Berth Procedures for
Maryland & Delaware USSSA Youth Program

1. Any team qualifying for a World Series (WS) berth, A or B, must participate in the USSSA State Tournament in order to validate that berth.  A team’s failure to participate in the State Tournament will result in their berth being rescinded.  If a team forfeits all of their games in the State Tournament then they have not fulfilled the participation requirement.  EXCEPTION:  If the State Youth Office (SYO) limits entries in the State Tournament due to a maximum number of teams being reached, then a team is deemed to have fulfilled the participation requirement if it registers for the tournament and is willing and able to participate if a spot would open up within two weeks of the tournament.

2. Any team looking to participate in the “C” World Series must be classified as a “C” team. A "C" team is a team that typically only plays in a local league, an all star team from a local league or a team that might only play in one or two low level tournaments a year. All team entries into this event will be scrutinized by the “C” World Series Tournament Director and SYO to ensure that the teams meet the eligibility criteria and to make sure that the competitive balance is what the teams expect.  In the future, USSSA may initiate qualification procedures, but, since this is the first year USSSA is offering a “C” World Series nationwide the only requirement to participate is that teams be classified as “C” teams.

3. A minimum of four teams must participate in order for a WS qualifying tournament to offer any berths.  The following are general principles in awarding berths out of WS. 

(a) The amount of WS berths will be determined by the number of teams participating per age bracket as follows:

4-5 teams	1 Berth	SYO will determine classification
6-8 teams	2 Berths	1^st is A;  2^nd has choice
9-11 teams	3 Berths	1^st is A;  2^nd & 3^rd have choice
12-14 teams	3 Berths	1^st & 2^nd are A;  3^rd has choice
15-19 teams	4 Berths	1^st & 2^nd are A;  3^rd & 4^th have choice
20-24 teams	4 Berths	1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd are A;  4^th has choice
25 or more	5 Berths	1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th are A;  5^th has choice

(b) When a choice is offered, teams will have the option of accepting either an “A” or “B” berth.  This decision must be made within 7 days of the qualifier or before the beginning of the team’s next USSSA qualifying tournament, whichever comes first.  Failure to make such a decision will result in the team forfeiting either berth.

 (c) If a team that chooses a “B” berth later qualifies as “A”, that team will be reclassified as “A”.  However, the team has the right to appeal such a reclassification and the reclassification may be overturned if conditions warrant.

 (d) If a team earns a berth to a WS for which they’ve already qualified, it’s possible that berth may be awarded to the highest finishing team in the tournament which has not yet earned a berth.  Individual tournament directors do not have the authority to hand berths down beyond what's listed above.  Only the SYO can determine if berths are to be passed down.  A berth will not be passed down to a team with a losing record in that tournament.

(e) The preceding points are not to be considered absolute in all cases.  Other factors could come into play when determining the nature of awarding berths.  The SYO reserves the right to determine the final amount of berths and to which WS they are awarded.

4. A team that qualifies for a WS berth will need to submit the WS entry form and fee to the SYO within 14 days of qualifying, or sooner if deemed necessary.  The WS entry form is usually contained in the WS information packet.  Failure to submit either the form or the fee as required will result in the berth being forfeited.

5. Teams should carefully determine whether they intend to participate in the World Series for which they’ve earned the berth, as WS entry fees are non-refundable once they are submitted online to the national office.

6. Teams that earn an “A” berth as described in 2.(a) above will be classified as "A", whether or not that team chooses to accept the "A" berth.  A team that earns a choice berth will be classified by the berth it chooses to accept, either "A" or "B".  If such a team chooses not to accept either berth, then the SYO will determine that team's classification.  Any team that has yet to win a berth will be considered unclassified. The SYO reserves the right to reclassify any team at any time.

7. The SYO will forward all rosters and insurance certificates on behalf of teams earning berths to the WS tournament director.  It is up to the individual teams to register online for the WS event and submit their registration fee online.  Teams are also responsible for handling all other paperwork associated with the WS (eg, housing forms, admission passes, t-shirt orders, etc.).