I coach a Cal Ripken 10u team and I have a question about calling time. As I seem to recall from my years of playing baseball and watching MLB, an infielder may ask for time if he is within the baseline and no runner is attempting to advance his position. In that circumstance the umpire may at his discretion call time stopping play until the pitcher returns to the mound and the umpire yells play ball. Please help me in finding if this is accurate or if I have been mistaken in my history.

[Edited by sdldad on Oct 5th, 2005 at 12:26 AM]

players dont call time

whether or not this is a rule, if no one is advancing and a player asks for time in this situation, ill give it to him. ive never been told against it, but this could be a chance right here.

Players and coaches request TIME.

Umpires grant TIme

Umpires should never grant TIME if there is a chance for play to continue or if it puts the other team at a disadvantage.

I do not grant time for the defense to get the ball back to the pitcher. Learn to throw and catch - that's what the game is about! It doesn't matter if the players are 10U or 50U.

A player may request time whenever they feel like, and wherever they are on the field. As you have already stated though, it is the umpires discretion as when he shall grant that request. So basicly, you are correct.

I realize that these players are only 10 however, most good umpires should not be granting "Time" so that a player can throw the ball back to the pitcher. If players can't properly catch and throw the ball, then any advantage the offense may gain by this, should not be taken away by the umpire. When I coached, I would have plays designed to try and draw a throw. Umpires that granted time every 2 mins really irrated me.

Ozzy and Jicecone are correct. Just because nobody is moving, doesn't mean they aren't aware of a potential bad throw to the pitcher.

When young infielders ask for time, as is the case here, I'll tell them to get the ball to the pitcher. Once they get it there, I'll ask if they still want time. Of course, most of the time they don't.

I just ignore older infielders who try the same trick. They know better and are just testing the umpire.

I heard a good reply from an umpire to a coach at the Illinois Junior High state tournament last weekend. The coach asked if his kids could ask for "Time" after plays so they could get the ball back to the pitcher. The umpire said, "If there's a runner face down in the dirt and he wants to clean himself off, or if one defensive player wants to leave his position to talk to another defensive player, I MIGHT grant "Time" - but remember, coach, if I do grant "Time", you won't be able to get that runner out if he takes off."

<i> Originally posted by sdldad </i>

<b> I coach a Cal Ripken 10u team and I have a question about calling time. As I seem to recall from my years of playing baseball and watching MLB, an infielder may ask for time if he is within the baseline and no runner is attempting to advance his position. In that circumstance the umpire may at his discretion call time stopping play until the pitcher returns to the mound and the umpire yells play ball. Please help me in finding if this is accurate or if I have been mistaken in my history. </b>

Calling TIME slows the game down. Also, just because the ball is in the infield and no runner is attempting to advance does not automatically result in an umpire granting time.

Remember when time is called, the ball must be made live again. Baseball is not a timed sport (with the eception of tournamnets in which a time limit is imposed). Calling TIME will add needless minutes to a game.

Here's the OBR rule for reference when an umpire should grant TIME.

<i> OBR 5.10
The ball becomes dead when an umpire calls "Time." The umpire in chief shall call "Time"_

(a) When in his judgment weather, darkness or similar conditions make immediate further play impossible;

(b) When light failure makes it difficult or impossible for the umpires to follow the play; NOTE: A league may adopt its own regulations governing games interrupted by light failure.

(c) When an accident incapacitates a player or an umpire; (1) If an accident to a runner is such as to prevent him from proceeding to a base to which he is entitled, as on a home run hit out of the playing field, or an award of one or more bases, a substitute runner shall be permitted to complete the play.

(d) When a manager requests "Time" for a substitution, or for a conference with one of his players.

(e) When the umpire wishes to examine the ball, to consult with either manager, or for any similar cause.

(f) When a fielder, after catching a fly ball, falls into a bench or stand, or falls across ropes into a crowd when spectators are on the field. As pertains to runners, the provisions of 7.04 (c) shall prevail. If a fielder after making a catch steps into a bench, but does not fall, the ball is in play and runners may advance at their own peril.

(g) When an umpire orders a player or any other person removed from the playing field.

<b> (h) Except in the cases stated in paragraphs (b) and (c) (1) of this rule, no umpire shall call "Time" while a play is in progress. </b> </i>

Pete Booth

I was in A in a 3 man crew for a tournament game last summer. F1 threw the ball to F3 to try to pickoff R1. R1 dives back. SAFE. R1 is laying on the ground, picks his left hand up to call time while still contacting the base with right hand. F3 is standing over him with the ball in his glove waiting to see if R1 will wander. I say nothing when R1 calls for time. R1 loses contact with the base as he gets up, F3 tags him, and I ring up R1.

You can imagine the sh*thouse the coaches and fans wanted to make out of this. My only answer was "coach, you can't expect to get time called when the 1b man is holding the ball over your runner to see if he will make a mistake". 1B coach did his job from then on, told his runner to stay on the bag.

I like to hear others do not grant time quickly. Through the course of this suummer I was watching the game before us and it was +/-1 hour behind schedule because the umpires granted time for almost any reason. That was a 7 inning, 3 & half hour ball game.

You want to be very carefull about when to and when not to call time as the other comments have reflected.

I made the mistake of calling time right in the middle of a pick off attempt in a big game one time, and it was not pretty to sort through.

We ended up sending the runner back to his previous base he because he had not be tagged out to the point of when time was called. He was only tagged out because of stopping because of hearing me call time.

The defensive coach was livid with me (which he had a right to be) because it was my error (took my eye off of who had the ball) and I cost his team an out.

While I won't call time immediately in the above sitch, I am not going to let F3 hold a tag on him indefinitely. A line has to be drawn at some point, and the runner should not be punished for being safe. I have never seen any umpire at any level allow a fielder to continue to hold a runner hostage on the ground after the runner has requested time. I can see the coaches' and fans' point to a degree, if this went on for any amount of time. If the runner, on the other hand, is dumb enough to get off the bag before time is granted, then he deserves what he gets!

If that runner is dumb enough to get up with F3 standing right there with the ball, he deserves to be out. Probably should count for 2 outs.

Now, if F3 is just standing there with the ball, not trying to make a play, I'll just tell him, "get the ball back to the pitcher, lets play ball". I don't automatically call time everytime a runner slides into a base, like some do. Players have to learn how to put one hand on the base and stand up without breaking contact.

The kids will stand there all day if we don't make them play.

Bob P.