Quote:
Originally Posted by mbcrowder
Lowlight: Solid 3-2 game, home ahead, visitor desperately trying to get 3 outs before time runs out. Partner signals me to watch the clock as we're down to seconds with 2 outs. Clock runs out as the pitch is in the air. Defense gets the out and partner calls ballgame. VC goes nuts - the new inning starts when the 3rd out is made. Yes, sir - but time was out before that - literally while the pitch is in the air. "Then why didn't you call ballgame?" "Coach, we're not going to call ballgame while a play is going on." Coach comes completely unglued, insisting that if time had expired we are REQUIRED to kill the play immediately. OK, whatever....
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One of my personal pet peeves, actually. Can anyone cite any softball manual which describes a mechanic to call "ballgame"? I don't know of one; and I don't believe any one has an approved mechanic to state "ballgame", and certainly don't believe the universally misused "end of quarter" football signal is appropriate nor approved.
The only rules that actually apply in ASA are the ones that state "no inning can start after ..." and that a new inning begins "immediately
AFTER the final out of the previous inning.
So, to me, anyway, the appropriate mechanic is to walk off the field, while advising the coach that the time to start a new inning expired before the final out was made. Period.