Next Wednesday in Lubbock
$40 Head Coaches, $20 Assistant Coaches
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Contact Robby Dickenson at
$40 Head Coaches, $20 Assistant Coaches
Click here for the Registration Link
Use the QR Code Below to pay by Venmo if you so choose.
UIL to add Optional 15 Run Rule in Bi-District & Area Playoffs
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Good morning Coaches and Athletic Directors, It’s hard to believe it is almost December. It will be softball season before we know it! You will be receiving season reminders and updates around the first of January, but we didn’t want to wait until then to communicate an important change to softball playoff procedures. Through the collaboration of the TGCA and THSCA Softball Advisory Committees, the option of a fifteen (15) run rule will be added for the first 2 rounds (Bi-District and Area rounds) to our playoff procedures. The two schools competing must mutually agree during playoff negotiations for the Fifteen-Run Rule to be implemented. The following language has been added to the UIL Softball Manual: If mutually agreed upon by both schools prior to the game, the fifteen-run rule may be implemented in the bi-district and area rounds of the playoffs. After three (3) innings of play, if one team is fifteen (15) or more runs ahead of its opponent, the game shall be over. (Or, if 2 ½ innings have been completed and the home team is fifteen or more runs ahead) This change will be effective for the 2024 and 2025 softball playoffs. This adjustment to our playoff procedures did not require anything to be added or edited in the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules. The UIL will work closely with the TGCA and THSCA Softball Advisory Committees to collect the feedback of coaches to evaluate the impact and determine the effectiveness of this change over the course of the next two seasons. We would like to take a moment to recognize and thank the two committees for their collaboration and for doing an outstanding job of representing all softball coaches in Texas. We hope you enjoy your holiday break. We are looking forward to a great 2024 softball season! Ray Zepeda UIL Athletic Director |
Morning Coaches,
Hopefully things are off to a good start this school year and everyone is enjoying the cooler temps!!
I would like to invite your HS team to participate in the 6th Annual Texas High School Winter Classic pre-season tournament which will take place Jan. 6th & 7th.
This tournament will operate similar to Fall Ball in which teams are able to tune-up their skills for their upcoming season. Your HS will assemble a team and it must be coached by parent volunteer(s). Tentatively we will be using Crosby Complex, Barbers Hill, GCM and other HS fields in the area (overflow sites). If you are interested in playing and would like for me to pencil in your team please let me know.
** Last year we had 19 teams participate and it is our hope to have a field of 24-32 teams this year which would allow us to create Gold and Silver Brackets. Below is the current team list and will be updated weekly. I have also attached the tournament flyer.
Team List
Barbers Hill
Chavez
Clear Creek
Crosby
Cy Fair
GCM
Hamshire Fannett
Houston Heights
Huntsville
Katy Paetow
Kountze
Langham Creek
Royal
Stratford
St. Pius
Summer Creek
If you are interested in your team playing in this event please respond and I can pencil in your team. Feel free to text, call or email me if you have any questions!
Thanks,
Gabe
(832) 814-7860
Good Morning Coaches!
I have compiled the report for the survey that almost 500 of you completed for us concerning your thoughts on the mercy rules for softball in district and playoff games. I've attached the report in pdf format to this email. Sorry, but it is quite lengthy, but I did break down the votes and percentages by conference, region, and by conference/region.
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE MERCY RULE SURVEY IN .PDF FORMAT
I also added the list that includes the mercy rules for almost each district in our state for comparison.
Finally, I did this for UIL schools only as I went back and looked at the TAPPS by-laws and the 10 after 5 plus 15 after 3 mercy rules are already in effect for non-district, district, and playoff games (section 175, II, C, 1-2), but I think that when I was at St. Agnes Academy and played a UIL school, we as coaches mutally agreed upon the mercy rules.
My quick observation is that a large majority favor the requirement of a 15 after 3 mercy rule in district play, a small majority favor the mandatory 15 after 3 rule in the playoffs, and somewhere in the middle of the majorities, favor the 15 after 3 rule being optional in the playoffs. To me, if there is no mandatory rule across the state for 15 after 3 in district play, it shouldn't be mandatory in the playoffs. After that, I'm pretty neutral and I'll support what our coaches want.
I will compile the report on the coaches association surveys next week, and I believe the next question will be a 5A/6A question on mandatory 2 out of 3 series in the playoffs as baseball will pilot in 2024. I know that question has come up already as well.
Have a great weekend! Go Astrost!!
BH