Ever ask your player to get out on purpose?

[SoCalSoftballdad]

In recent tournament, in pool play we played under "modified drop dead" rules where after 1.30 hours if we didn't complete the last inning within regulation, the score would revert back to the previous inning.

Situation: in previous inning, we are the visiting team down 7-3. In the top half of the last inning we tie the score 7-7. Because of tie-breaker rules, a tie by us (or even a loss by 3 runs or less) means #1 seed for us going into Sunday elimination round and a much easier road to get to the championship game.

With about 8 mins left in the game, I ask my baserunner on 1st to purposely leave early, for the second out of the inning. With the count 2 - 2 on my batter, I ask her to swing early to get out and she swings before the ball is even half way to homeplate. Strike 3, and 3 outs.

Bottom half of the inning, my pitcher quickly strikes out the first two batters and the third batter pops up to third base. Inning over. I ask umpire how much time left in the game and he says 2 mins! Inning is complete and official. Before we get our next at-bats, game is called and the score is tied. Even though we tied, we "won" the #1 seed. By the way, we ended up winning the tournament and having the top seed was important for the win. Needless to say, opposing coach was not happy.

Is this good clock management or did I do a disservice to the game? By the way, I apologized to my two players that I made them purposely make outs but they (and their parents) understood our strategy once they realized the implications of the time expiring.

Curious your thoughts on this and if you have every used the clock to your advantage?

 

[Izzy's Dad]

In tournament play, all bets are off. Use everything to your advantage. I've even intentionally walked the number 8 batter (playing a team that only had 8) so we could get the 3rd out (no #9 to come up to bat). Other coach was furious, started to get mouthy. Umpire said to him that I was playing smart, and he'd of done the same thing.

 

[Richards]

In the spirit of competiton the game of "rounders" that was brought from England that we changed to the game of baseball was a game with vague rules. We being Americans found ways to "cheat" the gentlemens game and thus turned the game of rounders into what we call BASEBALL.....or SOFTBALL.

In my opinion and in the spirit of the game you did what needed to be done to win and make the decisions that benefited the team as a whole. Time restraints on the game is something that devalues the game, with that being said, when there becomes a "time clock" on tournament play ALL BETS ARE OFF!!

If there wasn't a time constraint the game could have been finished as a normal regulation game would be, however we all know that in tournament play the strategies incorporated to give the girls the best chance to win are one's that we must constantly curtail to meet the needs of the clock!! I would have done the same thing.

 

[amanda_cake]

We have asked players to get out on purpose in the past. A lot of people get hot under the collar when you talk about playing and using the time clock to your advantage. If we're ahead, I don't see the problem with dragging out the inning so we won't have to play another one... get the win in the bag and keep my girls fresh. Other people wanna play the whole time, get as many innings in as possible and win "fairly". I can see both sides of it, but at the end of the day we do what we think is best to get a W in the book.

 

[softballphreak]

You were within your rights. I'm sure you felt better about doing it than you would having it done to you. I guess time limits are a necessary evil if we want to play 4 or 5 games a day.

Ideally, maybe give the runner at first a chance to steal second, then third, then maybe home? But I guess that don't come first.

Do they have time limits in baseball?

 

[shockcoach]

This is part of any game with a time limit attached to it. If you don't use proper time management as a manager, then IMHO you aren't managing your team to get the best available results.

Good job!

 

[TNTCoach]

As long as the drop dead is played with "revert back" this kind of stuff will happen. The tournament director always puts in a statement in the rules about playing within the spirit of the game, but with a lead and a ticking clock it is hard not to take a few liberties. Drop dead and finish the inning eliminates a lot of this kind of stuff.

 

[Sparky Guy]

What I'm see more and more is finish the inning with a drop dead time. The tournament rules will say 1:15 finish the inning. 1:30 drop dead with no revert back. What ever the score is at 1:30 that is the final. That stops a lot of the "games" that coaches would do when it came to clock management.

 

[shockcoach]

1:30 drop dead with no revert back. What ever the score is at 1:30 that is the final. That stops a lot of the "games" that coaches would do when it came to clock management.

Then you choose visitors so you get more at bats than the home team. This is not a very fair way to conduct a tournament. We have an area here that does this sometimes. I ask if this is their rule for the particular tournament. If so, I won't play it. I prefer the finish the inning rule.

 

[sluggers]

Is this good clock management or did I do a disservice to the game?

You did a disservice to the game. You are trying to have the girls play as much softball as possible, so you cheated them out of an inning. Didn't you take the game away from the kids so you brag about winning? Wouldn't it have been possible that you would have won the game anyway?

Why do Daddies insist upon taking the game away from the kids for the greater glory of winning a game?