This page outlines specific policies and procedures for the USSSA Fastpitch Program in Connecticut. It includes information on the Roster Procedures, Heat Policy, Berth Procedures, and Code of Conduct.

USSSA Connecticut Guest Player and Roster Procedures

As of 2020, guest players will be permitted in National stature events.

Teams in USSSA tournaments nationwide (except for certain state and national events) can utilize guest players of comparable classes for events that they are participating in. This means teams that are short a player or two for an event have a standardized way to bring guest players for specific events.

As this system is the same in all states, it will improve roster transparency, and anyone can see approved guest players for an event or teams within that event. Additionally, the system will no longer allow a player to be rostered with more than one team.

The system is intuitive and works through the coach’s login at usssa.com. We have also created a series of help documents for you to use to help in your orientation to the new system. They include:

• Guest Player Guidelines
• How to Add or Remove a Guest Player
• How to Deactivate/Reactivate a Player
• How to View a Roster with Guest Players

Please note that team performance will continue to affect team classifications, and the use of guest players will not be a factor in evaluating teams for potential promotion.

We recognize that, from time to time, a player may wish to completely change teams during the season. This is different from being a guest player because she is making a new team, her “home” team. This will require her to be dropped off one roster and added to another. If she chooses to go to another team, including a team within the same organization or a different age group, she would have to submit a player release form and a $15 transfer fee. Players are only allowed one release during the spring/summer season. A player can start the season on one roster and then be released to the other to finish the season, but she can’t go back and forth between the two teams. The Guest Player System should be used for a player that may “guest” on more than one occasion with another team but is not officially leaving her ‘home” team. Players can be released to another team if a team disbands mid-season without affecting their one-time transfer.

The Player Release Form (PRF) and the player transfer fee must be received by the USSSA East office no later than the Thursday before the weekend the player wishes to participate with the new team. The PRF and fee must be received before the release is official. Once the PRF has been validated, USSSA East will delete her from her original team, and the new team’s manager can add her to their roster. The manager should then maintain a signed copy of the new roster showing the player has been added to the roster. Before the World Series, players may only be released and added to a team once.

When a player declares she no longer wishes to participate on a team whose roster she has signed, that player must return all equipment, uniforms, and similar items that were distributed to the player specifically for that season. The player must return these items within seven days after notifying the team manager verbally or in writing of her intention not to play. All monies the player has deposited with the team or earned as part of fundraising campaigns will remain with the team.

Once all the items have been returned to the old team, the manager of that team must sign the player’s PRF. By signing that form, the manager is stating that all items have been satisfactorily returned and that they are granting the unconditional release of the player. The purpose of having the manager of the old team sign the PRF is not to give them the option of preventing the player from re-signing onto another team but rather to signify that the manager has received all required equipment and that the player is leaving in good standing.

Financial arrangements between the player and team, whether unfulfilled or perceived to be unfulfilled, are irrelevant to the player release process, as it is the team’s responsibility to ensure that all money due is collected from the player on a timely basis.

Alternatively, suppose a manager informs a player that she is being removed from the team roster without the player’s mutual consent. In that case, the team should show goodwill to the player and return all money provided by the player to the team on a pro-rated basis. For example, if the player deposited $500 with the team and is scheduled to play ten tournaments in the season, of which three have been completed, then the team, in good faith, should refund the player $350. The manager must sign the PRF for any player released from the team.

USSSA will resolve any conflicts resulting from player/manager relationship releases.

PLAYER RELEASE FORM

USSSA Connecticut Heat Index Policy

The following heat index policy guidelines have been established to ensure the safety and welfare of all players, coaches, and umpires involved in fastpitch softball.

Heat Index Actions

• 80° – 89°: Use caution; Monitor athletes carefully for necessary action.
• 90° – 104°: Use extreme caution; Ensure water breaks are allowed as needed; Ensure that all individuals drink fluids and that uniforms are modified to ensure the coolest level available.
• 105° – 114°: Games will be shortened in duration to allow a longer break between games for all involved; Alter uniforms where feasible;
• 115° & Above: All activities will be suspended until the heat index is below 115.

The Heat Index will be watched by the on-site Directors, the on-site UICs, and the USSSA State Director’s Office. The Heat Index Policy will be implemented and enforced by the State Director’s Office. The State Director’s Office will attempt to reschedule games as needed to complete the schedule. The above standards comply with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and local counties.

Revised Date: December 2020.

USSSA Fastpitch Post Season Qualification Guidelines

There are three levels of qualification for USSSA Post-Season National Championship berths.

Direct Qualification: After qualifying events (based on stature), the system will identify and award appropriate teams with a Qualified designation based on the order of finish in the event. The number of berths awarded is based on the stature of the event. If a team has already qualified, it is possible that berth may be awarded to the highest finishing team in the event that has not yet qualified and has a winning record in that event.

Accrual of USSSA Points: Teams can earn an At-Large berth by participating in USSSA events throughout the season and accruing a minimum of 150 USSSA Points. Once a team accrues 150 USSSA Points, they will automatically be granted an At-Large Berth.

State Director Application: A team can apply for an At-Large Berth through their State Director. For a team to be given an At-Large Berth by their State Director, it is recommended that they accrue a minimum of 4 USSSA Event Credits. Credits are earned based on the stature of an event. Teams located in an area without a State Director can apply to the USSSA National Championship Director.

Click here for qualifying procedures for Open/B National Events.

1. Any team looking to participate in a “C” National Championship must be classified as a “C” team. The typical characteristics of a “C” team are described here. All team entries into this event will be scrutinized by the “C” National Tournament Director and USSSA event coordinators to ensure that the teams meet the eligibility criteria and that the competitive balance is what the teams expect. In the future, USSSA may initiate qualification procedures, but at this point, USSSA is offering a “C” National Championship nationwide. The only requirement to participate is that teams be classified as “C” teams.
2. Teams intending to participate in the National Championship MUST submit their entry fee online to the national office. No checks accepted. Each team’s State Director will approve all eligible teams that register for the National Championship.
3. Teams must have a copy of their current official USSSA roster with appropriate signatures, up-to-date insurance certificates, and birth certificates for all rostered players. Teams are also responsible for handling all other paperwork associated with this event (e.g., housing forms, admission passes, T-shirt orders, etc.).

USSSA East Conduct Code

The goal of the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) is to offer our members a quality product in all aspects of the program. This begins with the service and cooperation they receive from our state office and ends with their experience on the playing field. To this end, we are committed to making their tournament experience a positive one, both in terms of competitiveness and the comfort they experience in bringing their coaches, players, parents, and sponsors to our many venues. To ensure that all of our tournaments are an enjoyable experience for everyone involved and that nothing which occurs during the operation of those tournaments reflects negatively toward the USSSA, its members, the park staff, or host towns, the following rules will serve as our conduct code at all times.

The team manager must have complete control of him/herself and all team personnel (i.e., players, coaches, family members, etc.) at all times, both on and off the playing field.

In the event of a disputed play or decision, only the team manager or captain(s), as designated at the start of the game, may consult with an umpire or tournament official. Other coaches, players, and spectators are to remain in the team’s designated area and not participate in the discussion unless called upon by an umpire or official.

Smoking and the use of other tobacco products are prohibited on the playing field as well as on the players’ bench area.

Managers are to report any unsportsmanlike conduct or derogatory acts to the tournament director, whether committed by someone from the manager’s team or another. This allows the director to prevent adverse situations from further developing into something detrimental to the tournament or its participants.

Any substantiated report by hotel/park/town management regarding a USSSA registered team’s destruction or abuse of hotel/park/town property or failure of that team to pay any financial obligation to said hotel/park/town are grounds for permanently barring that team from all future USSSA participation.

Failure to adhere to these or any other rules and procedures as outlined in an USSSA-sanctioned event may result in actions against the team or individual held responsible. Such penalties include reprimands, fines, probation, suspension (game, event, year, or multi-year), or permanent expulsion from USSSA-sanctioned events.

USSSA has a reciprocal agreement with other softball organizations to uphold penalties and sanctions levied by those organizations against team personnel for unsportsmanlike or fraudulent conduct. In return, other organizations have also agreed to honor and enforce penalties and sanctions imposed by the USSSA in their events. This agreement is an outward expression of our intolerance toward gross misconduct among our participants.