SYA SOFTBALL
Skills Assessment and Draft Process
Purpose
These procedures describe how to perform a group evaluation of players. By determining
average scores for each player, coaches who do not have the experience to evaluate players
effectively can draw on the experience of other coaches. Also, if one coach cannot be present
during the assessment, that coach can still participate in the draft and have enough information to
do so effectively. All players must be evaluated, including all coaches’ daughters.
The Assessment
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
A date, time, and location for assessments will be announced to the players and head
coaches.
A number is placed on the front & back of each player. Each Head Coach is provided with
a list of players and their associated numbers. Player assessment forms will also be
provided by SYA to the coaches and ONLY these forms will be used.
Each player is rated separately in four areas: throwing/catching, fielding, and hitting and
pitching.
All Head Coaches rate each player using a scale of 1 through 10 for throwing/catching,
fielding and hitting (1=lowest and 10= highest or best). For pitching, each coach will rate
using a 1 through 5 scale (with 1= low and 5= good) there will also be a NI designation (=
has No Interest in pitching). Players rated as NI (these are players that refuse to pitch
during the assessments) will be published to all of the coaches and those players are NOT
permitted to pitch in regular or post-season games. Violations may result in a forfeit of
that particular game.
After all the players are rated, Head Coaches turn in their rating sheets for each player to
the League Coordinator. The League Coordinator will then compile and average the scores
from each coach. Rating sheets may be returned upon request to the Head Coach at the
end of the assessment, provided that a copy is retained by the League Coordinator.
Ratings will be calculated to 2 decimal points to determine a wider disparity between
players’ ratings.
Some players will be unable to attend the assessment. If a player does not attend an
approved assessment, they will be placed on a team by the SYA Softball League
Coordinator and SYA Softball House League Coordinator through a double blind process
and will not be included in the draft (Double Blind Process = That player will be placed on
a team in order of the date they registered and then which coach is next in the draft order.).
1
Revised 2/17/2011
The Draft
1. Before the Draft begins, the League Coordinator will determine
the number of pitchers with each pitcher rating, and then lay out
the most equitable distribution of pitchers. For example,
assuming there are 4 teams in the league and there are 3 pitchers
with an “5” rating, 4 pitchers with a “4” rating, and 3 pitchers
with a “3” rating, the most equitable distribution of pitchers to
be chosen in the first two rounds would be as follows:
Round
1
2
Team 1
5
3
Team 2
5
4
Team 3
5
4
Rounds 1 and 2
Pitchers
Rounds 3 to end
remainder of players
Team 4
4
4
2. In this example, no team gets more than one “5” pitcher, one team gets two “4” pitchers, two
teams get a “5” and a “4” pitcher, and one team gets a “5” and a “3” pitcher.
3. The draft order in the two pitcher selection rounds (1 and 2) is determined by draw. Put
numbers corresponding to the number of teams in a hat (1-4 if four teams). The coach who
draws “1” gets the first pick, “2” gets second pick, etc. Reverse the order for round 2.
4. Coaches are obligated to pick their daughter or their assistant’s daughter if her pitching rating
is the highest available in the round.
5. After round 2, the coaches add the player ratings of their two players selected to determine
the team Power Rating (e.g., 2 + 3 = 5).
6. The draft order is lowest to highest team Power Rating (ties are broken by a coin toss for 2
coaches, and by a draw for 3 or more coaches). The player selections must be from highest
to lowest Power Rating. Coaches may draft any player within a 1 point difference from the
highest rated player that is left in the draft. Eample: If the top rated player has a 6.24 then
the coach can draft any player 5.24 or higher. If a player selected by a team has a sibling,
then the sibling must be selected by that team in the round in which the sibling’s numerical
rating comes up.
7. Coaches select their daughters and assistant’s daughters first in the round in which their
player rating comes up, unless they have already been selected as a pitcher in Round 1 or 2.
Assistant coaches (one official assistant per team) must be registered as a volunteer with
SYA Softball prior to the draft. .
8. The only player request that will be honored is a player that has a practice night conflict.
Coaches cannot choose a player that is unavailable on their designated practice night.
Coaches are not required to select a player that has requested to play on their team. Coaches
do not have to select players that request to play with a friend. Coaches are not required to
honor carpool requests.
9. In the last round, teams with the lowest Power Ratings may decide not to draft in that round.
If there are 6 teams and 4 players left, the 2 teams with the lowest Power Ratings may choose
not to draft players in that round. That would force the teams with the highest Power Ratings
to take those players. A lowest power rated team might choose this strategy and obtain their
final players through late registrations. Players who did not attend an approved assessment
will not be drafted, and will be placed on a team by the League Coordinator and SYA
2
Revised 2/17/2011
Softball House League Coordinator through a double blind process after the draft is
completed.
10. After all available players are drafted; coaches may trade players from their rosters as long as
the players have an equal Power Rating. No trades are allowed after draft day unless
requested in writing by the player’s parents and approved by the coordinator of that particular
league.
11. A player who registers late must be placed on the team with the fewest players and the lowest
Power Rating.
12. The SYA Softball League Coordinator maintains the record of each team roster (number of
players and team Power Rating).
3
Revised 2/17/2011