Playing on Teams with Unfrozen Rosters

Players are classed by their highest level of play. No player can play down more than one level from their highest level of play on an unfrozen roster. Understanding how the class level system works helps to clarify where players can move.

The TY (this year) and LY (last year) system ranks players according to their age and class. A 10U player that played Metro last season is an LY 11 (age plus one for class). Add two for Select play: LY 12. Add three for Elite: LY 13, and add four for Premier: LY 14. (See Figure 3.)

For example, if an unfrozen 10U Select player (LY 12) subs on an unfrozen 12U Select team, that action makes that player a TY 14. Because the 12U team was not frozen, that player can play down one class (TY 13), but that player is now ineligible to play below the TY 13 class and cannot play on a 10U Select team for the remainder of the season. To play at his or her age level, that player would have to play 10U Elite (TY 13) or 10U Premier (TY 14) baseball.

Playing on Teams with Frozen Rosters

If a player is on a frozen roster, that player cannot play below that age level, except at the Elite or Premier level, according to the chart below.

For example, if a 10 Select (TY 12) player plays on a 12 Select team with a frozen roster or plays with that team in a tournament in which they qualify and become frozen, that player becomes a TY 14 and is now ineligible to play below the TY 14 class and is ineligible for 10U Select or Elite baseball. The lowest that player can play at his or her age is 10U Premier (TY 14).

Players can always play in their own age groups, at least at the Premier level and maybe lower, depending on the level of the teams with which they have played.

Playing on Teams During the Qualifying Season

Some players play on teams during the spring and think that they will be fine the next season: everything starts over the next season. For example, a 10U player plays on a frozen 11U Select team and cannot play below 11U Select or 10U Elite for the rest of the season. However, the next season that player can move back down to Select—unless that player is reclassed. (Remember, the player is now an 11U the next season.)

Let’s say that the 11U Select team the player played with last season did very well at the National Championship and was moved up to 12U Elite the next season. Now (the new season), the player is a mandated 11U Premier player, not an 11 Select player! Because it’s the beginning of the season (not the qualifying season, and rosters are not frozen), this player can play down one level. So the lowest this player can play for the rest of the new season is 11 Elite. Of course, if the player plays up again in the new season, he or she can be reclassed again.

Player Class, Movement, & Grade Charts

The charts below show how players can move between classes.

Taking Figure 1, if a player has been frozen on a roster, that player can only move straight across or up. If a player has played on a nonfrozen roster, that player can move one level down, provided his or her grade from previous play does not prevent play at that lower level (see Figure 3).

Figure 1: Equivalent Class Levels

Take the example used in the Nations Baseball rules, where these charts originate:

See the bold text above. If a 12U player plays on a 14 Select frozen roster, that player can only return to the 12U division in the Premier class.

If that player played on a 14 Select nonfrozen roster, that player could return to the 12U division on a 12 Elite team (one level down). See Figure 2 for an example.

Figure 2: Player Movement

Simply put, the rule is that if you are frozen on a roster, you can move within the same grade (row). If you are not frozen, you can move down one grade. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 3 shows all the divisions with their player grades (TY/LY):

Figure 3: Player Age, Grade, and Class

Using this chart, you can see that a player can move very far up in grade and not be able to come down to the Elite level at his or her own age division. If a 12U player subbed on a 16U select team that was not frozen, that action would make that player a grade 18 who could play down one level to grade 17. Grade 17 in 12U is Premier. (Grade 16 in 12U is Premier also.)

Points to Remember

• A player can always play at the highest class in his or her own age level.
• 9U and below have no Premier class; Elite is the highest.
• Even subbing on a team as the tenth player, sitting the bench, and playing outfield makes that player a player on that team. Nations Baseball cannot determine the abilities of players. At least two people thought that player was good enough for that team and at the very least wouldn’t hurt the team: the coach and the parent. Being on the roster of a team in a certain class makes that player a player of that class.
• Player classifications can and often do carry over into the next season.

Other Resources

• The BABA Forum: Nations Baseball Board
• Nations Baseball website
• Nations Baseball rules

Be sure to review our rules before playing.

Karen Directing at the Sportsplex

Karen and Patrick very much enjoyed the years spent with BABA and would like to thank all the players, fans, and coaches that have supported BABA over the years.

The old site is still available so that you can view articles, forums, photos, and other features.

• Former BABA website
• BABA Forum
• BABA Photos

I have to give credit where credit is due for this post. These tips come from an email sent by my husband, Pat Farrell, to a manager who was taking his first team to Big League Dreams. Coach Pat managed a team for four years, and we played at BLD more than any other field.

For Big League Dreams

• Pitchers should bring some type of regular athletic shoe for pitching. They do not allow metal spikes on the mounds (portable), and regular spikes are not the best thing to wear on the mounds.
• The infield is synthetic, and sliding into second and third is much different at BLD. The players should take a practice slide or two before the first game.
• The ball gets a very true bounce on a throw-down from the catcher, so stealing can be a little more difficult.
• The ball gets through the infield very quickly, so the players may want to play a little farther back than normal since they will have a little more time.
• It is very hard to judge how deep the outfielders are, and the outfields are big, so the outfielders need to pay attention to where they are.
• The outfields are grass and run a little downhill, so a hard-hit line drive can easily roll all the way to the wall.
• The ball really bounces back off the concrete curb on the back stop, so it can be difficult to score on a passed ball from third.
• In the past, home plate area can be a bit dug up and rough from the adult softball leagues, so players should be careful sliding home. I always inspected it before games to see how it was and advised the players accordingly.
• The bases and mound are not always set at the correct distance between games, especially when other ages just played. I always measured the distance from home to rubber and base to base and move the bases and mound accordingly, if necessary. Some coaches call maintenance to make the adjustments, but I always thought it was easier to just move them myself. (The mound is portable, but it is not one of those tiny ones; you might need two people to move it.)
  Note from BABA: Appropriate field distances are posted in “New to Select Baseball?“. 

The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not necessarily represent Bay Area Baseball Association’s opinion or position.

What is Select Baseball?

Select baseball is different than Little League in several ways. Generally, it is more competitive. The fields and bats are larger, and many teams play year round. This article lists the major points about select baseball.

• Independent Teams

Little League teams are formed from a common draft from a pool of players, for the most part on a single day. In select baseball, teams are independent and hold their own tryouts, with varying criteria for selection. Select teams can drop and pick up new players throughout the season. The major select baseball sanctions (such as Nations Baseball and USSSA) do have roster restrictions in place that specify how many players can be dropped and added and when and what level, or class, of player can be added to which teams.

Select teams choose their own team names, design and order their own uniforms, decide where and how often they want to play, have varying fee structures and fundraising habits.

• Larger Fields and Big Barrell Bats
  • 7U-8U

  40′/60′

  • 9U-10U

  46′/65′

  • 11U-12U

  50′/70′

  • 13U-14U

  54′/80′

  • 14U-18U

  60′/90′ (14U can play either 54′/80′ or 60′/90′.)

For most age divisions, the fields are larger in select baseball. All age divisions are allowed to use big barrell bats (2¾ inch in USSSA; no bat restrictions in Nations Baseball). The field sizes are as follows:

• Open Bases, Coach Pitch, and Kid Pitch

Little leagues play closed-base baseball (no stealing) until age 13. Select players begin playing open bases at 9U. Both major sanctions do technically have a machine pitch division for the younger ages, but for all practical purposes, at least in this area, there are no machine pitch select tournaments or leagues. From 4U-6U is tee ball, 7U-8U play coach pitch, and 9U and above are live arm (kid pitch).

• Balks & Dropped Third Strikes

Select baseball rules follow MLB rules much more closely than the Little League rules do. For example, in Little League, because runners cannot steal, pitchers are not subject to the balk rule. In select baseball, balks are called for all levels of kid pitch (though warnings are given at the 9U and 10U levels, while they are still learning to pitch). Also, batters can run to first base (if it is unoccupied) if the catcher drops the third strike. They can be thrown out, but if they make it, they have reached first on a strike out!

• Coaching

Some select teams are coached by parents, some are coached by paid professionals, and some are a combination of the two. Fees vary greatly among teams, but generally the professionally coached teams have higher dues and less or no fundraising.

• Traveling
  • BABA Forums: Available Players & Tryouts
  • Nations Baseball: Tryouts
  • eTeamz: Available Players & Tryouts
  • Cy-Fair Sports Association: Available Players
  • Cy-Fair Sports Association: Tryouts
  • Baseball USA: Tryouts

Many, actually most, teams play in out-of-town tournaments on a regular basis. The National Championship or World Series at the end of the season is often out of state.

How do I Get on a Team?

As stated earlier, select teams are not formed by a draft, they hold their own individual tryouts. There are several area lists where teams post tryout notices and a couple where players can also notify teams that they are available. The fall is the best time to get on a team because roster rules are loose and players can play on multiple teams. In the spring (beginning in February), teams begin to have their rosters frozen, and players can only be on one frozen roster. For more information on Nations Baseball roster rules, see Roster Issues on the BABA website. For USSSA roster rules, refer to the USSSA baseball by-laws on www.usssa.com.

Available Player & Tryout Postings

For more information, see the Archived Former BABA website or contact the BABA directors.

In this article, we’ll explore the next steps: determining your team age, class considerations, and forming a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

1. Follow the steps in Starting a new team: Part I.
2. Determine your team age.
   However, to follow Step 3 in Part I, you must know your correct team age. Baseball playing age and actual age are sometimes different. Nations Baseball, Little League, and USSSA all use the same baseball age metric. Baseball playing age is measured by a player’s age on April 30 of that season. Team age is based on the age of a team’s oldest player. If your team has 10 nine-year-old players and one 11-year-old player (in baseball age), then you will register as an 11U team. To easily calculate baseball playing age, use the BABA Baseball Age Calculator.
3. Consider class issues when you add players.
   Nations Baseball determines the class of your team after you add your players; teams do not select their class as they do in USSSA. However, you still have control over your class. All it takes is some knowledge of how the Nations Baseball class system works. All teams are classed as Select (AA) when they first register. Once they add players, their class might change. Select teams are allowed to add up to four Elite (AAA) players and still remain at the Select level. If a Select team adds even one Premier (Major) player, that team is instantly moved up at least one class (Elite), or two classes (Premier), depending on whether the player merely played at the Premier level or was frozen at the Premier level. For detailed information on class issues and how players can move from team to team, see the Bay Area Baseball Association – Roster Issues page on www.bababaseball.org.
4. Take care of business (birth certificates, rules, yada, yada, yada…).
   Some managers are lucky enough to have an administrator to do all the paperwork for them. (I hate the term “team mom.” We’re not giving out juice boxes here.) But remember, the manager is ultimately responsible: the buck stops here. So make sure you at least have the following:
   • Birth certificates for all your players.
     Upload electronic copies on your Nations Baseball roster, and you never have to bring paper copies to a Nations Baseball event. Those players who have birth certificates attached to their roster history can never have their age questioned during an event. (For other sanctions, you must still carry the paper copies.)
   • Know the rules, know the rules, know the rules!
     Nations Baseball rules are posted on the Nations Baseball and here on the BABA website. Each tournament may have its own set of local rules as well. Nations Baseball and USSSA tournaments use MLB rules as their basis. Both organizations have state and national rules that are accessible on their websites. To view links to all the rules, from Major League Baseball to local and park rules, see Tournaments > Rules above.

     Being ignorant of the rules does not excuse you from having to follow the rules. Managers that understand the layers of rules and can operate within them have a distinct advantage over those coaches who “just want the kids to play baseball.” Remember, baseball is a game rooted in rules. If you are not teaching your players to play by the rules, you are doing them a great disservice, now and in the future.

   • Communicate with your team.
     It goes both ways. Talk and listen. Simple as that.
5. [Optional] Set up a 501(c)(3).
   I get a lot of questions about this topic all the time. First, is it a necessary step? Well, no. It is not required. You can still get donations even if you are not set up as a charity; however, it is much more difficult to get those big sponsors to donate because their donations are not tax deductible, and you must pay income tax on everything you earn!

   Is setting up a nonprofit easy? No; it’s either a pain in the butt or expensive. I personally have set up two (and don’t get any ideas; I’m not going to do yours for you). It is doable, but it does take perserverance and a minimum of a couple of weeks to compile and write all the required paperwork. Sound daunting? Don’t be scared off. It is a large task, but none of it is difficult, it is only the sheer volume that is off-putting. Just take it one piece at a time. (And I would never consider paying someone to do it for me. You have to tell them everything anyway; you might as well do it yourself and save money.)

   So where do you start? First, look at what someone else has done. If you have a 501(c)(3), you must make your paperwork available to anyone who asks. It doesn’t have to be online (though BABA posts its nonprofit documentation online). Peruse the nonprofit documentation on the Documents page for an example of how to structure your nonprofit with a board of directors. After you get a sense of what’s involved, review the full guidelines and instructions on the IRS Charities and Nonprofits site. And remember, after you apply for your 501(c)(3), you still have to apply for your state sales tax exemption with the state comptroller. They are separate entities.

Hint: You can get a sales tax exemption in Texas even if you don’t have a 501(c)(3). Just apply as a youth sports team. You still have to pay income tax, and donations to you received will not be tax deductible, but you might qualify for exemption from state sales tax for certain purchases made for the team.

There are many other things that must be done when you have your own team: ordering uniforms, collecting dues, recruiting, entering tournaments, researching the game (or hiring an expert), maintaining your roster, fundraising, filing your taxes, and of course, playing and practicing. It is not for the faint at heart. But it is all worth it when your players (current and former) look at you with respect and affection and call you “Coach.”

You can also find information on the Start a New Team page on the archived former BABA website at www.bababaseball.org.

• Leadership
  Good teams have good leadership. Some teams might not have a formal leader (such as some informal work groups), and the leader isn’t always the figurehead, but one or more members in the group always determine the group focus and direction. What makes a good leader? There are volumes written about leading teams. Here’s a place to start.
• Enthusiasm for a Shared Vision 
  The number one key to the success of a team is enthusiam for a common goal. Everyone must be on the same page and working to succeed. If even one member of the primary team or support system is working at cross purposes from the stated goal, the team, at the very least, will not reach its full potential. In extreme cases, the team will disband.

Longevity doesn’t seem to be a requirement. Some baseball teams do very well, seemingly because they have been together for years, so longevity does seem to help a team form a cohesive unit. But look at champion Olympic teams. They practice together for an extremely limited amount of time, come from diverse backgrounds (sometimes speak different languages), and reach the pinnacle of success in their sport. Similarly, many companies form temporary teams to accomplish specific tasks.

Money also doesn’t seem to be a factor, though it is always helpful. The Yankees certainly use it to their advantage, but then the Astros have also gone to the World Series on their limited budget.

If you are thinking of putting together a team, of any kind, first get a clear vision of what you want for the organization. Then recruit members that agree with that vision. Don’t be tempted to bring people on board that you “will bring around” to that vision. They won’t come around. They will sabotage your team with discord and probably start their own team, recruiting your players or employees on their way out.

Finally, being on a team should be a rewarding experience for all team members (including the leaders). Everyone should get something out of it, whether it be enjoyment, learning, a parent’s enjoyment of doing for their child, or financial gain (in the case of employment).

Go forth and collaborate, support thy team, and reap the reward!

What does it take to be a BABA director? First of all, thick skin! You do get yelled at by folks that forget that you are a volunteer working for them. Second, a tireless desire to serve. BABA is highly focused on providing superior service to you, our customers. (We have to balance this service with our “real” jobs, so be patient if we don’t respond right away!) Third, a love of the game and knowledge of how it works within the Nations Baseball system. The rules can be confusing. We do our best to sort out the wheat from the chaff for you. Finally, a personal selfish reason. Mine is my son. I want him to have good tournaments and leagues to play in in our area—so I provide them.

A little history
When I started with BABA over three years ago, I just wanted to be a part of it. I was the Communications Director, and I worked on the website. About a year after I started, both the president and the treasurer/secretary just got too burned out and resigned, leaving BABA leaderless. They offered me the position of President, and I turned it down, knowing how much work it would be. They put the position out to the members of BABA, sending a few mass emails out and posting the position on the website. There were no takers.

So that was it then. It was take over the reins or watch BABA die. We had just finished refurbishing Bobby Beach to the tune of over $30,000. BABA tournament and league registrations were at an all-time high. Hundreds and hundreds of players from all over Texas and neighboring states were counting on BABA to bring them quality events at quality venues. I just couldn’t let that end.

What has come with the post? I’m now President, Secretary, and Treasurer of BABA. My first act in the job was to incorporate BABA and prepare the 501(c)(3) application documentation to secure BABA’s nonprofit status. I revamped the website, added a forum so that anyone can post commentary, and moved all of our books into QuickBooks, which I maintain. I recruited new directors to help me run BABA. Pat Farrell, Greg Ramsey, and John Serrano are the greatest assets this organization has! I, along with the other BABA directors, are also Nations Baseball directors.  We direct tournaments and leagues, liason with umpires and field owners, and interface with team managers.

Are there ever times when I have regretted agreeing to head up BABA? Not really, no. There are times when the job is overwhelming along with the other things going on in my life, and I am definitely looking to a time in the future when I can resign and focus on other things, like maybe playing some golf every now and then. But one of the greatest pleasures I have is passing out trophies and seeing the smiles on the players’ faces when they get their hardware. And getting the occasional email from a coach or a parent telling me how much they appreciated the help or advice or enjoyed the tournament. Or after a tournament when I count how many players we served and realize that without us, that many players would not have been playing baseball that weekend—it is all worth it.

The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not necessarily represent Bay Area Baseball Association’s opinion or position.

1. Register on Nations Baseball.
   Click the Join Now link on www.nations-baseball.com.
2. Choose a team name.
   Search for team names in the Nations Baseball website. Choose one that is not taken in your age division. Remember to re-register your team early each year. Current teams have the option of renewing their team names for a period of a few months before the new baseball season each year in August, but after that deadline other teams can pick up those names. Team names cannot be duplicated in the same age division, even in different classes, so register early to get your preferred team name.
3. Create a team.
   1. Login with the email address and password that you used to register.
   2. Click on Teams > Add New Team.
   3. Complete the form.
   4. Follow the prompts to complete your registration.Registration is $140 and includes your insurance until July 31. (This combination of registration fees and insurance fees makes Nations Baseball less expensive than other sanctions.

Note: You have two options for registration. Nations Baseball registration includes insurance. However, Nations Baseball recognizes that many teams have previous insurance that does not expire until December. For that reason, Nations Baseball has created two registration options.

• Teams with insurance
  If your team already has accident and liability insurance through another organization, you can elect to register for $90. This fee includes your registration fee and insurance coverage for January 1 – July 31. When you re-register for the next season, you pay the regular fee, and your insurance covers you from August 1 – July 31.
• Teams without insurance
  If your team does not have accident and liability insurance, you must choose the regular registration option for $140, which includes annual accident and liability insurance coverage from August 1 – July 31 (the same as the baseball season).

You must re-register your team every August. You use the same user ID and password each year so that you can view all the teams that you have managed from the same screen.
In the next post

The next post will cover how to determine the correct age for your team and how the class system operates. You can also find this information and more on the Start a New Team page on the Archived Former BABA website.