scenario:
12U tournament. 7 teams. Championship Sunday. Also 10U 14U and 16U at a complex with 3 fields.
12U games started at 9:00am and Championship game scheduled for 6:30, on the one field in the complex without lights.
We play at 11:00, then not until 5:00, and then champ game at 6:30.
Parents are already a little cranky over games being so spread out, and the liklihood of not getting home to their beds much before midnight.
It was also 93d and full-sun all day withiut a lot of shade/cover to be had.
We get to the bot of 5 in a very hard-faught back-and-forth game, and sun has set with darkness setting in. Umps conference and defermine to play one more inning. They inform both dugouts that game will be called due to darkness affer the 6th.
so, we play the 6th, and line up to shake hands and head home with a win. A conference ensues with opposing team, umpire, and tournament director, and they inform us that they are moving the game to one of the fields with lights and we have to play a full game of 7 innings.
At this announcement, things get pretty heated between coaches, director, umpire, and unfortunately - parents. so, after a good 20min of an argument, we do in fact switch fields. The field was un-prepped, and the pitchers plate was at 43'. so we had to wait for them to throw down some quick lines, install a plate at 40', and power on the lights. Afrer a 45min break in the action, we play the 7th, and it goes quickly. We were away team and our batters went down 1-2-3. one of their batters reached on error, with 1 out. Next batter K'd and Runner stole 2b during that at bat. Next batter grounds to SS, and Runner runs in front of SS as she is feilding the ball. Field Ump calls Interference and thats how the game ends 9-6.
Of course, now the opposing dugout hates the umps as much as we already do, because of the infereference call... (Karma?)
In the end, a very exciting game that was somewhat ruined for the players, by poor tournament planning and communication. 12 yr old girls dont generally respond well when the adults guiding the game get into heated "discussions"... but when it was finally over, we shook hands, offered apologies and congratulations, took photos, and wished everyone well. I hope that was enough to salvage enough positive memories for these kids.
Question: How improper is it to be directed to switch fields during a game? anything in the ASA rule book about that? And if the Umpire crew informs both dugouts the game is over after 6 innings, can they change their mind?
Seems to me, a "complete game" was played after the bottom of 5, so if they call the game due to darkness after 6, that should have been it.
12U tournament. 7 teams. Championship Sunday. Also 10U 14U and 16U at a complex with 3 fields.
12U games started at 9:00am and Championship game scheduled for 6:30, on the one field in the complex without lights.
We play at 11:00, then not until 5:00, and then champ game at 6:30.
Parents are already a little cranky over games being so spread out, and the liklihood of not getting home to their beds much before midnight.
It was also 93d and full-sun all day withiut a lot of shade/cover to be had.
We get to the bot of 5 in a very hard-faught back-and-forth game, and sun has set with darkness setting in. Umps conference and defermine to play one more inning. They inform both dugouts that game will be called due to darkness affer the 6th.
so, we play the 6th, and line up to shake hands and head home with a win. A conference ensues with opposing team, umpire, and tournament director, and they inform us that they are moving the game to one of the fields with lights and we have to play a full game of 7 innings.
At this announcement, things get pretty heated between coaches, director, umpire, and unfortunately - parents. so, after a good 20min of an argument, we do in fact switch fields. The field was un-prepped, and the pitchers plate was at 43'. so we had to wait for them to throw down some quick lines, install a plate at 40', and power on the lights. Afrer a 45min break in the action, we play the 7th, and it goes quickly. We were away team and our batters went down 1-2-3. one of their batters reached on error, with 1 out. Next batter K'd and Runner stole 2b during that at bat. Next batter grounds to SS, and Runner runs in front of SS as she is feilding the ball. Field Ump calls Interference and thats how the game ends 9-6.
Of course, now the opposing dugout hates the umps as much as we already do, because of the infereference call... (Karma?)
In the end, a very exciting game that was somewhat ruined for the players, by poor tournament planning and communication. 12 yr old girls dont generally respond well when the adults guiding the game get into heated "discussions"... but when it was finally over, we shook hands, offered apologies and congratulations, took photos, and wished everyone well. I hope that was enough to salvage enough positive memories for these kids.
Question: How improper is it to be directed to switch fields during a game? anything in the ASA rule book about that? And if the Umpire crew informs both dugouts the game is over after 6 innings, can they change their mind?
Seems to me, a "complete game" was played after the bottom of 5, so if they call the game due to darkness after 6, that should have been it.
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