well, here we are at "deja vu all over again" 17 years later ... On August 26, 2008, SSUSA announced the adoption of the Major+ Rules package recommended by that summer's Major Plus Task Force ... A lot of really talented ballplayers who also happened to be pretty smart fellas attacked this problem ... Here was the result ...
https://seniorsoftball.com/?messageboard&viewby_thread=28683&message_topic_id=rules&keywordsfound=major+plus+task+force
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SSUSA Adopts Major-Plus Task Force Recommendations
On June 4, 2008, the SSUSA commissioned the Major Plus Task Force to survey the Major Plus managers in the 50’s, 55’s and 60’s age groups and to use the responses from those managers to formulate recommendations concerning playing rule modifications for those divisions.
The Task Force was chaired by Gary Tryhorn (Old A’s 60’s), and included Bob Woodruff (GSF 60’s), Audie Hollis (Hollis Appraisal 50’s and 55’s), Butch Drake (Travelodge 55’s), Randy Hendricks (Hendricks Sports Management 50’s), Ken Lipinski (Seacrest Mavericks 50’s) and Jim Hornus (W.E. Ruth 55’s).
The Task Force has submitted their recommendations and the SSUSA is pleased to announce that it is adopting eight of the nine recommendations. The effective date for all of the adopted recommendations is September 1, 2008, except as otherwise noted.
Recommendations Adopted –
1. TOURNAMENT FORMAT – Major Plus teams will play two seeding games on the first day, double elimination (or three game guarantee, field availability permitting) brackets starting on the second day, with the third day concluding in the early afternoon.
2. TIME LIMITS – Sixty-five (65) minutes plus open inning in seeding games, 75 minutes, finish current inning, in bracket, and seven innings full, no time limit, in Championship game(s).
3. RUNS PER INNING – Seeding games: Seven (7) runs per half-inning at bat, with last inning open. Bracket and Championship Games: No run limit (open scoring) per half-inning at bat, with mercy rule of 25 runs after 5 innings.
4. HOME RUNS – Ten (10) plus 1-up, Singles thereafter, in all three age divisions.
5. SOFTBALLS – Each team will be provided with two dozen new softballs at the beginning of the tournament. Teams will hit their own softballs and chase their own home runs. Additional softballs may be purchased at the tournament or teams may bring their own SSUSA approved (only) softballs.
6. BALL / STRIKE COUNT – The current SSUSA rule of a 4-3 ball/strike count will be retained. No courtesy foul.
7. ROSTER RESTRICTIONS – Team’s home state plus bordering states, Snowbirds prohibited, and one (1) out-of-region exception player allowed per team, using East/West of the Mississippi River boundary. [EFFECTIVE DATE: November 1, 2008, to prevent disrupting current rosters for the 2008 World Championships in Phoenix]
8. ROSTER PUBLICATION – Major Plus rosters will be made public through the SSUSA web site.
Recommendation Declined –
9. BATTED BALL STRIKING PITCHER – The managers surveyed by the Task Force voted exactly 50/50% on the question of retaining or eliminating this rule, and the Task Force’s recommendation was to eliminate it. The rule will be retained, in modified form, and is simultaneously being extended to all ages and divisions of play, effective September 1, 2008.
Rule Modification – Specific language will be published shortly, but the Pitcher’s Protection Rule will apply only if the pitcher is in the Pitcher’s Box and, in the judgment of the umpire, the Pitcher has no chance to make a defensive play on the ball. The component of the current rule that limited its application to the line drive batted ball only will be removed.
ECONOMIC IMPACT ON TEAMS – The adoption of the Task Force Recommendations will result in additional softball costs and longer game times, for which umpires will be entitled to, and receive, additional compensation. The 50’s, 55’s and 60’s Major Plus teams will be charged an additional entry fee of $200 to help defray a portion of the additional costs.
Thank you to all of the managers who replied to the survey, and a special thank you to the Major Plus Task Force for an exceptionally well done job.
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Follow-up • Within 90 days, the Major Plus Task Force had petitioned that ALL of these rule amendments be rescinded ... That request was granted, ending the modification experiment ... ["..Some things never change.." may actually be true]
DD that sure is interesting, thanks for sharing. But 17 years ago, I didn't know that Senior Softball was even a thing as I'm a spry 61 y.o. youngster now! Good thing those rules were rescinded! Does this mean because someone had some bad ideas 17 years ago, we can't change it now? I'm OK with how it's run today, I'm just hoping we can add more time to bracket games, if that requires a modestly higher fee for MP, it's not going to be an issue.
