Managing timed games

[Billyball]

In one of the slowpitch leagues I do many of the teams play double headers on different fields on the same night.

The other umps in the league are on me to manage my games better so I get done on time so they are not behind. Bad time managing can put you behind 10-15 minutes if the last inning is high scoring.

The games are a timed 65 minutes that starts when you say take the field. Only low somewhat low scoring games get done in 65 minutes. They tell me to start watching the time with 10 minutes left and then speed up or slow down the game as need be.

Example: If it is going into the bottom of the 6th with only 4-5 minute left on the timer and the home team is losing big. Slow the game down by cleaning the plate more, getting way out on the bases to make calls and walking slowly back to take more time off the clock so it expires during the AB and the 7th is not played and putting the game way behind.

To speed it up they tell me call everything close a strike to get it moving faster.

Any other tips to slow down or speed up the games to keep them on time?

[jmkupka]

not gonna happen. if they want the game to end at a given time, or close to it, make it 60 minutes, no new inning, and 70 minutes, drop dead.

but asking me to blatantly and obviously unfairly (to one or both teams) break the rules of the game? won't happen on my field...

as far as getting way out at the bases, you'd better be doing that anyway ... but if you're gonna walk back slowly, you'd better have that same pace all game.

[Billyball]

Originally Posted by jmkupka

not gonna happen. if they want the game to end at a given time, or close to it, make it 60 minutes, no new inning, and 70 minutes, drop dead.

but asking me to blatantly and obviously unfairly (to one or both teams) break the rules of the game? won't happen on my field...

as far as getting way out at the bases, you'd better be doing that anyway ... but if you're gonna walk back slowly, you'd better have that same pace all game.

This a an 8 field park. The umps here got it down to a science so they were on me last year for letting a 7th inning start with one minute on the timer and the home team down by 9-10 runs. So another full inning had to be played and the away team put up 7-8 runs in the top putting us 15 minutes behind on the night. They said I could have milked a minute or two off the clock and ended it after 6.

It is mid to lower level beer league and co-ed so the teams are never aware of the time.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Billyball

This a an 8 field park. The umps here got it down to a science so they were on me last year for letting a 7th inning start with one minute on the timer and the home team down by 9-10 runs. So another full inning had to be played and the away team put up 7-8 runs in the top putting us 15 minutes behind on the night. They said I could have milked a minute or two off the clock and ended it after 6.

It is mid to lower level beer league and co-ed so the teams are never aware of the time.

Never assume that the teams are not aware of the time. That is when it can bite you in the tuchus.

MTD, Sr.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Billyball

...
The other umps in the league ....

This is the problem right here...You aren't working with other "umps", you are working with part time workers whose only concern is picking up a paycheck for doing the minimum amount of work possible.....

Call the game as it happens, sometimes you will go over the time, sometimes you will have run rules and finish before the time limit...over the long run, it all seems to even out.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Billyball

In one of the slowpitch leagues I do many of the teams play double headers on different fields on the same night.

The other umps in the league are on me to manage my games better so I get done on time so they are not behind. Bad time managing can put you behind 10-15 minutes if the last inning is high scoring.

The games are a timed 65 minutes that starts when you say take the field. Only low somewhat low scoring games get done in 65 minutes. They tell me to start watching the time with 10 minutes left and then speed up or slow down the game as need be.

Example: If it is going into the bottom of the 6th with only 4-5 minute left on the timer and the home team is losing big. Slow the game down by cleaning the plate more, getting way out on the bases to make calls and walking slowly back to take more time off the clock so it expires during the AB and the 7th is not played and putting the game way behind.

To speed it up they tell me call everything close a strike to get it moving faster.

Any other tips to slow down or speed up the games to keep them on time?

Your partners are thieves. They are suggesting stealing time from the players for which they are being paid.

The umpires job is to officiate and manage the game, which includes keeping the game moving, not managing a clock.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Never assume that the teams are not aware of the time. That is when it can bite you in the tuchus.

MTD, Sr.

Yeppers. As much as we make fun of them, the players are much smarter than for what we give them credit.

[Linknblue]

Listen to them and do what you think is right by the players.......that's who ultimately paying you. A lot of guys talk about ending games early by "cheating" in some way, shape or form. Don't do it. Just do your games, let your concience be your guide. If you were paying your money to play the game would you want some umpire cheating you out of your minutes? I find on runaway games I ask sometimes if the loser wants it to end and a lot of times they just quietly say OK. Then we have "Game!".

[teebob21]

Originally Posted by Andy

This is the problem right here...You aren't working with other "umps", you are working with part time workers whose only concern is picking up a paycheck for doing the minimum amount of work possible.....

Call the game as it happens, sometimes you will go over the time, sometimes you will have run rules and finish before the time limit...over the long run, it all seems to even out.

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Your partners are thieves. They are suggesting stealing time from the players for which they are being paid.

The umpires job is to officiate and manage the game, which includes keeping the game moving, not managing a clock.

I was going to post, but these two have dispensed all the sage advice I have. Whether we like to admit it or not, our game is derived from/related to baseball: "the beautiful game without a clock". Call the game until the timer goes off, then finish the inning. (or two innings, per new ASA/USA rules)