If Softball HAS to Have Time Limits…

[PJR202]

I appreciate you are actually offering some specifics!

So ... increase the number of conferences already allowed? While there is not a 60 second cap by rule, most umpires use this as their baseline.

I know a number of umpires who will announce it is a shoe tying time out and tell everybody to check their shoes. Kind of humorous.

#3 already exists. It is inconsistently enforced. If it is going to be strictly enforced, it needs to be done so the entire game.

Would you still favor this when your defense needs to calm down or needs to talk strategy with the tying run on third base? No pitching changes allowed?

Being honest, I came up with all that off the cuff. I didn't know there was a limit on timeouts. I've tried to keep them brief. How much time is really needed anyway?

I like the shoe tying reminder..lol

Tournament play needs its own set of rules if they're gonna push time limits. And I understand why they do. No one wants to lay around all day waiting to play, or getting their umpire commitment pushed out for additional hours.

If those rules require things like a pre-heated pitcher and timed warmup throws in the circle, or push the coach's motivational speech allotment, or actually require a STOPPED game clock during these timed pitcher changes (thereby deterring BS changes since there's no benefit), then maybe that kind of thing would be the way to go. Make tournament play a significantly different game.

 

[CoachJD]

"Game the system" or "play the system of the game"?

We have rules in place and smart coaches will use those rules while the fans and lesser coaches complain.
Would you support better and more consistent enforcement of those rules by umpires (which is what we need) when they are called against your team in the first, second, or third innings? Or do we really just want them enforced inconsistently to our benefit at the end of the game?

If specific rules are created to curtail exploiting the clock, and people still do it (either illegally or by finding loopholes), that's literally what gaming the system is.

Right now, there basically is no system because people added a clock -- the reasons for doing so are understandable -- to a game that wasn't designed for one.

 

[The Man In Blue]

If specific rules are created to curtail exploiting the clock, and people still do it (either illegally or by finding loopholes), that's literally what gaming the system is.

Right now, there basically is no system because people added a clock -- the reasons for doing so are understandable -- to a game that wasn't designed for one.

This is where I will have to agree to disagree. While the basis of the existing rules were not written with a clock specifically in mind, they are not incompatible with a clock. Several rules of the timeless game are, in fact, written to manage the time the game takes. Pace of play has LONG been a concern of the game in its many levels.

Adding the clock makes it a new element of the game. Failing to be aware of the clock and manage it properly (within the rules) means you're playing the wrong game ... or the game wrong.

I'll toss this bone: yes, I agree stuff like tying shoes is bush league, silly, and should be managed by the umpire. There are rules in place, umpires just need to be willing to administer them consistently and reasonably. A team taking their allotted conferences or relieving a pitcher are perfectly legal the entire game.

 

[GKCO]

I’ve only been around travel softball for around 3 years so maybe I just haven’t seen it or maybe it’s a thing in older divisions (my dd is 10), but are there tournaments that play a full 7 innings? I’d love to see a tournament that did that or even like 5 innings. Make it a smaller field but charge what you need to make up the difference. Parents would pay a little extra. Do they do the same thing in youth baseball? Time limits I mean.

 

[_MIA_]

but are there tournaments that play a full 7 innings?

Yes. Alliance National Championships are 7 innings and I believe PGF as well. There are others as well. 7 inning games are fine if the teams are good. Not sure I would be able to stomach 10u 7 inning games (even 5 innings would be pushing it many circumstances..)

 

[The Man In Blue]

I’ve only been around travel softball for around 3 years so maybe I just haven’t seen it or maybe it’s a thing in older divisions (my dd is 10), but are there tournaments that play a full 7 innings? I’d love to see a tournament that did that or even like 5 innings. Make it a smaller field but charge what you need to make up the difference. Parents would pay a little extra. Do they do the same thing in youth baseball? Time limits I mean.

Youth baseball uses time limits also, and the culture is much worse.

Give a youth softball team 75 minutes and they will hustle to play 6 innings. Give a youth baseball team 120 minutes and they will milk out every second of it and still complain when the game ends in the 3rd inning.

 

[GKCO]

Yes. Alliance National Championships are 7 innings and I believe PGF as well. There are others as well. 7 inning games are fine if the teams are good. Not sure I would be able to stomach 10u 7 inning games (even 5 innings would be pushing it many circumstances..)

Yes, some really bad 10u travel softball. I wish parents wouldn't force their kids to play travel just to keep up with the joneses. Rec ball is looked down upon. At least in the Orlando area.

 

[_MIA_]

Yes, some really bad 10u travel softball. I wish parents wouldn't force their kids to play travel just to keep up with the joneses. Rec ball is looked down upon. At least in the Orlando area.

There are a lot of TB games in any age level I wouldn’t want to sit through for 7 innings..I only mentioned 10U because you said your DD plays 10U. That said the 7 inning games DD had this year had run rules (8 after 5 in the most recent one)

 

[Westwind]

Dd played for a coach who enforced this and it was a beautiful thing.

When your team makes the third out, anyone on base takes their helmet/ gloves off and puts them down. Wherever they were. Someone, a base coach or a bench player will grab it. No discussion. It just happens. Someone else playing defense takes that player their glove, glasses, visor whatever. All players defensive stuff is on individual piles on the bench.

This happens fast. Anyone playing defense gets to their position NOW.

It looks sharp. Everyone should do this.

After seeing this for a few years I could barely stand to watch other teams take the field.

For this to work, the coach has to FORBID players on base from going back to the dugout. The coach also needs to enforce that players must immediately get out of the dugout. He didn’t care why you were in the dugout longer than he thought you should be there. There was no excuse good enough. He didn’t care.

 

[_MIA_]

Dd played for a coach who enforced this and it was a beautiful thing.

When your team makes the third out, anyone on base takes their helmet/ gloves off and puts them down. Wherever they were. Someone, a base coach or a bench player will grab it. No discussion. It just happens. Someone else playing defense takes that player their glove, glasses, visor whatever. All players defensive stuff is on individual piles on the bench.

This is a baseball thing. We did that in baseball from age 13 on.