ASA or NSA

[JennSoftball99]

As a player for over 10 years I've been in alot of tourneys. See alot of things, but here's my question to all of you since you all seem to be umpires and what not...
Who's the better association ASA or NSA. I as a player prefer NSA. I like the EP rule, and a few others, but what's your guys preference and why?

[Striker991]

As a what not posing as an umpire, I have no preference.

[Rick Vietti]

A game is a game. As an umpire you adapt to the rules of the organization that you are umpiring for. I umpire both ASA and NSA. For the kids NSA allows more fluid participation with EP's and DH's. ASA is more in line with Federation and probably International softball.

The major difference I have found is in the substitution rules.

[Del-Blue]

Deosn't matter what rules you play by, if you just want to play softball, BUT if you want to be considered the BEST OF THE BEST, you need to be associated with ASA. ASA is the governing body of softball. Some people don't like some of the things they do, so they start another orginazation. That's where NSA, USSSA, PONY, and all the other organizations came from. Bottom Line>>>>> The best of the best play ASA.

[Gulf Coast Blue]

Actually...........

The best softball I have seen played is in the ASA and AFA associations........

I would put NSA at a distant third.........

Of course.......geography will play a big part in this......

18U Gold in ASA is tough to beat.........but in my area.....most of those teams play AFA and NSA also..........

But the biggest National tourney is probably the ASA Gold followed by the AFA.........

JMHO........Joel

[Skahtboi]

Here in North Texas, the Metromess as we like to refer to DFW, ASA and USSSA seem to have the best fastpitch tourneys going, as well as league play. North Richland Hills is the de facto best of the best up here, and they are ASA. However, on the other side (east) of the Metromess, it seems that USSSA has strong hold.

Hey Joel...working a 18U Gold tourney this weekend. It will be the first of the season for me. (Apart from the high school tourneys, the best I have worked this season was a 16U A.) Want to drive up and join me???

Scott

[KentuckyBlue]

Have called ASA 10 years, now in 1st year of my city association going NSA. Comparison:

ASA has the best-written rule book I've encountered (haven't yet seen them all). NSA's rules are awful by comparison -- ungrammatical, sometimes oblique because of bad word choice and embarrassing lapses into player-speak at crucial times. (Plus, the typography is embarrassingly primitive -- straight out of Word or maybe even WordPerfect. NSA, get off the bucks for a professional editor and layout designer to rework your books. They look cheap and dumb, and that hurts.)

But some NSA rules are an improvement over ASA -- I'd guess because NSA is younger, lighter in administration, and probably a faster organization in which to implement change. In SP I like the 3-foot-longer pitching distance and lower arc, and the less confrontational style of calling illegal pitches. (You don't have to say "illegal" and stick out your arm, so there's nothing that sets up a confrontation with the pitcher. You just call a ball and tell him/her it was high if asked.)

Other NSA/ASA rules differences are pretty much a wash -- though I'm waiting to toss some defensive player (other than pitcher or catcher) who leaves their defensive position to argue balls and strikes. (Earns immediate ejection, in the NSA book. "Hey, I'd sure like keep you around," I'll say, "but it's right there in the rules, I don't have any leeway. Gotta be fair." Followed by one of those evil giggles you used to hear from that dog cartoon character Muttley on the old Hanna-Barbera cartoons.)

Also I don't know who could have first decided that black and white would be good colors for outdoor work on a 98-degree day.

In short, I'd say ASA is probably overall the superior organization because they've had more time to work out the kinks, but NSA does some things right and they'll learn to do more. Both have their advantages and differences.
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[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by KentuckyBlue


But some NSA rules are an improvement over ASA -- I'd guess because NSA is younger, lighter in administration, and probably a faster organization in which to implement change. In SP I like the 3-foot-longer pitching distance and lower arc, and the less confrontational style of calling illegal pitches. (You don't have to say "illegal" and stick out your arm, so there's nothing that sets up a confrontation with the pitcher. You just call a ball and tell him/her it was high if asked.)

Good points. ASA tried to move the pitcher's plate to 53' last year (along with 70' bases), but it didn't get by. Hopefully it will this year. I'll be bouncing around Kissimmee pushing for it in November

I wouldn't mind seeing a 10' arc, but many umpires won't stop the pitcher at 12, so I don't see that causing much of a difference in the game.

However, I prefer ASA's illegal call for a few reasons. If done properly, there is little question for the batter. When you call it illegal, the pitcher rarely needs to ask and I don't particularly care to interact with the pitcher. And lastly, by calling it before it happens, there is no possibility of it seeming the umpire is making an excuse for not calling it a strike. When I was playing some USSSA ball, I didn't believe how bad it looked when a pitch would be on the way, the batter not like it and immediately turn to the umpire with a Pete Rose "I dare you to call that a strike" glare. Whether intimidated or not, it occasionally got ugly.

As a player, I preferred knowing instead of guessing what the umpire was thinking.