Game postponed due to wet field???

[ljudge]

Ever have that happen? I called my AD to confirm tonight's game and he returned my call with this "wishy-washy" explanation about whether we should really play the game tonight.

He was basically trying to feel me out on whether I thought we should call the game. I'm in Philadelphia and it's SUNNY right now (3:09pm) outside my high rise with some blue skies and clouds. It was raining last night and all morning.

I told him I couldn't call the game from my office due to weather conditions and referred him to my assignor. My assignor knows some history between the two schools and told me the home coach has a fast team and wants to play on a dry field. I realize that's NOT new news with any of you but the fact is it's not even raining at this point and the game is still 4 HOURS AWAY!

I just received a call from the AD who is very hesitant to play but told me the game will be on. I think my assignor gave him a hard time. BUT, he said I still may call you around 5 to cancel. I'm thinking WHAT???

I just need to get passed that 6:30 point where I can make them play.

[Theisey]

Sure, many times. Does last years weather ring a bell?

Already a game I'm filling in on tomorrow has been moved, twice. Both field are under water, but one is less under than then other. Oh Great! that's real comforting.
Tonights game is still on but who really knows. Guess we'll find out once we get there. I'd sure hate to drive 180 miles (rt) just to find out it was postponed once we get there.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by ljudge

I just need to get passed that 6:30 point where I can make them play.

How can you make them play?

We have games cancelled quite often because of field conditions or inclimate weather. Playing on a wet field can all but destroy the field. Teams put thousands and thousands of dollars into turf, fertilizers, tractors, etc. If they want to postpone, that's their option.

Also, inclimate weather kills the gate. Schools in my area rely on football dollars to fund most of their athletic program. A couple of rainy Saturdays can kill them.

[mcrowder]

Must be different outside of Texas. I can't even IMAGINE cancelling a game due to a wet field. I've played in 3 inches of water once (and the stands were still packed). The thought of stopping for wetness would never have entered my mind until I read this thread.

[Hoosier_Dave]

I've had the AD reschedule a game due to a wet field. It was a freshman game and the varsity game was the next nite. He didn't want to trash the field for the varsity game.

[Jim D]

I can see postponing a lower level game so you don't trash the field but not for a varsity game. The question is, will they pay you if they cancel it?

[ljudge]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

How can you make them play?

I thought that once we're inside of 30 minutes the only way we can cancel it is if the referee decides to do so.

Any way, it turned out to be a beautiful night. The coach admitted when I met him in preGame he wanted to wait until the field was dry because he had team speed and that's the only way he thought he could win. It had nothing to do with trashing the field.

Final 34-13 in favor of the away team.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by ljudge

I thought that once we're inside of 30 minutes the only way we can cancel it is if the referee decides to do so.

Any way, it turned out to be a beautiful night. The coach admitted when I met him in preGame he wanted to wait until the field was dry because he had team speed and that's the only way he thought he could win. It had nothing to do with trashing the field.

Final 34-13 in favor of the away team.

LJ, here it's game management's decision up until kickoff. Your area maybe different.

We just move'em to Friday night. If it's postponed after we leave home for the game, we get half fee. If it's stopped after we start, full fee. And we get paid again to come back and finish it.

[waltjp]

Joe,

I know of at least one game that was postponed up here. Our game was on turf - nice. No mud.

[Theisey]

Anything other than thunder/lightening is out of our control when it comes to suspending a game up here.

Except for one field in my area, all are grass fields. Last year saw several weekends of heavy rains with a number games postponed from Friday to other days. The schools did so because two years prior, heavy rains coupled with the games destroyed fields early in the season. They never recovered, and were better used as mud-wrestling pits for the remainder of the season as well as the following season.

I was surprised last night, while it rained during the first half after 36 hours of steady rain, this field was in good shape. Sidelines took a beating, but that is expected. Grass was a bit on the long side but it was solid footing. We had a cooler than normal August with some good grass growing rains. Only one game postponed last night.

It's lightly raining again right now but should stop soon. Problem is the field we're going to overlays an all dirt baseball infield. Not looking forward to this one!

[Chess Ref]

ugh some of us refer to all dirt baseball infields as .....softball diamonds.

[BktBallRef]

Last night was wonderful weather....clear skies and 68 degrees. Man, it was nice!

Most of our fields are crown based, which allows the water to flow to the sidelines. Does make for a messy team box but makes for a drier playing field.

[Texas Aggie]

This is less of a problem in my area now. More and more school districts and even private schools are installing the artificial stuff. I've already been to 2 fields in the last week and a half that were fieldturf this year and grass last year. I welcome the change for a number of reasons, most already discussed on this forum. The ground is even (no gopher holes), firm but gives a little, shoes don't get as messed up, and no mud on knickers. The only issue becomes all those rubber pellets in your shoes!

[Bob M.]

REPLY: I agree with THeisey...the only jurisdiction that the game officials have with respect to weather is if the conditions are deemed to be unsafe. From what we were always told, rain, in itself, is not considered unsafe. If game management says to play...we play!

We did on Friday nite, and at halftime I was as wet as if I'd just jumped into a pool! Except for my feet which were perfectly dry.

[bigwes68]

We had a JV game tonight that ended up getting calling off after halftime. It started raining about with less than a minute to go in the second quarter, then started pouring right as we were headed off the field. It rained hard for about 10 minutes, then it let up and we started the 2nd half. Then it started lightning, and we got the teams off the field. About 15 minutes after that (it has also started pouring again) the AD came up to us and said, "We've got a home game Friday night, I don't want to tear up the field, it's still lightning, and I don't want anyone to get hurt...we want to call it off." Sounds good to us, coach!