USSSA BASEBALL “WHERE CHAMPIONS COMPETE” www.gausssabaseball.com COPYRIGHT © 2012 • GEORGIA USSSA BASEBALL

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Welcome to the United States Specialty Sports Association! USSSA is not a regional organization in two, five or even twenty-five states; it’s is the only multination amateur athletic association that offers twelve different sports to over 370,000 teams encompassing 4.4 million athletes in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. USSSA Baseball, the absolute hottest in the country, boasts a contingent of 50,000+ teams in all fifty states and three foreign countries with true World Series Championships in more than 50 ages and classifications of play. I know what you’re thinking, USSSA, that’s travel ball, and you’re right…almost! Travel baseball is where we began but eight years ago USSSA also started a league program like no other available, a league program that is the fastest growing in the world. The USSSA motto, “More Kids Playing More Baseball”, is a way of thinking. USSSA wants every player, regardless of skill level, to experience the fun and excitement of postseason tournament play; not just the top 15% to 20% of the players. It’s this out-of-the-box thinking that keeps USSSA steps ahead of other organizations. In case you’ve never played in the USSSA program before, the contents of this manual will prove invaluable. Enclosed is the basic information, you as a team manager will need to advance from opening day, through league play to the Area Tournaments (recreation level teams only) and on into the postseason with State Tournaments and the World Series including how to prepare your Official Online Roster (an eligibility requirement for every team) in the USSSA.com web site system. There are TWO very important items you must remember about the USSSA.com web site system: 1. Every team has an eleven (11) digit Team Registration Number and it changes every year. 2. Every manager has a six or seven (6 or 7) digit Login ID & Password which stays the same year after year as long as your email address stays the same. The Team Registration Number uniquely identifies your team with USSSA and the Login ID & Password allows you to access the USSSA.com system for administrative purposes such as completing your Official Online Roster and a whole lot more. There are also TWO very important web addresses you must remember: 1. USSSA National web site: www.usssa.com 2. Georgia USSSA Baseball state web site: www.gausssabaseball.com The National web site is where you will manage your team online and the Georgia USSSA Baseball state web site is where you’ll find up to date information on qualifying tournaments, postseason play and anything else to do with USSSA Baseball in Georgia. With this said, let’s get started…after all, opening day is just around the corner.

For The Love Of The Game!

Matt T. Trebuchon Vice President National Events

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LEAGUE & POSTSEASON FORMAT INFORMATION REGULAR SEASON 1. Leagues will play their regular season according to established local rules. USSSA recommends all league games being finished before to the weekend prior to Memorial Day Weekend. All league games must be finished by the end of the first weekend in JUNE. 2. Teams may choose to play additional games outside their league providing local rules allow in USSSA Qualifying Tournaments. These Tournaments are played every weekend throughout Georgia during the months of February – November. 3. In late May (the weekend prior to Memorial Day Weekend), ALL teams in your recreation league advance to the Area Tournaments, regardless of season record.

AREA TOURNAMENTS 1. Area Tournaments are for REGULAR SEASON RECREATION LEVEL TEAMS ONLY. 2. Teams ARE NOT allowed to add / pickup players for the Area Tournaments. 3. There is NO TEAM ENTRY FEE for Area Tournaments however; there is a $150.00 Team Gate Fee that gets all players, coaches, parents, grandparents, etc. into every park for the length of the event. No daily admission will be charged. The Team Gate Fee helps the hosting park off-set the expenses of umpires and game balls. 4. Area Tournaments are hosted at a variety of parks with various age divisions at each host location. Some teams will play at home while others will travel to neighboring parks. EVERY team is strongly encouraged to participate. Teams from parks unable to host Area Tournaments are prohibited from participation. 5. USSSA will use a pool play / single elimination format. Teams will play two pool games and then be seeded into a single elimination championship bracket. All teams will play a minimum of three (3) games, weather permitting. 6. Area Tournament play begins Friday evening and concludes Sunday. Area Tournaments are played the weekend BEFORE Memorial Day Weekend annually.

STATE TOURNAMENTS 1. State Tournament berth(s) will be awarded to each league in age divisions that meet the following registration requirements: 

One (1) berth for age divisions registering three to four (3-4) teams; or

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Two (2) berths for age divisions registering five to seven (5-7) teams; or 2

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Three (3) berths for age divisions registering eight to eleven (8-11) teams; or

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Four (4) berths for age divisions registering twelve (12) or more teams.

2. State Tournament entry is coordinated through your League Director. 3. State Tournaments are usually played in the middle June and usually run Thursday – Sunday.

WORLD SERIES 1. World Series berths will be awarded to all teams that participate in the State Tournament. In addition, the Division I (D1) State Champion receives a PAID BERTH to the National All-Star World Series in Louisiana. 2. To obtain complete World Series information, visit the Georgia USSSA Baseball state web site, www.gausssabaseball.com, and click on the “Postseason Dates & Sites” link in the blue left margin menu. 3. World Series play usually begins around the first of July.

USING THE USSSA.com WEB SITE SYSTEM 3

USSSA will CREATE & REGISTER your team for you. Within a few days, you will receive an email from “USSSAWeb”. This email will contain your Manager Login ID & Password that you will need to proceed with using the USSSA.com web site system. The USSSA.com web site system is used for many administrative team functions. As a team manager, you are required to go online and complete your team’s Official Online Roster. Once in the system, you’ll find that there are plenty of other functions you can do including tracking your player’s individual stats, team stats, you can even vote in the Coaches Poll. You will find the system very user friendly once you get started. 1. In your internet browser address window type http://www.usssa.com. The below screen will open.

This is the USSSA National home page. Below the USSSA crest insignia and the multi-sport graphics you will see links to all the sports USSSA offers. 2. Click the top Baseball link to open the baseball home page. 4

3. From the baseball home page, click the Log in / Log out link in the top navigation menu.

DO NOT create a new Manager Login User ID & Password! Use the one previously emailed to you. If you do not know them, email [email protected] requesting a resend. Include your league name, team name and age division.

4. From the USSSA Login screen, enter your Login User ID & Password and click the Enter button. 5

This is the Team Manager Menu page. It’s the first page you’ll see when you Log into the system. You will see your team(s) listed in the Select Team dialog box.

5. Select the correct team by clicking on the team name.

6. Click the radio button (circle) next to the Roster Adds and Updates option and then click the Submit button. 6

Read the USSSA Roster Manager Affidavit page and click the I Agree link. The system will forward you to the Roster Adds and Updates page after agreeing to the affidavit.

USSSA Rule 3.01.B - A player shall be eligible to compete in the program as long as he abides by the USSSA Constitution and the Official Rules when his first name, last name (no middle names, nick names, shortened names, slang names, initials, prefixes or suffixes are allowed) and date of birth (in proper format – mm/dd/yyyy) are listed EXACTLY as they appear on his original birth certificate, as a member on an eligible team’s Official Online Roster. Rule 3.01.B Comment: Circumstances involving adoption, legal name changes and / or similar require the player’s legal name be listed on the Official Online Roster and the proper Certified Court Documentation to accompany the player’s photocopied original birth certificate.

7. Type your first player’s LEGAL first and last names in the proper boxes. 8. Type your first player’s date of birth using a format of mm/dd/yyyy in the proper box.

9. Click the Add Player button. The system will search for the player, if a match is found the player will automatically be added to your roster. If no match is found, you will be prompted for the player’s demographic information. 7

10. Click the View Team button to refresh the page. You will now see the first player entered listed below the data entry fields.

Continue adding all your players as you did the first by repeating Steps 7 - 10. Once completed, every player should be listed below the data entry fields.

11. Your Online Roster is finished. Now click on the Printable Roster button to print a copy to bring with you to the Area Tournaments. You DO NOT need to get the roster signed. 8