The United States Specialty Sports Association is the governing body for a number of sports played at amateur and recreational competition levels. The USSSA Baseball division organizes national tournaments for four separate divisions and sets rules for the game. The association's official baseball national by-laws and rules are republished only after amendments are made. There were no amendments for the 2009 season, so the 2008 by-laws and rules were in effect.
Name
Rules 1.01 and 1.02 define the role of the USSSA and the official name of the organization.
Membership
Rules 2.01 through 2.05 outline the details for team and umpire membership, as well as league and tournament participation information for teams and the four classifications of play governed by USSSA Baseball.
Eligibility
Rules 3.01 through 3.24 cover the eligibility of teams and individuals, including information on fees, rosters, state director responsibilities, age eligibility and which division age groups play in, as well as adding and removing players from frozen rosters.
Tournaments and Championships
Rules 4.01 through 4.10 deal with tournament qualifications. The rules outline the authority state directors have for tournaments, type of approved equipment, roster restrictions and tournament format.
Rules 5.01 through 5.14 provide guidelines for state championships and the roles of state directors who direct the championships. Details include team rights, fees, awards, qualification system and format.
World Series
Rules 6.01 through 6.13 set the guidelines for the official USSSA Baseball World Series tournament. The rules detail the tournament director's responsibilities and authority and the involvement of state directors. Team qualification, equipment and format are also covered by these rules.
Breach of Conduct
Rules 7.01 through 7.11 provide instructions on how to handle disbarment and suspension if a player, coach, manager, sponsor or other involved party breaks USSSA Baseball's code of conduct. The rules outline what is considered to be a breach of conduct.
Rules of Play
Rules 8.01 through 8.12 detail the rules of play, including information on objectives of the game, playing field and equipment, game preliminaries, starting and ending a game, putting the ball in play, the batter, the runner, the pitcher, coach pitching, pitching machines, T-ball and pitching to children in the under-7 and under-8 categories.
Umpires, Scorer and Sportsmanship
Rules 9.01 through 9.08 provide information for USSSA Baseball umpires, including their authority, code of conduct enforcement and calling the game.
Rules 10.01 and 10.02 detail the role of the official scorer.
Rules 11.01 through 11.06 provide the USSSA Baseball definition for sportsmanship.
Penalties, Protests, Drafts and All-Stars
Rules 12.01 through 12.04 provide direction on ejections and potential penalties.
Rules 13.01 through 13.03 outline protests, how to enforce them properly and the authority given to league and tournament officials in such instances.
Rules 14.01 through 14.06 detail procedures for a drafted league program and how to qualify for the program.
Rules 15.01 through 15.07 outline the details of a drafted league all-star program and an all-star player's participation limitations.
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