[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by umpjong

So if a school administrator tells you, the umpire in chief, that the grounds are unplayable and unsafe for the student athletes, you will allow them to continue just because you have the "sole" authority to "call" the game?

Better get your bank book,house title, and car title out, because my kid, the next batter, is going to sprain his ankle while trying to run out a grounder..........

(school has no liability as its all yours now)

Amen Brother.

A personal story along the lines of the OP: A number of years ago, when I still officiating H.S. (NFHS Rules) soccer, I was the AR1 (meaning I was the linesman on the Scorer/Timer/Team Benches side of the field) in a boys' H.S. varsity soccer game. The Home team was Grosse Ile (Mich.) H.S. which is a very very wealthy community south of Detroit. I did not know it at the time, but GIHS had and still does one of those super expensive lightning detection systems (the type you find at the U.S.G.A. Men's Open Championship and Highland Meadows G.C., home of the Jamie Farr-Owens Corning LPGA Championship). The GIHS AD approached me with about ten (10) minutes left in the first half and requested that I notify the R to come to the touchline at the first stoppage of play, which happened less that twenty (20) seconds later. The AD told us, that despite the sky looking absolutly beautiful, the lightning detection system had detected a thunderstorm in the area and he was suspending the game for the safety of the participants. We did not have to be told twice to get the teams off of the playing field and into the H.S. Fifteen (15) minutes later the thunderstorm hit the area.

MTD, Sr.