NFHS time limit

[CLBuffalo]

I too am in South Carolina. In our region if a JV game is played before a Varsity game it must stop 30 minutes before the scheduled start of the Varsity game. There is no state-wide time limit but coaches can agree to one before a game begins. They can also agree to an inning limit e.g. 5 innings. If the game is tied at that point we go to the ITB. The Run Ahead rule is 10 after 4 1/2 or 5 innings but if both coaches agree before the game we can also do 15 after 2 1/2 or 3 innings. In any regular game the ITB isn't used until the 9th inning.

[azbigdawg]

Your first problem is that you have softball in the fall..yuk...

NO time limits here in AZ for any level. You get the occasional ugly subvarsity game, but most of the time it works out. 10 after 5 run rule at all levels.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by azbigdawg

Your first problem is that you have softball in the fall..yuk...

Darrell, you would be surprised; fall high school softball is great, once the adjustments are made. The major advantage is that our softball umpire pool in the spring is not stretched so thin, and can effectively cover college games. The fall high school season is helped by the umpires who call baseball in the spring; that is a huge help, with high school games starting too early in the afternoon for many working people. The major adjustment is that our primary ASA tournament and rec season isn't in the fall; that is rec only the younger ages who aren't playing high school. The spring season starts at the end of February for everyone, and leads right into the ASA qualifiers in June; our teams have played together for 4 months at that point, and are ready for the competition, not just reforming after high school.

The only real disadvantage is that the fall high school season starts so early to beat the bad weather; it is tough on players on teams that play in Nationals with high school coaches who think they should be trying out and practicing for the high school team instead of playing in ASA Nationals. And, it is pretty hot here in Georgia in August and September (most of our schools here start the first week in August, with games starting August 10). But, overall, the pluses far outweigh the minuses.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve

Darrell, you would be surprised; fall high school softball is great, once the adjustments are made. The major advantage is that our softball umpire pool in the spring is not stretched so thin, and can effectively cover college games. The fall high school season is helped by the umpires who call baseball in the spring; that is a huge help, with high school games starting too early in the afternoon for many working people.

I'm surprised you haven't heard of that other game played in the fall, football. That's awfully big up this way and would kill any chance of having umpires available to work HS games.

The only real disadvantage is that the fall high school season starts so early to beat the bad weather; it is tough on players on teams that play in Nationals with high school coaches who think they should be trying out and practicing for the high school team instead of playing in ASA Nationals.

Let me see, play for a National Championship or HS ball which basically has little to no benefit comparatively? Tough decision.

[JFA67]

Here in Illinois we play spring HS ball but fall Jr high softball. No time limit for either. A good HS varsity contest takes less than 90 minutes. We also have the standard 10 run rule after 5.
The Jr. High state assoc adopted 15 after 3. I wish the HS would too.

[mccann]

I have to agree that in the spring you have a lot of rainouts as I have had five of nine games cancelled. I have heard that Iowa has their HS games in the summer. As the saying goes the climate in your area makes a big difference.

[Ed Maeder]

This is kind of a sore subject with me. In my city we play with a time limit because we have double headers every night. None of our schools have fields as of yet, so we play on public fields. What I don't like about it is that all the other areas in our state don't use the time limit or run rule. As we all know it is a different game if we don't use a time limit. I feel as the NFHS book states that this is a state adopted rule and should either be used state wide or not.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Ed Maeder

This is kind of a sore subject with me. ... I feel as the NFHS book states that this is a state adopted rule and should either be used state wide or not.

Ed is right.

The NFHS rulebook leaves several things up to "state adoption". To me, that means all HS games in the entire state play with the same set of rules concerning time limits, game ending procedures, etc.

I'm surprised to hear from some of you that different HS leagues and schools have different procedures in the same state. Doesn't each state have a HS athletic governing body that decides what adoptions that state will make?

It also seems that by allowing this practice, certain teams could have an advantage or disadvantage when participating in state playoffs where hopefully, there is a uniform set of rules and adoptions.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Ed Maeder

This is kind of a sore subject with me. In my city we play with a time limit because we have double headers every night. None of our schools have fields as of yet, so we play on public fields. What I don't like about it is that all the other areas in our state don't use the time limit or run rule. As we all know it is a different game if we don't use a time limit. I feel as the NFHS book states that this is a state adopted rule and should either be used state wide or not.

One of my pet peeves with NFHS is even allowing "state optional" rules.

Either it is a rule or not a rule. Options shouldn't be included in a rule book. That, however, doesn't mean an area couldn't opt out of a particular rule.

The state adoption option gives the local associations the idea. Remove the option and most states will hang with the rule book. Sort of, "out of sight, out of mind" way of looking at it.

Make a rule THE rule, period.