Usssa

[Dakota]

U-trip is the big slow pitch league in my little corner of the Twin Cities metro. I don't do slow pitch, so I don't know about other areas --- I just see the red shirts and dark colored sweat pants (at least up until a couple of weeks ago... shorts, now) on the umpires as I drive by the slow pitch games.

It is virtually non-existent in fast pitch, except for some teams that sanction U-trip so they can play in the World Series (aka several states tournament). Mike, the translation of the name of the U-trip national is for your benefit!

I've never really paid much attention to their rules, but I have wondered about an organization that apparently considers fastpitch to be a "specialty" sport!

[Welpe]

U-Trip is fairly popular for slow pitch. Fast pitch is almost non-existant with ASA being the dominant sanction.

A local SP league I work in switched from USSSA to ASA last year and is going through some growing pains, especially in regard to bats. I've been throwing out a lot of bats during pre-game bat checks there were probably never meant to be used in ASA play.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by Welpe

...I've been throwing out a lot of bats during pre-game bat checks there were probably never meant to be used in ASA play.

The current situation regarding bats is ironic, considering U-trip brags on their web site that they were the first organization to establish bat performance standards. Now, virtually anything is seemingly legal in U-trip (caveat - I don't umpire in U-trip, so this is what I "hear").

Was it U-trip a couple of year ago that "banned" all of Louisville Slugger's bats, but the reason turned out to be LS had not paid the annual tribute to sanction the bats? (It had nothing to do with performance.)

[Stu Clary]

In our area...

Fast Pitch - ASA. Basically everywhere. There is one USSSA FP guy in North Sacramento that I know of. Aside from that, ASA rules the FP roost.

Slow Pitch - City Leagues - ASA; Tournaments - USSSA.

Boys Baseball - USSSA.