Start of a new inning

[Jtaylor33]

so a fellow umpire in a chain email is asking about start of a new inning.

During rec ball season

Games are 90 minutes, with no new inning to start after 80 minutes.

Inning ended at 79 minutes and evidently a coach raised hell over the teams not getting their full time. ( other issues in this as well, game was uncatchable, 4 run max per have and team was down 6.)

I guess one of the umps ended the game, do to the fact that the girls couldnt get on field and warmed up before the 80 min. I chimed in that the inning starts as soon as the previous inning ends.

Can someone help with when the inning actually starts and where in the book it states this? Or am I wrong?

[RKBUmp]

New inning starts immediately upon the 3rd out of the previous half inning.

Rule 1, definitions.

[josephrt1]

I work a rec league that has an 1:30 no new inning and no drop dead. In tournaments I go by the exact time. if there are 30 seconds left on the clock, I'll start the next inning. But in rec games I would stop the game. I had one just last week. Only about 10 seconds left and coach wanted to start a new inning. This was a weeknight and sun was setting with no lights for backup. Sorry, game over. This season I have had 2 games finish innings with about 3 or 4 minutes left on the clock. in these situations i started a new inning and like they say, "no good deed goes unpunished". Both times coaches realizing it is the last inning and game pretty much decided. So they move all the kids around to positions they don't know how to play and the games went on for 30 and 40 minutes respectively. In one of the games it delayed the next game by 20 minutes.

So I fully support an umpire using his discretion when there are only seconds remaining.

[jwwashburn]

In time limit games, I fully support the umpire doing as he is told by the entity who pays him.

[RKBUmp]

Not starting a new inning because there are no lights and it is a safety issue is one thing, not starting another inning simply because the umpire doesn't want to work another inning is another. The rules state the inning has already started upon the third out, if you refuse to continue you are short changing the teams and not doing your job.

[shipwreck]

If a tourney says no new inning can start after 80 minutes, THAT is a 80 minute time limit, not 90. No reason at all to state both.
Dave

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Jtaylor33

Games are 90 minutes, with no new inning to start after 80 minutes.

Then games are 80 minutes. The 90 minute thing is irrelevant unless you also mean that you drop dead in the middle of an inning if you hit 90 minutes ... which you likely don't.

And you are right that the instant the 3rd out is made, the next inning has started. I had 6 seconds left once, and we played another inning.

[Mountaincoach]

I appreciate the statements about the umpire should finish the game and not cut the time short. My team usually drives over 2 hours to play travel ball tournaments. Even when we're facing elimination, we like to get our money's worth unless it's just too ugly to continue . It is amazing how many people do not realize the next inning begins as soon as the 3rd out is obtained. I hear coaches (and even umpires sometimes) yell "Hurry, hurry get out there before time expires" when the inning has already started and they just need to focus on playing and enjoying the last inning.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Then games are 80 minutes. The 90 minute thing is irrelevant unless you also mean that you drop dead in the middle of an inning if you hit 90 minutes ... which you likely don't.

And you are right that the instant the 3rd out is made, the next inning has started. I had 6 seconds left once, and we played another inning.

I used to use a countdown timer, and I would quickly check the timer to ensure I didn't miss the sound it would make when time expires, and I would go by that as a black and white time, but I never had one THAT close!

Since my timer became the victim of an errant foul ball, I haven't replaced it (yet... it did completely remove ANY time remaining, etc., issues, plus I hate hour:minutes math...) so now I keep an old digital wrist watch in my bag. I note the HH:MM of the start, and don't track fractional minutes.

[LRZ]

At what point does the game begin, that is, at what point does the time begin to run?

I umpire baseball, not softball, and although I tried to find an answer on line, I perhaps missed it.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by LRZ

At what point does the game begin, that is, at what point does the time begin to run?

I umpire baseball, not softball, and although I tried to find an answer on line, I perhaps missed it.

The ASA book used to say at the first pitch, which I would never actually do unless there was a separate person keeping the time... I have more important things to concentrate on at the time of the first pitch; they've now changed it to the first warm-up pitch, which is what I would have typically used anyway. Now that I use my watch, and not a countdown timer, I make it a habit to announce the start time so there is no mystery with the coaches.

Some umpires will start it at the end of the plate meeting as a technique to limit dawdling by the home team taking the field (I've even seen that specified in the tournament rules).

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by LRZ

At what point does the game begin, that is, at what point does the time begin to run?

I umpire baseball, not softball, and although I tried to find an answer on line, I perhaps missed it.

USA (formerly known as ASA) starts on the first pitch by rule, first warm up pitch by custom (and practicality). Look near the end of rule 5.

.................................................. ..
EDIT:
Read Tom's post, forgot actually by rule now.

[SNIPERBBB]

Some tournaments ive done starting time was after the first pitch was delivered.

[Umpteenth]

Originally Posted by SNIPERBBB

Some tournaments ive done starting time was after the first pitch was delivered.

That's typical for the start of a game, but the new inning starts once the final out is made in the current inning.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by SNIPERBBB

Some tournaments ive done starting time was after the first pitch was delivered.

Not anymore, if you go by the book. This was posted on the USA Softball website for the 2017 Rule Changes:

Rule 5 Section 10 When the time limit rule is in effect time begins with the first warm up pitch….
Comment: Better defines when the time limit begins.

I do like it when tournament directors use when the plate conference ends as the start time. As mentioned above, it does make the home team come out and take the field a little quicker. I'm not sure if USA Softball HQ is going to tell tournament directors to go with the official rule.