[Andy]

I am in agreement with Tom here. A forfeit is a severe penalty for trying to run out a clock or force another inning.

The root issue is that ASA allows use of time limits, but gives no guidelines around using those time limits.

As time limits are a fact of life in almost every tournament played, I would appreciate some guidelines around how they are to be administered so that everyone is on the same page. I do not believe that rules 10-1-L and 5-4-E were put in the book to deal with time limit issues, but have been used in those situations.

My feeling on time limits is that if a coach is worrying about it at the end of the game, then (s)he should have had his or her team hustling on and off the field between innings, have courtesy runners ready to go in the first inning as well as when there is :30 left on the timer. I will play the game at the pace the teams have established throughout the contest and deal with the loose shoelaces and obvious delay tactics as they occur.