First a question. How do various parts of the country &/or various tournaments determine the home team if it has not already been done so by the "draw", "bracketing" or tournament director. Example, I am very familiar with the "double flip". You know each team is given a particular side of a coin on the first flip and the team which wins that flip has the privliage of calling the second flip for the choice of home or visitor. Heard a new one this past week-end. And the coach I spoke to wasn't too impressed or happy. Each team was REQUIRED to bring a player to the home plate area and each player was then given a ball and asked to roll it towards the pitchers rubber. The team or player that had their ball stop closest to the rubber "won" the right to choose home or visitor. Now I'm all for fun but this sorta walks the like of being riduclous. Any thoughts?

What age group was this?

Just keep it simple. Flip a coin.

Age Group
 

The one group I have spoken directly to someone that saw and expierenced was 16 & Under. "A" ball with college coaches in attendance to watch.

Was there, and it was 12U, 14U, 16U and 18U, all "A" travel ball. Teams were practicing it.

Seems like the 12U and 18U liked it the best. 12U still kids, 18U liked the goofiness of it.

Re: Age Group
 

Bandit,

Did this happen to be a team that had recently played in
an AFA Qualifier in Beaumont? Reason I ask is, that is
exactly how my PU partner did determine hometeam. It was
also a college expos tournament. Where was your tournament?

Unless there is some reason to suspect clairvoyance, insider knowledge of the umpire's weighted coin, or access to statistical data on the flipping tendancies of a particular umpire, there is no advantage - none, zero, zlich, aught, goose egg, naught - gained by being the person who actually makes the call on the coin flip.

All due respect, Glen, I agree with the 18U players - goofy. http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung...smilie/mad.gif

Tournament was in ...
 

Michigan. Compuware Tournament. Michigans version of the Ohio "Sluggerfest" True, FU ??

Re: Tournament was in ...
 

I cannot confirm, nor will I deny, that this was the tournament in question. Further, I do not recall if I was there or not!

I agree, Tom.

I asked if he wanted to borrow my coin.

These two teams did like the idea, since it was different.

I actually worked with this same umpire (BTW - an excellent
umpire), this weekend in La. We had the finals in the winners
bracket. We flipped.

I use a coin, and who ever drove the furthest gets to call it. If they are both equal in travel distance..let the team captains use ROCK/PAPER/SCISSOR approach.

I like to make it even simpler. 1 flip of a coin, whichever coach was at the plate first is heads.

But the manual says it should be the cutest captain, not the first coach. :)

Hey, watch it. Those weighted coins have won me money in certain Superbowls. The coin with the ceramic (?) side to it will go tails quite often. d:-)

While we are on the subject of coins, Mike mentioned in a thread
not long ago, that the flipping coin was one way to decide a close
play at first. During a pool game on Sat., (knew both teams
players and coaches very well), I had a banger. Don't make a
call, but reach in get my coin, flip it, and hollar "out", (BTW -
had already known that would be my call). Everyone got a big kick
out it.