Article 6 - Eligibility

6.01 REGISTRATION. All teams in Minnesota Softball will register through the Commissioner or his/her designee.

6.02 YOUTH LEVELS OF COMPETITION.

A. Gold – Youth teams/players desiring the highest level of competition ASA can offer. These teams may compete only in the Junior Olympic 18 & Under National Championship Tournaments.

B. A. Class A – Youth teams/players desiring to play competitive softball and wishing to advance to Class A National Championship Tournaments. Any team that has tryouts and/or participates in open tournaments prior to April 1 of the current playing year will be classified as Class A.

C. A. Class B – Youth teams/players desiring to play competitive softball and wishing to advance to Class B National Tournaments. Any team that has tryouts and/or participates in open tournaments prior to April 1 of the current playing year can be classified as a Class B team if all the players come from the same league.

D. Class C – Any team that is formed by a league after April 1, of the current playing year that has approval from their league director and Commissioner to play at this level.

E. Class D - Any team that is formed by a league after April 1, of the current playing year that has approval from their league director and Commissioner to play at this level.

E. Recreational – Youth teams/players desiring to play recreational league softball only. They are league teams that come from the same League/association and can play in the Minnesota Softball Recreational Tournaments or any other sanctioned Recreational Tournament.

6.03 ADULT TEAM CLASSIFICTION.

A. Any adult team finishing in the top ten percent at their state tournament (including ties and rounding up) will be rated to the next highest team classification.

EXCEPT: Men’s Super and Men’s A Slow Pitch.

B. Any player participating on an adult team finishing in the top ten percent at their state tournament (including ties and rounding up) will be rated to the next highest team classification.

C. Any adult team that has a season record that exceeds a winning percentage of seventy percent (70%) is subject to being rated to the next highest team classification.

D. All adult teams have the option to appeal their classification. Adult teams may only appeal once per season.

6.04 YOUTH PLAYER ELIGIBILITY.

A. All youth softball players must play for their community based team. They must meet the age qualification of Article 7.01 of the Minnesota Softball By-Laws.

B. A player can only participate on one team within the same division of softball in championship play during the current year.

EXCEPT: Girls’ fast pitch players that are eligible to play 14-under may play for any 14-Under A, 16-Under Gold or A, 18-Under Gold or A team.

6.05 ADULT PLAYER CLASSIFICATION.

A. Any player participating on a team finishing in the top ten percent at their national tournament (including ties and rounding up) will be rated to the next highest team classification. These players and teams will not be eligible to appeal for a minimum of two (2) years.

B. Any player participating on a team finishing in the top ten percent at their state tournament (including ties and rounding up) will be rated to the next highest team classification. These players and teams will not be eligible to appeal for a minimum of one (1) year.

C. Any player participating on a team finishing in the top ten percent at their state or national tournament twice (including ties and rounding up) will earn a “+” player rating designation if they have not already achieved it.

D. All adult players have the option to appeal their classification. Adult players may only appeal once per season.