Quote:
Originally posted by wpiced
Last night I umpired a PONY league game of 11-12 year olds. Great kids, but coachs are competative. Two hours or seven innings. Game started at 6:05PM and at 8:00PM six innings were completed. My understanding is that if an inning can be started within the two hours of playing time, it can be completed as long as day light holds out. I told both managers that there was five minutes left. They wanted to start the seventh inning. The visiting team put a batter on deck at 8:03 and the home team went out to their field positions, but the pitcher had not warmed up--not one throw to the plate and the fielders were throwing the warm up balls around the outfield and infield. By now, it was 8:08 and I called the game for the two hour limitation.
The visiting coach (he was down two runs) came unglued because he said the inning was considered started. He didn't have a rule but knew he was right. I told him that I thought the inning started when I pointed at the pitcher and put the ball in play. The controversy is going to the league's board as a protest. Did I screw up?
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The way the game was meant to be was when the last out is made in an inning, the defense is on the top steps of the dugout running out there to play the next inning. That inning has begun. The only reason there is any time in between is to allow the pitcher to loosen back up. The LL game is slow sice kids forget where their glove is, what position they were playing, coach is moving his defence around...you name it. What a mess sometimes! However, you were in the top of 7 at out 3 of 6. I got really good at this rule as a college kid umping little league in the summer for gas money. Living in OK umping in mid-summer in all that gear? I knew the game time and the inning start. JOHN