TSSAA Softball Tournament Information for Principals and Coaches

Division I Softball Tournament Information for Principals & Softball Coaches

District tournament directors can find with the necessary information to conduct district business and the district tournament on our website at: www.tssaa.org/Sports/Softball/sbchecklist.htm.

Teams that reach the district finals can find the information for the teams that advance in tournament play on our website at: www.tssaa.org/Sports/Softball/sbchecklist.htm. It is very important that this material be reviewed as it will provide the necessary guidelines as teams host or travel to the next round. Please make a copy of the regional information as well as the regional bracket that will give guidelines in making preliminary preparation for regional play.

Please be aware:

Region Tournament Umpires: In the information included on our website, there is a list of schools in their respective districts. We have listed the assigning officer of the association that is to work the regional tournament game(s) hosted by your district. Each school hosting a regional game is responsible for contacting the assigning officer of the association that is to work your regional game. The association assigned to work will not necessarily be neutral to both teams. The association will be assigned based on geography, strength of the local's training program, and service to member schools. Guidelines to prepare schools for regional and sectional play can be found at: www.tssaa.org/Sports/Softball/sbchecklist.htm.

Financial Information: Please make a copy of the Financial Report form for the District and Regional Tournaments. Please be aware that the Tournament Director in the District and host schools in the Region Tournament must complete this form. TSSAA receives 18% of the gross gate receipts in the District and Region Tournaments.

All checks for district, regional, and sectional tournaments and playoffs must be distributed within 10 business days of the completion of the tournament or game. Failure to do so will result in a $100.00 late fee to be paid to TSSAA and is to be used in the A.F. Bridges sportsmanship program to go to schools or students receiving awards. Failure to distribute funds within 20 business days will result in an additional $200 late fee (total $300.00). Failure to distribute funds within 40 business days will result in an additional $200.00 late fee (total $500.00). The school may not host any tournament or playoff until the principal or athletic director appears before the Board of Control to explain their reasons for not distributing the checks within the required time frame. The Board would then determine whether the school can host tournaments or playoffs in the future.

State Tournament Schedule: Please make a copy of the schdeule for the state tournament in Class A, Class AA, Class AAA. The bracket shall be set by the Executive Director upon completion of the sectional games. The draw will be made so that if two teams from the same region are in the state tournament, they will be drawn to opposite brackets.

NOTE: When the established starting time of a playoff contest between two schools conflicts with the previously scheduled Commencement Exercises of one of the schools, and that school has Senior roster player(s), then at the request of the affected school, the contest will be rescheduled for a mutually agreed upon time and site that falls within the playoff timeline established by TSSAA. In the event the two schools do not agree on a rescheduled time and site, the TSSAA Office will designate a starting game time and site. This applies to regional semifinals, regional finals, and sectional contests only.

More details about the sectional and state tournament can be found at: www.tssaa.org/Sports/Softball/sbchecklist.htm.

If there are any questions, please contact the state office. Good luck the remainder of the season. Make plans to visit Murfreesboro and the Spring Fling, May 21-24.