ASA Proposed Rule Changes of Note

[IRISHMAFIA]

Define "Errant throw" as "A thrown ball which draws the defender away from the area of the play or base at which a play is being made"

Comment: Term is used in rules without definition. This definition will aid umpires and players in understanding the rule.

Numerous scenarios in changing the FP distance to 43'.

No problem from my point of view.

A couple proposals to change the base distance in SP to 70'

This is not a new proposal, but as noted in the past, the game has caught up to the fields and 70' is a move which will be good for the adult game.

Safety Grip: Covers the handle region of the bat. The safety grip will not be less than 10 inches and not more thn 15 inches. There shall be no exposed metal in the 10-15 inch area. The safety grip may be a molded finger formed grip as long as it is permanently attached to the bat or attached with Safety tape. Resin, pine tar or spray substances are permissible on the safety grip only. Any tape applied to the safety grip must be sa continuous spiral. A bat having a flare or cone shaped grip attached is legal


Reason: Eliminates the issue of extra tape.

Maybe it is me, but the last sentance is a direct contradiction to the safetey aspect of the grip which has been standard for ASA in the past. If this change passes, does that mean ASA now considers a bat altered in this manner safe?

Changing the required ball requirments to a .520 cor an a 275.0 lbs of compression.

I have no problem with this change.

There are a couple requiring JO infielders and pitchers to wear masks? Failure results in a bench restriction and can no longer participate in the game.

Sorry, but I consider this over officiating and this this decision is one for the coaches, players and parents, not ASA.

Penalty for a player not wearing a mask during warm ups is a bench restriction for the player and coach.

Sorry, but I consider this over officiating and this this decision is one for the coaches, players and parents, not ASA. Not to mention it is impossible to enforce equally across the board.


Exposed jewelry must be removed and may not be worn during a game.


IMO, this change is also over officiating. I am not telling a 35 year old man or woman they MUST remove their wedding band. The rule presently in place works just fine and I see no reason to exacerbate an all ready tenuous situation in ASA softball.


Numerous suggestions concerning metal spikes in particular classes of ASA JO softball.


Okay by me.


A change to remove "heating" from the characteristic changing of equipment because at the present time, it is no more affecting th game than if the equipment being lying in the sun.

IMO, if it is not an issue AT THIS TIME, why worry about it being changed on the assumption it will never be an issue?

JO ball to allow one or two EPs

There needs to be some order in the game. If batting 9 or 10, why not bat 11 or 12?

Change UR sub to not allow a run to score if the URS did not report.

Change the tie breaker to place runners 1st & 2nd for the purpose of creating a possible force out for the defense.

Give me a break, that is the idea of a tie breaker.

During between inning warm ups, restrict the defense to 4 IF & 1 ball.

Someone is worried that the defensive player that comes out of the dugout to help may be in jeopardy of getting hurt.

GMAFB! We have more to worry about issues which directly affect the game. Maybe whe should have NASA scan the skies every half inning to insure a wayward meteor will not fall near a field.

Eliminate the low height of a pitch and restrict the high side to 10'. Why?

Nevermind, excuses are weak and this is not an NSA convention.

Drop awarded base from the IP enforcement.

Penalty is too severe. No argument from me.

Allow Adult FP players to select the OD circle they prefer to avoid a possible fould ball.

Really don't care, but IMO they are acking for trouble.

Make a foul ball an automatic dead ball on a 3rd strike so the defenders do not have to worry about making a play on a runner tagging and advanding.

Seems to me a certain someone is trying to shove NSA rules down ASA's throat. Maybe I'm wrong, but why should the offense be denied the ability to play the game and the offence, the same?

Eliminate stealing in SP below Men's A & B

Why? In my small part of the woods, it is not an issue.

Edited for some clarification and typo corrections

The elimination of the low pitch height and capping the high pitch to 10' is asking for some serious trouble. If they even discuss that, they need to move the pitching plate back to about 65'.

The foul ball automatic dead ball on a 3rd strike is an USSSA rule as well. Looks like the players are shoving this one around because ASA is the only code that still has it as a live ball.

[greymule]

Putting runners on 2B and 1B for the tiebreaker doesn't make sense to me. If the defense wants to set up that force with an intentional walk, they can always do so.

As far as the height of the pitch goes, it's going to be difficult no matter what the rule is. Changing to 10 feet with no lower limit might be going from the frying pan into the fire. The good pitchers are going to push the limits just as they do now.

Drop awarded base from IP? Yes! People might actually start calling IPs.

[steveshane67]

in vegas, they do 70' bases for SP and it really speeds the game up, very few infield hits, more outs on the bases. plus, assuming the IF dirt is now 5' deeper, IFers can play back more and get to more balls.

i wasnt sure about the metal spikes.... are you saying they are proposing allowing them in ASA and you are ok with that?

IMO its a very serious safety issue to not allow metal spikes, probably more serious than illegal bats.

[steveshane67]

Originally Posted by greymule

Putting runners on 2B and 1B for the tiebreaker doesn't make sense to me. If the defense wants to set up that force with an intentional walk, they can always do so.

As far as the height of the pitch goes, it's going to be difficult no matter what the rule is. Changing to 10 feet with no lower limit might be going from the frying pan into the fire. The good pitchers are going to push the limits just as they do now.

Drop awarded base from IP? Yes! People might actually start calling IPs.

in coed, walking a guy with a girl on deck is 2 bases so its not always possible to set up that force.

[greymule]

IMO its a very serious safety issue to not [?] allow metal spikes, probably more serious than illegal bats.

Naturally, it's possible to be badly cut by metal spikes. I once saw my third baseman's tendon and bone after a play, and it was 100% accident. But in actual practice, injuries from metal spikes are very rare.

Hot bats, I think, pose greater dangers, including death, facial disfigurement, and brain damage. From behind the plate, I saw the career of a high-level pitcher end on a line drive off his foot. We had tried to ban the Miken Ultra before the tournament, but the company threatened to sue and even sent a representative to make sure we allowed the bat.

Yes, Steve. I forgot completely about coed rules.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by greymule

Yes, Steve. I forgot completely about coed rules.

Who cares about co-ed rules, the TB is not used in co-ed softball.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by steveshane67

...IMO its a very serious safety issue to not allow metal spikes, probably more serious than illegal bats.

The high school girls seemed to manage ...

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Change the tie breaker to place runners 1st & 2nd for the purpose of creating a possible force out for the defense.

Stupid. The idea of the tie breaker rule is to generate offense to break the tie. It is SUPPOSED to favor the offense. Jeez... do people think these things through or is it just some coach with a bug up his butt about his last game...

[PSUchem]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

There are a couple requiring JO infielders and pitchers to wear masks? Failure results in a bench restriction and can no longer participate in the game.

Sorry, but I consider this over officiating and this this decision is one for the coaches, players and parents, not ASA.

Penalty for a player not wearing a mask during warm ups is a bench restriction for the player and coach.

Sorry, but I consider this over officiating and this this decision is one for the coaches, players and parents, not ASA. Not to mention it is impossible to enforce equally across the board.

Definitely agree. Facemasks for batters was one thing, but this is entirely another. I certainly would recommend to 1st and 3rd basemen playing fastpitch to wear mouth guards and heart guards, but to require such things is over the line.

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Exposed jewelry must be removed and may not be worn during a game.

IMO, this change is also over officiating. I am not telling a 35 year old man or woman they MUST remove their wedding band. The rule presently in place works just fine and I see no reason to exacerbate an all ready tenuous situation in ASA softball.

This would be an OK rule for JO... maybe. But to require this of adults is way over the line. They're perfectly capable of assessing the dangers of wearing jewelry.

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Change the tie breaker to place runners 1st & 2nd for the purpose of creating a possible force out for the defense.

Give me a break, that is the idea of a tie breaker.

Agree with Irish.

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Drop awarded base from the IP enforcement.

Penalty is too severe. No argument from me.

Also agree with greymule. Now we might actually see the IP's being called.

[steveshane67]

Originally Posted by greymule

IMO its a very serious safety issue to not [?] allow metal spikes, probably more serious than illegal bats.

Naturally, it's possible to be badly cut by metal spikes. I once saw my third baseman's tendon and bone after a play, and it was 100% accident. But in actual practice, injuries from metal spikes are very rare.

Hot bats, I think, pose greater dangers, including death, facial disfigurement, and brain damage. From behind the plate, I saw the career of a high-level pitcher end on a line drive off his foot. We had tried to ban the Miken Ultra before the tournament, but the company threatened to sue and even sent a representative to make sure we allowed the bat.

Yes, Steve. I forgot completely about coed rules.

i figured you forgot, wasnt trying to sound snobby...

the metal spike thing kills me bc of the other rules ASA has in place for safety reasons that, IMO, are way over the top. maybe its fine for "major" players but for the weeknight rec league its beyond stupid.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by steveshane67

...maybe its fine for "major" players but for the weeknight rec league its beyond stupid.

Local leagues can ban metal with a local rule (and many probably will if this passes). The official ASA rule would only come into play in championship play.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Local leagues can ban metal with a local rule (and many probably will if this passes). The official ASA rule would only come into play in championship play.

Adults have always been allowed to wear metal spikes except for co-ed and senior.

Twenty years ago EVERYONE was allowed to wear metal spikes.

This change is directed toward JO players.

[mach3]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Stupid. The idea of the tie breaker rule is to generate offense to break the tie. It is SUPPOSED to favor the offense. Jeez... do people think these things through or is it just some coach with a bug up his butt about his last game...

There was the same proposal for the ISF-Rules this year, submitted by the ISF Secretary General. They argued it would place the Visiting Team in an advantage since they could IBB the first batter to get the force play if they need to defend a single run to score.

REASON FOR CHANGE:
Under the current rule, the visiting team if it does not score can walk the first batter to set up a force and to create a double-play situation. The home team cannot do this for the fear that both runners will score and then they will one have one running in the bottom on the inning. Another advantage is the possibility of more than one run scoring, which should require less extra innings.

But it was not accepted.

Raoul

[NCASAUmp]

Mike, was the ball composition change a typo?

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Changing the required ball requirments to a .520 cor an a 375.0 lbs of compression.

Was that supposed to be .52 COR / 275 lbs compression?