2019SSUSANationalRulesCommittee

OfficialMinutesWednesday-Thursday,December4-5,2019LasVegas,NV-BoulderStationHotel&Casino

MembersPresent:DonnaMcGuire,MO(NationalRulesCommitteeChair/CentralStatesRegionUIC),TerryHennessy,CA(SSUSACEO),FranDowell,CA(SSUSAExecutiveDirector),MikeHula,NV(LVSSARepresentative),FelixMendiola,NV(LVSSARepresentative),MichaelBoone,NJ(NationalDirector),RickSeifman,AZ(NationalDirector/VPUmpires),DonBrooks,TX(NationalDirector),TimMcElroy,MD(NationalDirector),DonReddig,CA(NationalDirector),RandyRowe,MO(RegionalDirector),DougRobbins,CA(NationalDirector)Alternate:RonGrassi,WA(NationalDirector)NOTE:CommitteeMembersOtisRowland,OK(NationalDirector),DaveDowell,CA(NationalRulesCommitteeSecretary/NationalDirector),CarlGustafson,CA(SouthernCaliforniaDirector),andJerryJackson,IL(NationalDirector)wereunabletoattendandreplacedbyAlternates.RULES COMMITTEE SESSION StartingCount1.Expansionof1-1startingcount.Recommendation:Include1-1countacrossalldivisions,MenandWomen.MotionbyDonBrooks:Effectivewiththe2020season,expand1-1countwithcourtesyfoulforallagegroups,MenandWomen.MikeHulasecond.Fromwhatdirector’shaveheard,moreandmoreplayersinthe65sandoverdivisionswantthe1-1count,whichiscurrentlyappliedinthe40s-60sdivisions.Agrowingtrendisseenintheolderdivisions.Vote:Passes 12-01A.Useconsistentstartingcount.Recommendationnolongerneededwiththeunanimouspassingontheexpansionof1-1countwithcourtesyfoulacrossallagesanddivisions.

Ratings2.Recommendation:Allowflexibilityonratingsofthreeplayerswhenateamismovedup.Teamwouldbeallowedtodesignatethreeplayerstoremainattheircurrentratingandnotbemovedupwiththeteam.MotionmadebyTerryHennessyfordiscussion.MikeHulasecondsmotion.Vote:fails 0-11-1.3.Allowunderageplayersaspartofateam’shigherratingexemption(i.e,a55+AAAteamcouldadda50’splayersandbepartoftheteam’sthreemajorplayers).Recommendation fails to move forward for lack of a motion. 4.AllowAAteamstoaddnewplayerswithnotournamentplayinghistory,andhavethemcountasAA,insteadofthecurrentdefaultAAAlevel.Allnewplayers(Men’s50andover)currentlyenterSSUSAattheAAAlevel.Underthisproposal,newplayerswouldneedtoberecreationleagueplayerstojoinaAAteamasaAAplayer.MotiontoapprovemadebyTerryHennessy,secondedbyMikeHula.AmendmentmadebyTerryHennessytoincludeMen’s40AAA,asallnewMen’s40splayersdefaulttoMajor.40splayersenteringasAAAwouldneedtoberecreationplayerswithnotournamenthistory.Men’s40AAA,andallAAteams(Men’sandWomen’s)wouldbeabletoaddbrandnewplayerswithnotournamentplayinghistory(recreationplayers),andnotcountashigherratedplayers.MikeHulasecondsamendment.Vote:Passes 11-1MajorPlusSuggestions5.ReviserecruitmentboundariesforMajorPlus.SubmittedbyMarkThomas(Inattendance)AllowMajorPlusteamstoobtainfourplayersnationwide,withoutcurrentrestrictiontiedtoeast/westoftheMississippi.Motion:TerryHennessymakesmotiontoapprove,DougRobbinsseconds.Followingdiscussionamongvotingmembers,recommendationamendedbyTerryHennessytototaloffourout-of-regionplayers,withmaxoftwonationwideandtwofromthemsamesideoftheMississippiRiverastheteam.SecondedbyDougRobbins.Vote:motion fails 4-8

6.LimitMajorPlustofiverunsperinninginsteadofseven.Recommendationbasedonscheduling.EX.Amajorpluschampionshipgameinthemiddleofthedaycoulddelaygamesscheduledforlaterintheday.Fiveruninningswouldhelpspeedupthegames.Recommendation fails to move forward for lack of a motion. 7.UsespecialequalizerforMajorPlusvs.Majorteams.Recommendation:Removefive-runequalizersandinstituteasystemthatgivesMajorteamsachancetoearnahalf-gamevictoryoveramajorplusteamwhenlosinginseeding.Recommendation fails to move forward for lack of a motion. 8.Overhaul60MajorPlusTwo-yearplan,witheliminationof60MajorPlusdivisionin2021.Majorteamscouldhavesixmajorplusplayers.Recommendation fails to move forward for lack of a motion. 9.Adopt“movedown”ruleforMajorPlusteamsthatwintheWorldMastersChampionships.MajorPlusteamsthatwinWMCwouldhavetoplaythefollowingseasonattheyoungeragedivision,stillatthemajorpluslevel.MotiontoapprovemadebyTerryHennessytoopenadiscussion.SecondbyFelixMendiola.Vote:motion fails 0-10-1 Equalizers10.Equalizerclarificationneeded.Recommendationtostateintherulebookthatequalizerscanbewaived.Aftersomediscussion,motionmadebyTerryHennessytomakeequalizersmandatory.SecondbyTimMcElroy.CurrentruleisinSection1.21-Equalizer.Sentencetobeaddedthatteamsmaynotwaivetheequalizer.Vote:passes 10-111.Eliminateequalizer-relatedhometeamdecision.Recommendation:Useacoinfliptodeterminehometeamingamesinvolvinganequalizer.Equalizerisinplacetohavethestrongerteambethehometeam.Limitbattingpracticeinthetopoftheopen.Recommendation fails to move forward for lack of a motion. 12.Clarify85+equalizersituationagainst80+AAAor80+Majors.Recommendationadjustedtoapolicychange.Ifan85+Majorteamwinsamixeddivisionagainst80+AAAteams,highestfinishing80+AAAteamwillstillreceivefirstplaceawards.13.Change65+vs.70+equalizer.Recommendation-When65sand70splayeachother,eithermake70+teamsplaywith10defensiveplayers,orallow65+teamstohave11defensiveplayerstomatchthe70steam.

Afterdiscussion,MikeHulamakesmotiontoallow65stoplaywith11ondefensewhenplayinga70+team.RickSeifmansecondsmotion.Afterfurtherdiscussions,motionmadebyTerryHennessytotablediscussiontostudygamescoresbetween65+and70+teamsusingcurrentrules.SecondbyRonGrassi.Tournamentdirectorsaskedtotrack65+vs70+gamestoseeifequalizerisatrueequalizer.Resultsfrom2020willbereviewedanddiscussedforthe2020Convention.Vote:motion to table discussion for 2020 Convention passes 8-1-2. Additionalmotionregardingdefensiveplayersfor65steamsaddedlaterduringtherulesdiscussions.FlexMendiolamakesmotiontoincreasedefensiveplayersforMen’s65+divisionfrom10to11.RandyRoweseconds.Vote:Fails 2-5-4OtherRulesSuggestions 14.AddSectionto“deadball”list.Whenapitchedballisnothitbyabatterstrikesthegroundormat.Thisisatechnicalcorrectionrequiringnovote.Addtothecurrentdeadballlist,Section9.1-Section 6.15 Short Pitch - A pitched ball hitting the ground in front of home plate is a dead ball. A ball shall be called on the batter15.Addlanguageregardingvideoreplays.MotionbyTerryHennessytoprohibituseofanyrecordingdevicestochallengeacallonthefield.SecondbyMikeHula.Vote:passes 7-1-3 16.Allow69-year-oldplayersona70+team.Recommendation fails to move forward for lack of a motion. 17.Qualifiersfor80+teams.Require80steamtoplayinaqualifyingtournamenttoattendtheWorldMasters.PolicywillbeaddressedbytheSSUSANationalOffice.18.CourtesydefensiveplayerAllowcourtesydefensiveplayers,similartocourtesyrunners.Recommendation fails to move forward for lack of a motion. 19.Clarifybaselinevs.basepath.MotionbyDonnaMcGuiretoaddnewrenamecurrentbasepathdefinitionasa“baseline”definitionandaddanewbasepathdefinition.SecondbyRandyRowe.Basepathdefinitiontobeadded:“Alinedirectlybetweenabaseandtherunner’spositionatthetimeadefensiveplayerisattemptingtotagthatrunner.”Vote:Passes 11-0

20.Add75+AADivisionMotiontocreatea75+AADivisionbyMikeHula.SecondbyDougRobbins.Vote:Passes 10-0-121.Setminimumouncelimitindefinitionoflegalbat.MotionbyTimMcElroytostatenobatmaybebelow25oz.SecondbyFelixMendiola.Newwordingforsection3.4.BOfficialBats:Shallnotbemorethan34”long,andbebetween25-38ouncesinweight.Vote:Fails 2-5-422.Allowdoublerosteringinsameagegroup.Playerswouldbeallowedtoplayontwosameageteamsduringtheseason(notinsametournament).MotionbyRickSeifmanfordiscussion.SecondbyMikeHula.Vote:fails 0-9-223.Use1-UpHomeRunRuleRecommendation fails to move forward for lack of a motion. 24.Alwaysallowinfieldwarmups.Recommendation fails to move forward for lack of a motion. 25.Don’trequirewalkedbattertotouchfirstbasebeforecourtesyrunnerenters.Recommendation fails to move forward for lack of a motion. 26.Lowerpitchheightfrom6-12feetto6-10feet.Recommendation fails to move forward for lack of a motion. 27.UpdateillegalsubstitutionrulesSection4.7-SubstitutesMotionbyDonBrookstoremoveejectionforunreportedsubstitution.SecondbyDougRobbins.SeeattachmentbelowfornewwordingofSection4.7.Vote:Passes 10-1.28.Allowcourtesyrunnersduringanat-bat&29.Prohibitoutcallwhencourtesyrunnerentersduringat-bat.Recommendations fail to move forward for lack of a motion. 30.Shiftthebatter’sbox.Recommendation fails to move forward for lack of a motion. PolicySuggestionsP1.Medicallyunfitplayers.

MotionbyTimMcElroy:IneventEMSiscalledforinjuredplayer,whethertheygotohospitalornot,playermaybesuspendedfromplayfortheday.SecondbyRickSeifman.Followingdiscussion,MichaelBoonemakesmotiontotablediscussionpendinglegaladvice.MikeHulaseconds.Vote:Passes 10-0-1Otherpolicychangerecommendationsincludedhavingtwocoinflips,twoumpiresforbracketgames,morefieldprep.ThesepolicychangeswillbeaddressedbytheSSUSAHomeOffice.Languageclarifications/rulecleanupneedsIncludes:Fixoutdatedrostersection-4.2(2)Dandotherrostersections(verbiageonhigherskillplayers),andfirstbase/safetybasewording.TheseclarificationswillbedonebytheSSUSAHomeOffice.Includelanguageintherulebook-anyrulenotintheSSUSArulebooktodefaulttoUSASoftball.Additionalrules31.Recommendationtoclarifylanguageinthebookregardingthewrongbatterinthebatter’sbox.forward 32.Itemdeletedasrepetitivewithearlierrecommendation.33.Recommendationtorecognizingwaterbordersbetweenstates,suchasbetweenIllinoisandMichiganinLakeMichigan.SeeRuleDiscussionbelowforitem37.34.Forfullroundrobingamestodeterminechampion-extendgametimefrom65minutestobrackettimesof70minutes.MotionbyTerryHennessy,fordivisionsthatplayfullroundrobinstodeterminechampion,extendgametimeto70minutesplusopeninning(brackettimes)-SecondbyMikeHulaWordinginrulebookforsection5.4RegulationGameC1Note,changedfrom65minutesto70minutes.Vote:Passes 10-0-136.Recommendationthatoutfieldersin80+and85+divisionsdonotneedtoretrievefoulballsthatremainintheplayingfieldatorneartheoutfieldfenceuntiltheinningends.Recommendation fails to move forward for lack of a motion. 37.Motiontohaveteam’shomestatelockedinfollowingfirstqualifyingtournamentoftheseason.Wouldbebasedonnumberofplayersfromdominantstate.Teamcouldnotchangestateafterthatfirstqualifier.MotionmadebyTimMcElroy.SecondbyDonBrooks.

MotiontotablediscussionmadebyMikeHula(tofurtherstudytheissue,includingstate-linewaterbordersandotherregionalissues).SSUSAstaffwillissuereportbyJune1forarulescommitteephoneconference.SecondbyTerryHennessy.Vote:passes 11-038.Hatwornbackwardsforhealthreasons.Mustseeamedicalstatementfromadoctor.Hatsmustbeworninthemannertheywereintendedtobeworn.This will be addressed by SSUSA Home Office. 39.Dealingwithunintentionalforfeitsinseeding.MotionbyRickSeifman,ifthereisoneforfeitinatwo-gameseedingpool,countbothgamesperteamindeterminingtheseedinginsteadofthrowingoutthelowestruns-allowedgameforeachteam.SecondbyDougRobbins.Vote:Fails 1-8-2 Doug Robbins makes motion to approve minutes. Don Brooks seconds motion. Vote: Passes 11-0