Question about Summer tournament game fees.

[azbigdawg]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Here in NW Ohio, rain has played havoc with Summer tournaments.

Mark, Jr., and I umpired in three tournaments where the entire day was canceled because of the weather after the first game of the day had started.

In the first two tournaments, all of the umpires were paid a full game fee for the game that was started, that resulted in 14 umpires being paid in one tournament and 20 umpires in another tournament. These two tournaments were not in the Toledo area.

The third tournament was in the Toledo area and the TD refused to pay the umpires (32 umpires including Mark) and I). When Mark and I told the TD that this was not acceptable, the other 30 umpires shouted us down saying that they would gladly not accept any money for the rained out games that had started. I am preparing an email to our assigner because not being paid for a game that has already started is flat out wrong.

I would like to know how different areas of the country handle this sort of nonsense. Thanks.

MTD, Sr.

There is something else going on here. If all 30 of the umpires agreed to it, and you two were the only ones on the other side of the coin, something else is coming into play here. To be clear "something else" is either politics, personalities, or close ties with the TD....

[Rich]

Originally Posted by azbigdawg

There is something else going on here. If all 30 of the umpires agreed to it, and you two were the only ones on the other side of the coin, something else is coming into play here. To be clear "something else" is either politics, personalities, or close ties with the TD....

Or a group kissing up for future assignments.

Nothing less than a full game fee is acceptable, IMO.

[ASA/NYSSOBLUE]

Our rule for leagues/tournaments around here has always been 'one pitch' - one pitch and we get paid a full fee. Of course, we tell our people not to abuse it. I remember only one time in 25 years, were the field was in horrible shape, the league wanted my partner and me to start it, and it started POURING again in the top of the 1st. Oh well...

In HS, our contract is very specific: any cancellation when we have shown up, and the game isn't played, and we get a $25 travel fee. Actually had a jr high softball game where there was a scheduling screw up, and the visitors never showed....and got the FULL game fee.

And if the contest starts late 30 minutes, we get a $25 late fee. I also work girls volleyball in the fall, and they started a policy to save travel expenses where the jr high teams play each other once, and then play a double match. We get a NICE $130 fee for that. So last fall, my partner banged in at the last moment one time, AND the visiting team showed up about 20 minutes late, so by the time they properly warmed up, it was late fee time! (working alone is an additional 1/2 fee)

This is one of the advantages of having a semi-independent assignor, and having all of the fees and administration done by contractual rules. It takes a while longer to get paid - but we get PAID -everything that is due us.

And in ASA, no assigning gets done without money up front! This most likely costs us a league or two, but we never get screwed either!