Metal Cleats in 14U

[Indiana]

In our area, metal cleats are not allowed until 16U. Is this a universal rule or are they allowed in 14U in other areas of the country? ASA and USSSA moved the pitching distance in 14U to 43 feet here, to better serve the girls who are playing/will play high school ball. It seems that it would make sense to also allow metal cleats in 14U. I haven't seen any issues with injuries/fielders getting spiked... yet....Thoughts?

 

[InsidePitch]

Pony allows them at 12 or 14U. A very small set of girls wear them at 14U in NJ. Maybe more would be the metal cleats are not allowed in NJ HS ball. Boys can wear them but not girls. At the Pony Nats (really a regional) you see whole teams of 14U wearing them.

I was going to buy some for DD but while trying them on in the store she cleated herself twice. We didn't buy them, instead got a pair of hard plastic UA cleats which seem to work fine in the wet grass.

 

[nanotech14]

The ASA part of your post of moving the pitcher plate to 43 feet is a local rule, not the org. rule for 14u, it would make sense to make it 43 feet for 14u. I'm wondering also about metal at 14u, I think the girls on the TB team that my dd was suppose to play with had metal on, so I was going to get her metal for next year.

 

[BrianMonk]

In our area, metal cleats are not allowed until 16U. Is this a universal rule or are they allowed in 14U in other areas of the country? ASA and USSSA moved the pitching distance in 14U to 43 feet here, to better serve the girls who are playing/will play high school ball. It seems that it would make sense to also allow metal cleats in 14U. I haven't seen any issues with injuries/fielders getting spiked... yet....Thoughts?

Being you're from Indiana (I would think), I assume you mean NSA moved to 43' pitching distance. At the 14u and below levels, ASA barely exists in Indiana and it's still at 40'.

I'm all for ASA going to 43' in 14u. But...I think they should keep 14u and below cleats with 16u and above using spikes. I highly doubt ASA will even consider putting 14u spikes on the "vote" this November.

If your daughter is in H.S. and it's that big of an issue, just play 16u.

 

[CycloneSoftball22]

Around here , 14u can not wear metal cleats in ASA or USSSA , but they are allowed in USFA

 

[mosftballdad]

ASA is still at 40' here and metal cleats are not allowed until 16U.

 

[crystlemc]

ASA in Ohio is still 40' and no metal cleats until 16u. You can wear them in HS ball, however old you are.

 

[InsidePitch]

I wonder if the prohibiting of metal is to protect the other team or the wearer?

A friend of mine's DD pitched at the 14U ASA tourney in Salem, VA. She couldn't figure why she wasn't getting any movement out of her pitches until the last day when they realized it was 40' to the plate.

 

[Indiana]

Being you're from Indiana (I would think), I assume you mean NSA moved to 43' pitching distance. At the 14u and below levels, ASA barely exists in Indiana and it's still at 40'.

I'm all for ASA going to 43' in 14u. But...I think they should keep 14u and below cleats with 16u and above using spikes. I highly doubt ASA will even consider putting 14u spikes on the "vote" this November.

If your daughter is in H.S. and it's that big of an issue, just play 16u.

I'm from Colorado ("we named the dog Indiana" - ha ha, sorry for the confusion - I'm terrible at thinking up online names). ASA and USSSA have a 43 foot pitching distance for 14U here in CO, while Triple Crown is still 40 feet (though I'm not 100% sure on that one - DD only played one triple crown tourney last year). I don't really have a strong opinion either way, it's just something I've noticed since DD is in high school this year and will play one more year of 14U next summer, thus switching back to plastic cleats in the spring. (Colorado has its high school season in the fall, and spikes are allowed for both softball and baseball, all levels)

 

[Bucketrider]

DD started HS in FL and she has been wearing metal to practice pitching. Hates going back to plastic. In FL, all the alphabets have reverted to plastic until 16U. It used to be all but USSSA allowed metal cleats until last year.