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WOMEN’S FAST-PITCH SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION

2024

Tournament Entry and Eligibility Rules

  • Age Requirement:  This rule is what makes the WFSA philosophy of operating fair, well-organized and enjoyable amateur softball tournaments possible.  In tournaments with 25+, 35+, 45+, 50+, 55+ and 60+ divisions, players must have reached their 25th, 35th, 45th, 50th, 55th, and 60th birthday respectively before the end of the calendar year to be eligible to play on a team within that division. Any exceptions to those rules will be listed in the player eligibility rules below.   You must be a minimum age of 18 by the tournament play date to play in any WFSA tournament.  A manager of a team may at any point during a game question the age of opposing team members.  We request that all managers have copies of their player’s contracts, tournament ID cards, or Drivers License with them during games to afford proof of player eligibility. It is required that all players have a valid picture ID in the event a player’s age or identity is questioned.   Managers whose players cannot produce identification when requested to offer them by an opposing manager may face possible protest and investigation of their roster.   Any player unable to produce a valid ID will be ineligible to continue in the game and any subsequent game until a valid ID is produced.  If it is found that the player or players in question is/are ineligible, then the offending team may potentially forfeit the game of the filed protest, and may potentially forfeit all games played up to that point in the tournament, regardless of whether the ineligible player participated in the previous games.  The sole decision of this penalty will be the tournament rules committee. 
  • Concept:  All WFSA tournaments use the mix’n match concept.  All players must have WFSA affiliation unless the tournament is indicated to be an “Open” WFSA tournament.  Simple majority will determine division eligibility (if a roster has 8 – 18AA players and 7 – 18A players, that team must play in the 18AA division).   
  • Division Selection Requirements:  All division determinations are subject to final approval and/or the decision of the Tournament Rules Committee.  While most teams have the ability to determine what division they will play in, an over-ruling can and will be made by the WFSA National Tournament Rules Committee if one or more of the following applies to the team:  1) You must move up a division if you won a National Championship Tournament in the WFSA the proceeding year; 2) Previously played in the past 2 years any WFSA tournament and made the playoffs in a respective division; 3) Previously played in the past 2 years in any WFSA tournament Championship game in a respective division; 4) Previously played in the past 2 years any WFSA tournament and had a record of .500 or better in a respective division; 5) Does not meet the ex-professional player requirement rules stated below; 6) Your team is represented with 4 or more players from a team that won the National Championship the prior year, and 7) If your team deposit is received after a division has completely filled you may be moved to another division.  Again, the National WFSA Tournament Rules Committee reserves the sole right to align divisions and determine player and team participation and eligibility.  If a team drops out of a division upon check-in the WFSA will do everything we can to fill the void.  However, the WFSA reserves the right to begin the tournament without said team and issue a forfeit win to the opposing teams when necessary, and/or to delete a division and add it to another division. 

PLEASE NOTE:  WFSA may choose to combine two divisions for purposes of pool play only provided that every team meets the pro-rule for each division established by WFSA.  After pool play is complete, WFSA may take the records of each team in the combined division and re-seed each team into a higher and lower division based on each teams’ record for playoffs and championship games.  For example:  where a 6 team pool is needed, if 16 teams sign up for the 18A division, and 4 teams sign up for the 18AA division, obviously the WFSA cannot create an 18AA division.  We may therefore, combine the 16 teams in 18A with the 4 teams in 18AA for purposes of pool play only.  After pool play is complete, each team will be re-seeded for the playoffs and championship games.  For purposes of this example, if WFSA at the National Championships has 8 teams in the playoffs for 18AA and 8 teams in the playoffs for 18A, the WFSA would take the top 8 teams during the re-seeding to the 18AA playoffs and the next best 8 teams to the 18A playoffs. 

  • Ex-professional Player & College Player Requirements:  Players who are under verifiable professional softball contracts are ineligible to play in WFSA tournaments except for the highest level of play of 18 Open.  A player must be out of any level of professional softball for 60 days prior to the start of the National Championship Tournament, to be eligible to participate in WFSA National Championships with the exception of the Open Division. WFSA does not consider independent leagues unaffiliated with Nation Pro Fast-pitch as professional softball per WFSA requirements. Therefore, any player who received compensation for playing softball from a softball organization listed above within the last 60 days prior to the start of a National Tournament is ineligible to play in the tournament (except for the Open Division) unless given special permission to participate by the National WFSA Tournament Rules Committee.  A participant in the WFSA tournament is not considered an ex-professional ballplayer if: 1) The player has been out of a contract of any level of professional softball for 10 complete seasons, and/or 2) The player is 43 years old and has been out of professional softball for three seasons.  Final resolution in such a situation is at the sole discretion of the Tournament Rules Committee.  Players who have played or are playing on a college team or college practice squad, including a club college team are eligible to play only in those divisions according to the WFSA rules specified below.  Any player who has played or is playing with a college team, practice squad or club team in NCAA Divisions I; II; III; NAIA and Junior/Community College must play in the divisions as outlined below.  The National WFSA Tournament Rules Committee reserves the right to alter these requirements or make special considerations to these rules.  A participant in the WFSA tournament is not considered a college ballplayer if: 1) the player has been out from playing college softball for 10 complete seasons.  Final resolution in such a situation is at the sole discretion of the Tournament Rules Committee.   

The following are eligibility rules for each division, as well as ex-professional player and college player requirements, which must be adhered to: 

  • In the 18 Open division anyone is allowed to play and it is considered an open division.                  
  • In the 18AA division, a team may have up to (5) ex-pros on their roster with no more than (2) being a pitcher and an unlimited number of college players.
  • In the 18A division, no team may have ex-pros on their roster, and an unlimited number of college players.
  • In the 18-Rookie division, no team may have any players who have ever played any level of professional, and may have up to (5) players who have played college softball on their roster with no more than (2) being a pitcher.
  • In the 25 Rookie division, no team may have any players who have ever played any level of professional, and may have up to (5) players who have played college softball on their roster with no more than (2) being a pitcher.
  • In the 25 Open division anyone is allowed to play and it is considered an open division.
  • In the 35 Rookie division, no team may have any players who have ever played any level of professional, and may have up to (5) players who have played college softball on their roster with no more than (2) being a pitcher.
  • In the 35 AA division, a team may have up to (2) ex-pros on their roster with no more than (1) being a pitcher.
  • In the 35 Open division anyone is allowed to play and it is considered an open division.
  • In the 45 Rookie division, no team may have any players who have ever played any level of professional, and may have up to (5) players who have played college softball on their roster with no more than (2) being a pitcher.
  • In the 45 Open division anyone is allowed to play and it is considered an open division.
    • In the 45 Rookie or 45 Open divisions, each team is allowed to have two (2) players under the age limit provided:
      • the (2) players in question are no more than two (2) calendar years younger than the age limit they are playing in, and
      • the (2) players in question are not allowed to be pitchers at any time during the tournament.
      • any players under age, must be marked on the lineup card for the opposing manager and on the roster at check-in
  • In the 50, 55 and 60 and over divisions anyone is allowed to play and it is considered an open division.
    • In the 50, 55 and 60 and over divisions, each team is allowed to have two (2) players under the age limit provided:
      • the (2) players in question are no more than two (2) calendar years younger than the age limit they are playing in, and
      • players are not allowed to be pitchers at any time during the tournament.
      • players under age, must be marked on the lineup card for the opposing manager and on the roster at check-in. 

The WFSA reserves the right to refuse any player or team permission to participate in a tournament.  The WFSA reserves the right to add, delete or merge divisions based on the number of teams entered at any time before the tournament, and will give every effort to give teams advance notice, however, the WFSA may not be able to do so.  If a team planned to enter a deleted division, that team may play in another division or receive a refund minus the deposit, or transfer the balance to another WFSA National or World Championship Tournament, provided it is at least 5 days prior to check-in.  The WFSA also reserves the right to make changes to the rules or make changes in prizes and/or giveaways (but with a substitute or equal or greater value), which would then be effective upon notice to the teams participating in the tournament.