time limits

[bethsdad]

I was coaching a LL game last year that I thought would never end. We were home team. Our first pitcher pitched 2 innings.After 4 complete innings we were ahead 1 or 2 runs. Our 2nd pitcher got injured in the top of the 5th( in LL pitchers can't return) The visiting team ended up scoring 15 runs in the top of that 1 inning.Bottom of 5th ,after a couple batters umpire called game due to darkness. The visiting team thought they won until they got a call from the league president.I had told them it reverts back to the last complete inning but they didn't want to believe me. I don't know if the time limit would've even saved that game Brian

[Steve M]

Brian,
Is there a question in there?

btw
In addition to the players being too short for me to get into a comfortable plate stance, games like the one you described are a big reason why I don't work the younger level games.

[bethsdad]

Sorry. No question,I thought it was a little slow here so I was just trying to start something. BTW I talked to our league President and am trying to get a 6 run limit for this year. Brian

[Dakota]

It wouldn't have turned into such a horrible endurance contest without the baseballesque substitution rule on pitchers. Or with a run limit like all other rec leagues use. Or with a time limit like all other rec (and most travel) games use.

3 strikes in the rules led to no strikes in the game.

[whiskers_ump]

As usual Tom is correct...What little LL ball I call
for league, they have time limits...No New inning after
1:15, revert back to last full inning for score if it is
necssary..For run rules, they use 12 after three, 10 after
four and 8 after five. During the various divisions of the
journey to Williamsport, No time limits, however, 15 after
three and 10 after five. LL can play the longest games I
have ever been involved in. Tee ball and 9-10 they use the
six runs or five outs...the others 1:15 time limits.

glen

[bluezebra]

Originally posted by whiskers_ump
As usual Tom is correct...What little LL ball I call
for league, they have time limits...No New inning after
1:15, revert back to last full inning for score if it is
necssary..For run rules, they use 12 after three, 10 after
four and 8 after five. During the various divisions of the
journey to Williamsport, No time limits, however, 15 after
three and 10 after five. LL can play the longest games I
have ever been involved in. Tee ball and 9-10 they use the
six runs or five outs...the others 1:15 time limits.

glen

1:15 for LL games. How do they satisfy MPR with only 2 or 3 innings?

Bob

[chuck chopper]

We all have had marathon leagues. You know right from the start you are going to be there until you call it because of darkness. I usually will try to inform the coaches that "this is likely to be the last inning" as some leagues have a limit to how many batters bat per inning but when its the last inning then these leagues drop the limit.
.
Score always drops back to last complete inning. I have had some torny's that have "drop dead" time limits. I set my watch alarm & when it goes off the game is over. You should hear the whining when I just stop the game & make the score what it was at the last complete inning. They know it's a drop-dead but when it doesn't go in your favor..the "S" hits the fan.

[greymule]

The girls' rec leagues I do have inning limits of either 6 runs or 8 batters. The 8th-batter situation is an adventure, too, since the batter just hits the ball and keeps running.

Without these limits, we'd be in trouble. Most innings proceed reasonably normally, but just about every night they save us from at least one marathon inning.

The limits also allow the umpires to call the game "straight," with the knowledge that even if the pitcher walks everybody, there's an absolute end to the craziness.

[whiskers_ump]

Originally posted by bluezebra

1:15 for LL games. How do they satisfy MPR with only 2 or 3 innings?

Bob

Bob,

Their solution to that problem is, any gals that did not play,
must start the next game..The league has regular scorekeepers
that maintain the books and the coaches are advised at their next
game who is required to play prior to any of the others. Just legaue
play, so worked out fine.

glen

[mcrowder]

My worst timing conundrum was a tourney with the following rules:
1) No run rule
2) 1:15 time limit - no inning shall start after 1:15 has elapsed.
3) 1:35 time limit - if you reach this, then the game reverts to the last completed inning.
4) No ties - this was a tourney - we used international rule for extra innings (runner on 2nd) in addition to all batters beginning with 3-2 count.
5) Pitchers could not pitch in consecutive games, except for extra innings, and except for the semifinals and finals - played the following day.

The problem occurred when in the 2nd round, both teams had awful pitchers available (both used their 2 top pitchers to survive round 1) . The top half of the 1st took about 45 minutes, as the visitor scored 43 runs. Then, the bottom half was still going as 1:35 expired. I don't remember the exact score, but home had not surpassed 43 at that point. Obviously we were unable to fulfill ALL of the ground rules. Visiting team wanted to play on (they had 2 outs). Home team wanted the game ruled over, revert back to no score, replay the GAME (allowing him to get at least one of his good pitchers in), or calling the game "over", but tied - again allowing the good pitchers back in for an extra inning.

It was a mess - we called the UIC and the tourney sponsor over to see which "rule" they wanted us to break - we ended up just finishing the inning (I think that was the most fair way of fixing the mess). Home team won by scoring 44.

These two teams met again in the championship, and home won again in a much lower scoring game with their good pitchers in place.

[greymule]

Well, 43 runs in one inning sounds like another record to me. And that was FP. I've never seen that many even when they used to have professional SP softball around here. (Joe Pepitone was the big "draw" for the Trenton Statesmen in the late 1970s.) They used a juiced ball, and sometimes teams got up into the 70s in a game, but I never saw 40 in an inning.

As an ump, the most runs I've ever had in one inning was 25. That was in SP, in the top of the 1st. The team ended up winning by 33-14 in 5 innings (15-run mercy rule). However, they lost the next game to the same team, 27-8, in 5 innings.

[bluezebra]

Originally posted by whiskers_ump

Bob,

Their solution to that problem is, any gals that did not play,
must start the next game..The league has regular scorekeepers
that maintain the books and the coaches are advised at their next
game who is required to play prior to any of the others. Just legaue
play, so worked out fine.

glen

Fine? Not for the players. Looks like some get to play ONLY every other game. Youth sports is (SHOULD BE) about participation. A 1:15 time limit is great for adult slow pitch, not youth.

Bob

[whiskers_ump]

Bob,

Your are correct. However, I do not have to worry about it
anymore as the league that was LL has now gone, actually 2
years ago, to ASA.

Thanks,
glen

[Dakota]

Originally posted by bluezebra
Fine? Not for the players. Looks like some get to play ONLY every other game. Youth sports is (SHOULD BE) about participation. A 1:15 time limit is great for adult slow pitch, not youth.

Bob

We have a large ASA rec league that uses a 1:15 time limit (no new inning after the limit) and a 5 run per inning limit. Player participation is assured by bat-the-roster rule and unlimited defensive sub rule. The coaches understand the purpose of a rec league, and most have a regular rotation they follow on defense. The league games are double headers, and the batting order continues in the second game from where the first game left off. Pitchers are limited to 5 innings (or parts of innings) per double header.

The LL player participation rule is not any more effective than how this league is run.

[bethsdad]

LL rules on mandatory play, any girls that don't get their time in have to start next game.They must make up any missed time plus get that games required time in. Brian