2014 Conference USSSA – Convention notes

Teams that declare they are class 'A' before the season starts will receive free hotel rooms for the 'A' worlds.

Few teams are using player contracts to protect themselves from players jumping ship between October and April.

Player Contracts are available from Hank or Wendi.

Each Conference team has to have two (2) contacts listed.

Roster changes must be submitted in writing by only the team contact to Hank Bassett.

Roster changes require a minimum of 48 hours.

Team schedules are due by 3/31/2014.

There is going to be a bigger push to get stats submitted in a timely manner after each tournament as ESPN (and webcast broadcasters) are demanding stats so they can be prepared and help the game grow.

At the Dual managers meeting, penalties for not submitting stats will be discussed.
Possible penalties are: not giving back travel money; not receiving points for a tournament that you do not submit stats, etc.

The new points system was released, and the follow tournaments will be 4 point events:
Las Vegas
HOF Dual
Columbus, OH
Seattle Dual
Chicago
Dudley
Smoky
Cincinnati
Detroit

If any 4 point event has less than 16 teams, the winner will get 165 points (instead of normal 150) and 4 points per team.

The Dudley will get 180 points to the winner and 4 points per team.

All other events with 16 or more Conference teams will receive 4 points per team.

Affiliate Conference sites are still being selected.
The points for an Affiliate event are:
1st 135
2nd 120
3rd 105
4th  90

Teams can only earn points from two (2) Affiliate events with the maximum being 270.

Smoky Mountain Classic will only take the first 27 to submit that event on their schedule.

All bat testing procedures to stay the same as 2013.

In 2014, there is going to be some sort of time clock implemented between the final out of an inning and the first pitch of the next inning. The common time discussed is 90 seconds. This will be tested at Las Vegas and Houston, and discussed at the HOF Dual managers meeting.

All teams are encouraged to put the Conference USSSA logo on their uniforms.

Starting in 2014, there will be no duplicate uniform numbers allowed.

It was discussed to have the higher seeded team at the World Series to always be the home team and wear white jerseys, and the lower seeded team to wear a dark jersey and be the visiting team. This will help with dugout placement, professionalism on ESPN broadcasts, distinguishing of teams, etc.

For the HOF Dual, all teams must be prepared to play at 9 am on Thursday 4/24.

The HOF managers meeting will be held on Wednesday 4/23.

The HOF event could have a limited number of teams.

USSSA encouraged teams to come to HQ on Wednesday 4/23 to get pictures taken before the tournament starts.

It was asked if the A world could be moved to the weekend prior to the Major World Series. USSSA does not want to do that because teams that play in the A are so beat up at the end of that tournament that it makes it tough to gear up and play 3 days later, and it lets the team enter the Major WS at full strength.

All teams receive a free 7th event entry fee if the Conference fee is paid in full by 2/15/14.

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