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The following rules are the official SUPER SERIES FASTPITCH AMERICA
rules that will be in effect at all Regional and National tournaments. Local
areas may modify these rules to conform to their local high school rules
and recreational league rules only. Optional rules are common regarding
coach pitch verses machine pitch in younger divisions. Using 10 defensive
players in younger divisions is a recreational option designed to get more
girls in the game. Local options are not necessarily endorsed by SUPER
SERIES FASTPITCH, but demonstrate the flexibility and tolerance of the
SUPER SERIES FASTPITCH OF AMERICA . SUPER SERIES FASTPITCH will
always be about the “can do’s”. Safety rules are NOT FLEXIBLE. We will
adhere to all safety rules in their fullest, including all safety rules that are
mandated by the governing body of softball. To keep the SUPER SERIES
FASTPITCH OF AMERICA Rulebook as streamlined as possible, we will refer
back to the National Federation of High School’s (NFHS) rulebook for all
rules and case studies. PPS directors have the authority to deviate from this rule set, however, it must be listed in their event details.
Rosters are frozen prior to each event on a predetermined date. Players not
listed on the roster will not be permitted to play; PPS will be utilizing
playbook scoring software to live score the event. Due to using the
playbook scoring app there shall not be any ineligible players on the field at
any time. Managers & coaches must be listed on a team account or roster
in order to be eligible to coach on the field during games.
When listing a player on your official online roster, team managers are
required to use the player’s first name, last name. The middle name may be
added after the first name & before the last name if the middle name is also
listed on the birth certificate. No nicknames, shortened names, slang
names, initials, prefixes, or suffixes are allowed. Date of birth (in proper
format – mm/dd/yyyy) must be listed EXACTLY as it appears on the
player’s original birth certificate, as a member on an eligible team’s Official
Online Roster. Failure to comply with this rule shall result in your team being
prohibited from participating in PPS events.
Players found to be playing on multiple teams in the same weekend,
anytime during an PPS event is prohibited. This includes different age
divisions within the event.
1) Playing up in age – A team wishing to play up in age would need to
register in A level, B, or Open of the next higher age division of the
tournament. If an A level team plays up 2 age divisions, they can play C.
Example – 12u A would need to play 14u B -or- 12u A can play 14u Open.
● A – There are no roster restrictions ● B– a total of 2 players that have been listed on a team with a higher classification in the same season. ● C – a total of 2 players that have been listed on a team with a higher classification in the same season. Of the 2 players, only one can be from A classification. ● (A or B Players cannot pitch in C) Penalty: Remove player from pitching and eject coach from the game.
Teams wishing to lower their classification must contact their Region Director. Teams with a .500 or better in-class record must register the following season in the same classification if 6 or more players are returning to the same team, new teams my determine their own classification Sandbagging will not be tolerated. If caught your team could be subject to removal from the event prior too or during. The parent or legal guardian of the player must be listed as the contact and sign the player waiver.
● If you are a parent or a guardian, you can edit the player’s name in your login. Do not add “nicknames” or suffixes (ex: Jr or IV) ● Listing the player’s name in any other format could make the player ineligible to play!
A player that is found to be illegal due to an age or grade violation during a league or tournament game shall be removed from the field and ejected from the event, the head coach will also be ejected. The illegal player shall be removed from the offending team’s Official Online Roster and additional penalties may be applied.
Team Classifications / Pickup Players 12.1 Team Classifications: 1. Class A – Teams that are in the top 20% of the top points in their age group nationally will be considered Class “A” Teams. 2. Class B – Teams that are within the 80% – 41% of the points in their age group nationally will be classified as “B” Teams 3. Class C – Teams that are in the bottom 40% of the points in their age group nationally will be classified as “C” Teams 4. SSF REC – SSF REC is a team that is formed from and play in a drafted League 5. Teams that are formed and / or play in a non-drafted league will be consider as a class “C” Team 6. Team classifications based on points can cause true “C” or “B” teams to be bumped up in class. If this happens to your team contact your local SSF director to have them evaluate your team to see if you can be reclassified. 12.2 Pickup Players: 1. Pickup Players must be listed on the team roster as pickup Players.
2. Pickup players may play down in Classification. But players “playing down” may not
All teams participating in Premier Prospects Sports events and leagues must be registered for the current season and sanctioned by Premier Prospects Sports. ● All teams must have a liability insurance policy that meets the requirements of PPS and have Premier Prospects Sports listed as additionally insured. ● The team’s manager is responsible for all aspects of the eligibility of the players on his team and that they meet the requirements as set forth by PPS
· Guest players can be added to your roster as needed. Players will be removed from the roster after the event is complete. Teams can carry a max of 2 guest players from higher classifications(s). Guest players can guest play for a team in a higher division a max of 4 times (per classification – A/B/C). Once this limit is reached (per classification) the player will be re-classified with the higher classification from the team they guest played on if the teams were from a higher division.
A SUPER SERIES stamped game ball, or the equivalent must be used in all FASTPITCH OF AMERICA sanctioned events. All 12-Under through 18-Over division balls must be 12” in diameter with .47 C.O.R. and .375 compression. 8-Under and 10-Under must use 11” diameter with .47 C.O.R. and .375 compression. Core and compression must be clearly visible on the ball. Non-compliance will lead to offending coach being ejected from the game. Any player ejected from the game will result in an out when that spot in the lineup comes up unless there is a substitute player available to go in that spot. Minimum requirements for fielding a team are still active. A team must have a minimum of 9 players on the lineup card but can finish with a minimum of 8 players. The missing player in the batting order would be an out. Less than 8 fieldable players on the team will result in forfeit for that team. Official Lineup of Players and Substitutes The SUPER SERIES OF AMERICA has adapted the following rules. The official lineups are for league and tournament play. They will be used for all State, Regional and National play. 5.1 Rosters are required at all SSF Sanctioned Events. 5.2 Online Rosters are required. Penalty: If a team’s roster is not online and anyone protests a player’s eligibility then the protest will be upheld and the team without the roster online will forfeit the game and the player will be disqualified from playing that weekend. 5.3 Pickup players are allowed but the team must use the online pickup player form and add the player online.
5.4 Teams cannot play down in age group. 5.5 Players can play down in classification but cannot play in the Pitchers position in Class C Events. Penalty player is ejected from the event and team forfeits the game. 5.6 Players can only play on 1 SSF team on any given weekend. Penalty team forfeits game and player is ejected from the event. 1) Exception: Players can play in 2 separate events on a weekend but only when both events are a 1-day event only and start on separate days. Example: an event starts and ends on a Saturday then the players may play in an event that starts and finishes on the next day Sunday. 5.7 Team must start with nine defensive players.
Calculations of rankings ● • C – 50 points per win, 100 points per semifinal win, 150 points per championship win. ● • B – 75 points per win, 150 points per semifinal win, 225 points per championship win. If brackets are split, the top bracket will receive B points, the second and successive bracket(s) will receive C points. ● • A – 100 points per win, 200 points per semifinal win, 300 points per championship win. If brackets are split, the top bracket will receive A points, the second bracket will receive B points, and the third and successive brackets will receive C points.
Points awarded at events will be increased by the stature of the event. ● Leagues (X1 Points) ● Qualifiers (X1 Points) ● Double Points Qualifier (X2 Points) ● Super Series Events (X4 Points) ● Region World Series (X4 Points) ● PPS National Championship (X5 Points)
PPS Bracket Seeding Procedure ● Record ● Head to head with only 2 teams tied ● Runs allowed ● Run Differential (10 Max Per Game) ● Runs scored ● PPS points ranking ● Automated coin flip
Premier Prospects Sports will not tolerate any unruly or sportsman like behavior, ejections will be handed out for any of the following behaviors. ● Physical attack on an umpire, tournament official, associate director, associate officer, and/or any player or fan prior, during, or immediately following a game played under the authority of Premier Prospects. Assault on an official is a felony in some states.
Players, coaches, managers, fans, spectators, or sponsors threatening an umpire, tournament official, associate director, or associate officer with physical harm. ● Any player, coach, manager, sponsor, fan, spectator, director, or officer who engages in physical fighting. ● Using unsportsmanlike conduct or abusive language, symbol tactics, or derogatory or unbecoming acts. ● Destruction of property or abuse or failure to pay. ● Competing under an assumed, false and/or altered name. ● Tournament hosts have the authority to eject a player, fans, or team anytime during a tournament of committing any of the above listed offenses. ● A player, spectator, fan or coach ejection carries removal from that game and the following game. Tournament Director for each event will have authority to reinstate if they feel ejection wasn’t warranted. ● Any spectator, coach, manager, or player who is ejected for the second time during the tournament will be eliminated from participating for the remainder of the tournament. ● Any event that results in physical altercation (before, during or after a game) could result in a forfeit for both teams. Tournament committee reserves the right to remove teams from playoff contention. ● Any participant that is ejected by an umpire after a contest is completed must sit the next scheduled game. If it is the last game of the tournament the offender may be required to sit the first game of the next tournament that the team plays in. ● After an ejection the person ejected must vacate the playing area (Field of play and spectator area) within 45 seconds of the ejection, failure to do so will result in a forfeit .
SSF also has the option of using “Extra Players (EP)”. Using nine regular players and up to three “EP”. There would be 10, 11 or 12 total players on the lineup sheet. Any nine can be used in the field with 10, 11 or 12 batters. (This lineup is designed to get more players in the game). Three of the players would have EP as their position. Any of the 10, 11 or 12 players can be used for defense. The coach can change the defensive players at any time using the 10, 11 or 12 players on the bench. In addition to the 3 EPs allowed under SUPER SERIES OF AMERICA rules, teams may also add a “DP/FLEX” player to their lineups. For purposes of simplicity, if a coach chooses to use a “DP/FLEX” and only 9 batters, one of the 9 batters will be considered a DP. 8U can also use DP/FLEX but must bat 10 batters Exception: If the DP/FLEX is used, the flex player must remain on defense throughout the game, unless inserted into the batting lineup “once” for the DP, or replaced on defense, in which case the FLEX position would be eliminated for the remainder of the game. 5.9 Lineups are required before the start of the game, Players may not be added to the lineup after the 1st Pitch of the game. Mercy Rules: ● 20 after 2 ● 15 after 3 ● 10 after 4 ● 8 after 5
If a game is stopped, the game must start within 1 hour of the stop in play. If games are not resumed, they will become suspended or called official. Games called by umpires that cannot be resumed within 1 hour will be considered an official game, if 4 innings have been completed, or 3 1/2 innings if the home team is ahead (13U-14U: after 5 innings or 4 1/2 if the home team is ahead). After 4 complete innings, a tie score will be recorded a tie in pool play. The tournament director can extend the 1 hour if there are extenuating circumstances, i.e. lightning detector, working on fields, etc. A suspended game will resume where the game was halted. In the event play is stopped for any reason before or during the Championship round, first place, second place, third place, etc. will be awarded based on PG Seeding and Tie Breaker Rules.
We recommend that all teams (home and visitor) keep a scorebook. The Home Team will be responsible to keep our digital live scoring app Playbook, Scorekeeper for each event will gain coaches access to the event. In case of an emergency where staff cannot keep book, the home team will be the official scorer. In a situation in which tournament staff and the home team are unable to score, the visitor would become the official book. All subs should be reported to the umpires. To eliminate scoring disputes, scorekeepers should check with the official scorer during and after the game.
Lineup cards must be fully filled out with players first name, last name, position, and accurate jersey numbers. All substitutes should be listed with accurate jersey numbers. Failure to produce a complete lineup card can result in games not starting on time. Lineup cards are to be given to the official scorekeeper before the home plate meeting.