I used my 55-300 DA-L yesterday for soccer photos (281 of them) and have no issues with it. The edges/corners may not be perfect if pixel peeping, but as I crop the clutter away from the player where possible, I'm still left with images sharp enough for the clubs facebook page.
For a Hall of Fame photo, I would be looking for another lens (but then I wouldn't be getting asked to take the photo either)
I used the K50 for the first game and the D5200 /Tamron 18-200 for the 2nd game. I have to say, the Tamrom's AF was much faster than the DA-L 55-300.
Also gave BBF a go for the third time. Not for me, I have set the D5200 back to shutter release focus. The AEL/AFL button on the K50 is to far away from where my thumb rests to feel comfortable using. If I have issues with focusing, it is likely to do with my AF selection rather than the time difference between the two focus options.