FAIR DRAFT RULES

Note - certain aspects of the softball draft rules are new for 2025

PURPOSE: A draft is held in order to make the teams as even and balanced as possible. It does not permit a coach to stack a team of the best players.

Prior to the draft, the commissioner and division director provide coaches with a draft card where every player is assigned a number, 1 through 5, based upon prior season-end ratings and competitive balance considerations. THE RATINGS ARE STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL AND ARE NOT TO LEAVE THE DRAFT ROOM. NO PLAYER IS TO KNOW HIS RANKING.

Once the ratings are complete, each team may reserve the daughters of the head coach and assistant coach. The first round draft order is determined at random unless competitive balance factors are involved, as determined by the commissioner and division director. If a team has a first round player reserved (i.e. a coach’s daughter has a rating that equates to a first round grade) they may not have a first round draft pick as the daughter will be their first pick.

After the first round is complete, the team totals and averages are tallied. The team with the highest number of points is considered the weakest and will have the first pick in the second round. The team with the second highest points gets the second pick, and so on. This system continues throughout the draft. Reserved players with corresponding round-grades are added at the beginning of each round, thus impacting the team average and the draft order for that round.  An instance may arise where there are several teams with the same team average heading into a round. In that case, teams who are tied will have the order determined at random.  

If a player is drafted and she has a sister or first-cousin in the draft with a lower rating, the team that drafts the better player is required to add the sister to their team ahead of the appropriate round. Example: a player is rated #2 and he has a sister that is rated a #4. The #4-rated sister is added to the team roster at the beginning of the corresponding round, thus impacting the team average and the draft order for that round.

At the end of the draft, the goal should be to have the teams’ total points and average be comparable. The draft order from round to round should be conducted so that no team at the end of the draft is considerably stronger or weaker than the other teams.  No one is able to win the championship in the draft room.

Finally, a coach cannot add to his roster. If a player registers to play after the draft is complete, the commissioner and division director will assign the player to a team based on competitive balance, bearing in mind that the number of players is a factor.