PRAWN Ruling

[fpw]

I.S.C. Board of Directors Passes the PRAWN Restrictions - -
To Take Effect With the 2006 Season

The Board of Directors of the International Softball Congress has passed the PRAWN restrictions, a set of rules governing the number of All-World players from the most recent five years a team can have on its roster.

This rule, introduced to the Board in August at their meetings in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, was tabled for further discussion and an e-mail vote at that time.

The PRAWN restrictions will take effect beginning with the 2006 fastball season.

Those players who comprise the PRAWN list have now been determined. These names will be made available to the teams immediately, and they are posted on the ISC website at http://www.iscfastpitch.com/webstartme/prawn/2006.htm
An excel attachment of the list will be sent to any who request it by e-mailing iscken@comcast.net

PRAWN Restrictions
A PRAWN (Player Rep All World Name) list will be maintained by the ISC containing each name of the two all-world teams for the most recent 5 years, including MV Player and Outstanding Pitcher. The PRAWN list will be released on Al's list by August 30 each year and posted on the ISC web site as soon as possible.
Each team will be limited to 6 players (combination of pitchers and position players), plus exceptions (see below) that have been named All World in the last 5 years - only one of which may be a pitcher. Teams are still limited to 2 OOA pitchers for the season. All teams must name their PRAWNs to the Executive Director by May 1 each year. If a player who is also a pitcher is selected to either one of the All World teams at a position other than pitcher, he will NOT be considered as a pitcher for PRAWN status but rather as a player.
Current hardship rule 9a will be allowed given the following: the team replacing the player is still required to abide by the PRAWN limits for both players and pitchers. E.g. if the player being replaced is a pitcher with PRAWN status and he was the only pitcher with PRAWN status on the team then that team may replace that pitcher with another PRAWN pitcher.
Exception for a team that has 6 current PRAWNs: If a non-PRAWN player or players make an All World team in the current year, that team will be allowed to carry that player or players until such time that a PRAWN player leaves the team or drops out of the 5 year criterion. If a player makes All World while with Team A and they have 6 current PRAWN players, then Team A would be allowed to carry 7 until one of the 7 leaves the team (or they fall outside of the 5 year boundary), then they will only be allowed 6 for the following year.
This also applies for the one pitcher All World status restriction. If a pitcher is selected to an All World team in the current season and that team already has a pitcher on their team with PRAWN status, that team will be allowed to carry 2 (or however many) prawn pitchers until such time as one of the prawn pitcher(s) leaves the team or falls outside of the PRAWN status.
Phase in Period - If a PRAWN was selected all world in the last 5 years with a team and remained with that team, the team may qualify for the above exception as if the PRAWN restrictions were in effect for those 5 years. 2006 only - Teams can play the 2006 season with 2 PRAWN Pitchers if both PRAWN pitchers were on that team's WT roster in 2005.

PRAWN Restriction Interpretation
No team may add a PRAWN to their roster until their total Prawn count falls below 6

September 15, 2005
Gordon Wise
ISC Information Officer
www.iscfastpitch.com
sgwise@woh.rr.com

[fpw]

From Al's Fastball Mailing List, some criticism of the new rule:
http://athena.hmdnsgroup.com/pipermail/alsfastball_fastpitchwest.com/2005/001798.html
Gentlemen....

I like many of you have heard the results of the Prawn vote. I have no
hesitation in saying that this is the most absurd rule you could have
invented. The purpose for this email is not to ruffle feathers, which I am
sure it will. The purpose is to see who out there really agrees with this
decision. Player reps....I have a question. Are you in fact "player reps"?
Cause I know for a fact, that this Prawn rule did not stand a snowball's
chance in hell of passing, if all the players voted. I suspect that many of
the player reps forgot their title. Come on fellas...lets get serious here.
This rule...not only do you have to be a lawyer to figure it out, you are
penalizing players for getting allstar status! What if a player works 10
years in this sport....finally achieves allstar status...then his team
decides to fold. Does he stand a chance on playing on any of the top 10
teams in the country? Not a chance. What about the players who .....hmmm for
a lack of better words...play way above their heads..have a good week...they
become allstar status...many of them have just cut their own
throats...no...the ruling did! I am not sure if it is too late to reconsider
this ruling, but I suggest before this rule is carved in stone (maybe it has
been), the ISC should make a better effort to hear from their PLAYERS. Since
I first heard of the Prawn idea, I have spoken to a great deal of players
about. 2 players. 2 players have been in favor of it. It just so
happens...that those 2 players have a great deal of influence on how the
vote ended up. I challenge the ISC to broaden their research with respect to
the ruling. Ask the players. How many player reps are there? How many
players are there? I suggest that the player reps did not represent the
voice of the players. Those of you that voted in favor of the
ruling...perhaps some of the lower ranked clubs. How are you going to feel
when your star players are scooped by the top 10 or 15 teams? Its going to
happen. Thats a fact.

Players...I know your out there...I have spoken to many of you...Tell people
what you think. Maybe we waited too long. I for one, never believed the
ruling would fly. I guess I underestimated the power of those who wanted it
voted in. Someone needs to do something about this. And its you the players
that are going to have to voice your opinions. If the ISC hears from
everyone out there, and the vote is for the Prawn ruling..then so be it....I
can live with the result. But if you find the opposite, please listen to
your players. After all, its the players that play the game.

Respectfully,

Dean Holoien

From: Dean Holoien
mailto:holer27 at sasktel.net

[docbutch]

I would be interested in what effect the PRAWN rule would have on
a team that had its players stay together for 5 consecutive years.
What if in that time, the team has 9 players make the all-world
teams? This is a very conceivable thing that can and probably has
happened. If these guys all stay with the same team - why should
the team be penalized? Perhaps I do not understand the rule. I am
sure I am not alone in questioning this scenario. If any one can
answer this, I would appreciate an explanation. Then I will bring up
the next scenario and about another dozen after that. There are
just to many things that have not been thought out. I would certainly
like to see the talent distributed among the teams more equitably,
and I would also like to see the 'team hopping' stop from the players
end, but I fail to see how this rule will do it.

doc
_________________
Doc Landreman
Brantwood,Wisconsin

[ontariofastball]

[docbutch]

Ontariofastball

I must state that my primary problem with this PRAWN rule is the
lack of information given out to the players. This should have been
'floated' for the entire 2005 season, if it was in the works. If it came
up late in the summer, as it appears; it should have been 'floated'
for the entire 2006 season AND then voted on by the player reps.
I have talked to players who knew either nothing about it or very
little. In my case, I probably know just enough to be dangerous and
it is an uncomfortable position to be in when discussing anything.
These are ISC players that I speak of, just so I make that clear.
If the possible future rule information was out there for a season,
all of the questions could and would be answered. As it stands, the
ISC will be attempting to put out 'brush fires' for the forseeable
future. It is just a DUMB way to enact new rules for a great game.
With the proper information, the rule would either stand or fall on
it's merits. My suspicion is, it would have fallen.
My opinon only.
sincerely

doc
_________________
Doc Landreman
Brantwood,Wisconsin

[sledgehammer22]

What happens when the game grows and there becomes more and more PRAWNS over the next five years. Would teams be forced to break up if three different players from a team went All-World each of the five years? Would the teams need to break up? If there were so many different PRAWNS, wouldn't it mess up the system? I am just trying to get more familiarized with the ISC rules. I've been trying to figure out ASA for the last 10 years. I say, more PRAWNS need to emerge to ruin this rule. The ruling seems have the ability to break up teams quite often. Again, I'm clueless on the rule so....

[ontariofastball]

You are allowed as many "homegrown" PRAWNs as your 18-man roster can hold. However, when you try to bring in an outside player, if he is a PRAWN, you would not be able to do so until your total PRAWNs drops under six.

[sledgehammer22]

Thanks ontario. Well, looks like everybody should just strive to be a PRAWN! Interesting set of rules. I'm curious to see how it ends up.