ABL American Ballplayers League

This League is run very poorly. I would suggest Zog Sports strongly over ABL. Do not recommend.
Jul 5th, 2018

Horrible Do NOT waste your money. The league in Hoboken is run by a guy (Jim Pilla) who also happens to play on a team in the league as well. He creates the schedule so that the teams that have been around forever get to beat up on the new teams. When a member of another team purposely slide into and injured a girl on one of our teams, the league did nothing about it and said it was part of the game. This league is supposed to be fun and casual. It is definitely NOT that. If you want to get ripped off and have no fun and end up in a fight this league is for you. Otherwise find one of the other thousand softball leagues in the area. ***update....I have been kicked out of the league without my money returned for posting this Review. Join at your risk.
Mar 23rd, 2018

Been involved with the jersey shore league for 2 seasons. Excellent league. Good competition but still friendly/relaxed feel. Nice field, convienet location. Full year long stats and game recaps weekly.
Mar 2nd, 2017

Let me start off by saying that I've never been moved enough to write a negative review about any organization, but my short experience with HOBOKEN'S ABL softball league needs to be shared. Just so you're aware, I know the difference between high-level competitive sports and co-ed recreational, "low-intensity"/"we just want to have fun" sports leagues. I played D1 NCAA soccer for a competitive program that reached the NCAA tourney. Since graduating college a long time ago I've enjoyed playing softball, soccer, flag football and kickball in various leagues in NJ, NY and Stamford CT. There are certain things that are unacceptable. I'm writing a review is first and foremost to raise awareness and shed light on the way this league is run from the top down. Secondly, to protect those of you who are considering playing in this league. Here are the facts: Top 7, 1 out, away team up 13-3. Runner on first. Slow ground ball shortstop who fields, turns and throws to 2B. 2Baseman gets blown up by the runner from 1st when he decides to execute a take-out slide and crash into the second baseman. Not familiar with a takeout slide?, YouTube it. Its purpose is to break up a double-play by interfering with the fielder and impeding his or her ability to make a clean catch and throw. It's extremely dangerous and isn't something usually allowed at the amateur level. Oh I forgot a minor detail.....the runner from first was a man and the 2Baseman was a woman. Remember I said I would keep this factual. The man was sprinting so fast and crashed into the girl with so much force that she flipped, feet skyward and the first part of her body to hit the ground was her upper back. Her team erupted in shock and fear of injury, one teammate in particular sprinted out ahead of the group and arrived at the girl first. After a few minutes the angry teammate was restrained and the umpire ended the game. Reminder, these are the facts. After both teams exited the field the umpire lagged behind with a few of the second baseman's teammates. Talking the situation over with them he said "ehhh it's kindof...well...you're playing second base" (as if to suggest that take out slides are part of the game). He went on to say what he would have done and to provide a suggestion of how to handle it in the future...he said "I would have kept it calm on the field and then found the guy on the street or at the bar and beat his face in" (which I find interesting because it's an accepted part of the game and not a violation of any rules and not "dirty" then why would someone deserve to have his face beat in?) When the league commissioner got word of what happened. He decided to suspend NOT the player who executed the take-out slide but the teammate of the second baseman. We reviewed the league rules (on interference/take out slides/crashing into people). JoinABL's Hoboken website has two sets of rules posted. One is pretty easy to find and the other is found in the FAQ's in response to someone's who asked for them. In short, 1 says under "Rule 12 the crash rule" the offending player will be ejected and suspended for two games. Under the USSSA rules cited in the FAQs on the joinABL site, in reference to interference the defensive player shall be allowed to field the ball and throw the ball cleanly without being hindered. Icing on the cake: injured player was kicked out of the league for sending too many emails in search of an explanation from the commissioner. What happened was disgusting and inexcusable, it wasn't an accident. It was measured and deliberate. The 2B could have been seriously injured. What's worse is the league's support of the play. Ladies protect yourselves because neither the umpires nor the commissioner care about player safety (even though the rules call for it). Men be careful because you will be punished for doing what most men would have done. Spend your money in a league with more integrity. These people support dirty play. There's better out there.
Jan 12th, 2018

I've been playing shuffleboard for 2 years with ABL and it's been a blast. I love the players, the atmosphere, and the competition. The league is well organized. They keep track of stats and standings throughout the season. The commissioner and staff accommodate scheduling and ask for preferences for league play. There are newsletters that keep players up on what's happening around the league and they post updates on Facebook. You get drink specials at the Ale House that are very reasonable, too. I'm a big fan of the app that helps you check stats and scheduling at the touch of a button. The shuffleboard league grows every year and it's because all the players have fun and enjoy friendly competition in a relaxed atmosphere. ABL has done a great job organizing a competitive league that goes off without a hitch every season.
Jul 10th, 2016