As an umpire, which game format would you prefer. One with a time
limit, or one with an inning format? Using the average play scale
around this area, $22 for games an hour or under, $24 for one hour-
fifteen to one hour-thirty and $28 for an hour-45 and over unless
college teams involved, then it is usually $32. Not talking
conference games, but showcase tournaments.

My main reason for asking is, I am involved with NFSA now and all
their games or inning format. 10/12/14U play 5 innings and games
can end in a tie for pool. 16/18U play 6 innings. The only games
requiring a winner is the championship game in each division.
A 10U 5 inning game can last a long long time, as well as a 12U. Even
with the speed up of allowing only three warm-ups by pitchers
between innings and no infield practice, it is hard to keep a 5
inning game at these levels below an 1hr-15min.

Just looking for some thoughts on this and interested if anyone else
is calling NFSA.

I'd go for the time limit. Five innings could take five hours. An hour fifteen takes an hour fifteen.

Always finish the inning, though. I've done "drop dead" time limits in tournaments (in bracket play), and I dislike them immensely.

Both.

Scrimmages this week then off we go!!
 

Myself I actually like the time limit games such as 60min finish the inning and play 1 inning more. This gets rid off the problems from teams stalling or trying to get that quick out to play one more. If you go strictly by inning for the younger ages at least you need to play the 5 run limit per inning and have a run rule such as 12/10/08 to prevent those verrrrry long games from happening


Just some thoughts

Don

Re: Scrimmages this week then off we go!!
 

Don,

My BAD....I did forget to mention that they utilize a 12/10/8 run
rule beginning in the 3rd....What seems to slow down the younger ages
is all the 3-2 counts and fouling off. Local complex rule was in effect
for the batter's keeping one foot in when taking signals or warm-up
swings.

A local association asked me a similar question last year. We used to play 75 minute time limits...no new innings after 70 minutes. Of course we would finish the inning, but usually we only got three innings in (10U/12U/14U FP---all beginners). Pay was $20/game. So I offered this solution:

Still Play 75 minute time limit, finish the inning.

But only allow a team to bat the lineup once per inning. This keeps the "bad" team in the game, and allows both teams the chance to play more offense and defense. We tried it once last year (with the worst of the worst) and got 5 innings in in 80 minutes. Both teams seemed happy with it.

Also, no "intentional walks" in order to only allow 6 runs per inning...must try to pitch to the batters.

Seems like a good solution to me.

As for time limit versus innings, I don't really care. Just depends on the level of the competition.

I hate per inning batter-count limits, but run limits are ok.

The local youth league uses a 10th batter rule for all but the last inning, in addition to a time limit.

When the 10th batter comes to the plate, the offensive team then has 2 outs, and play continues until the third out is recorded or the 10th batter scores. This seems to work well.

Roger Greene

Interesting idea with the 10th batter concept. I like it! How do coaches work around it? (Example: if the 10th batter is on 3rd, is the inning over once that runner scores, or does play continue? I would, as a offensive coach, try load the bases on purpose, then have all runners keep running at all cost...I've seen something like that done before).

No. That is what the rule is designed to avoid. If the 10th batter scores, the inning is over. No runs may score after the 10th batter, so in effect, the maximun ammount of runs that may score in one inning is 10.

There is no advantage to be gained except by playing a normal offense.

Roger Greene

[Edited by Roger Greene on Feb 15th, 2004 at 08:59 PM]

I worked a fastpitch league here that played 75 minutes, or 5 innings, whichever came first (usually the time). They had an interesting rule, that if the pitcher walked 4 straight batters, the offensive coach came in to pitch, calling only strikes. Forces them to hit the dang ball! They also had a 12/10/8 rule, but never kicked in because of time limit (and no, I'm not joking!). They also had a rule that in the last ten minutes, if a new inning started, each team was allowed a maximum of 5 batters or 3 outs, whichever came first. They paid $25 per game for this league.

Another league I worked in, had the 12/10/8 rule, 75 minutes time limit or 7 innings, which ever comes first. They also had a limit of 10 batters per inning. Once they reached the 10th batter, the first dead ball after that batter completes her turn at bat is the end of the inning. They also had a rule that stealing home was not allowed. Got paid $20 per game for this league.