Association's Summer Lightning/Thunder Policy
 

This year, our UIC sent out an email to our umpires indicating our association was adopting a new "summertime baseball" lighting/thunder policy. The new policy is we are to wait 15 minutes instead of the NCAA/NFHS 30 minute from the last lightning/thunder occurrence. Although it has never been said, its quite obvious their intention is to have a shorter wait time to get more games in, make more money, ect. Myself and other members of our association have spoken up and voiced our objections to no avail. We have determined that we are not going to follow the 15 minute policy and instead will use the 30 minute rule. We feel the UIC is putting the members in a difficult and potentially dangerous situation (both for the safety of the players and legally). What do you all think?

I think your UIC is insane.
You might advise him that the only time I am aware of that an umpire has been judicially held liable for injury to a game participant was lightning-related.
Just f'ing nuts.

Forward this story to the UIC.

Lightning Kills Spotsylvania County Boy as Violent Storms Move Through Area - washingtonpost.com

Utter.

Madness.

Perhaps an attorney can tell us where negligence ends and depraved indifference begins? :p

Attorneys advise. Juries decide. I would have to walk, no run, from this association.

mrm21711:

You UIC is an IDIOT!!!!

It sounds to me that the coaches do not like waiting the thirty minutes. It is obvious that your UIC does not have a spine and he gave in to the coaches's complaints about the thirty minute wait time.

I think that you and your brethern are doing the correct thing by sticking with the thirty minute rule.

MTD, Sr.

Most coaches in youth leagues have sons playing, so I don't understand why they would want to put them at risk. Simple solution to not wanting to wait 30 minutes, go home when game is stopped due to lightning. I can not recall the last time I stopped one for lightning that ended up finishing.

Aren't those rules only able to be changed on a state level, not an association level anyways? I've never dealt with an assn, so I don't know.

I had a similar occurance last year when an initial email was sent out regarding the fact that men's/college wood bat league does not have an automatic stop play lightning/thunder policy. A member of our association forwarded the email to a lawyer to look at regarding umpire liability. The feedback we received was that our NHFS and NJ State status requires that we stop a game in such instances.

ALMOST as embarassing as our UIC saying this is the fact that our elected officials in our local association have done nothing about it after repeated pleas and questions. I worry about other guys in our association following the 15 minute rule and getting in serious trouble.

Why would any reasonably intelligent adult follow such a ridiculous rule? And who would ring them up if they don't?

I live by the rules of the game, and the rules of my association. But good grief, I don't follow that rule, and if I get rung up, I don't remain a part of such an imbecilic organization.

I'm no attorney, but how about this: the seventh figure?

In no circumstance can safety rules be modified unless they are made to be more stringent. As others have said, no way would I only wait 15 minutes.

-Josh

Not to argue one way or another, but is your association associated with NCAA/NFHS or is it a summer league association? Are the games being played NCAA/NFHS games, or are they summer league games?

An association can say what it wants, but I won't be umpiring when I think it's unsafe. 30 minutes is a reasonable standard -- if the teams don't like that, then let's bang the game and head to the house.