How much time do you allow during a timeout?
 

It was a dark and stormy day, a cold wind blew from the south, rain / hail / sleet / snow fell from the sky. The field had been properly prepared and the out of town visitors had arrived on time - we started to play. The home team coach used every means to slow the game down, multiple visits, changing players, multiple pitching changes (including pitchers who could not pitch). The visitors had a comfortable lead and in the top of five swung at the next nine pitches including balls clearly in the dirt or so far over their head if they stood on a ladder and used a 10’ pole they could not have hit the ball. Clearly the visitors wanted to get the game over before the weather or darkness took over. Home coach saw that the batters were going to swing at anything – changed pitchers. The visitor coach told me that if the game was called because of weather or darkness he would protest the obvious delaying tactic used by the home coach. The top of the inning over the bottom starts with two quick outs, a walk, a hit, and error and two runs later the inning and the game is over. The field was wet – but playable, the sky was darker – but playable, I was wet – and happy to be finished.

I understand the visitors frustration, if the game needed to be suspended because of weather or darkness, they did not want to drive 50 miles to replay a game they had already won. So I think by protesting they would pick up from the point the game was protested. I duly noted the protest on my lineup card but I did not tell the home coach about the protest as I did not want to spend the next ten minutes explaining why there was a protest (and I had decided that we were going to get the game in if I had to tie a flashlight to the ball – don’t freak out that last part is a joke).

The visitor coach told me that I could have spead things along by not allowing so may timeouts and limiting the time of the time out. Looking back I could not have limited the number of timeouts as each was properly asked for and executed, but I might have been able to limit the amount of time each time out used. How much time do you allow during a timeout?

Bugg

1) By ASA rules, and by our state NFHS rules, the game would have been resumed where it left off anyway.

2) About a minute, unless we are dealing with an injury or the blood rule. I don't time it; but after short time, I start slowly walking toward the coach.

I give them however much time it takes me to record the time out on my lineup card and brush off the plate.

What were these "time outs?" Were they conferences with his team? If so, they are already limited by rule. Assuming NFHS, 1 offensive per inning and 3 defensive per game. Otherwise, tactics designed to intentionally hasten or delay the game are covered in 4:3:d

I basically use the same tactic. I will record the time out at a relaxed pace, and the clean the plate with the same gusto. Then I will stand, stretch, and make a leisurely stroll to the point of conference.

3 defensive per game before changing pitchers. The OP states that he was changing pitchers so he could have had many more defensive conferences.

He did mention pitching changes, didn't he? I may need to read more carefully. However, this still sounds like tactics designed to intentionally delay the game.

If the coach is doing normal things normally, even though he may be doing it to delay, in my view the delay rule is not violated. It is violated if he tries to take long time outs, if he has his players attempt be granted numerous time outs for player conferences, tying shoes, etc., etc. But, to have legal conferences or put is subs, not a whole lot you can do to prevent it; you can, however, hurry it along.

So what exactly did the visiting coach protest?

The only thing he can protest is a misapplication of a rule. What rule did he claim was being protested? Unless you were giving the other coach time for conferences that he wasn't allowed to have (it doesn't sound like you were- or would) there's no rule being misapplied.

Whether or not the conferences or delays were designed to "hasten or lengthen the game" is strictly your judgment. Can't protest that.

The length and validity of any time outs you grant is your judgment. A protest isn't valid.

The field conditions being suitable for continuing is your judgment call, too. No protest allowed there.

Besides that, the coach said that he would protest "if the game was called due to weather or darkness". So he was protesting something that hadn't even happened yet? I wouldn't accept his protest for something that "might" happen a half hour later.

He needs to file the protest at the appropriate time and the protest needs to be for a misapplication of a specific rule, not for a judgment call.

Same exact amount of time as me, to the second.

except in timed tournament games...cut that time in half....

Not me - as long as both teams are moving at about the same pace, the players can continue to dictate the pace of the game.
I will still record the conference, clean the plate, and then head to the circle.

the vast majority of games I work are timed... Its all the same. If I was going to shave time on time outs.. it'd be on the untimed games. :cool:

On timed games, it's their time. They set the pace the first couple of innings. They can walk on and off the field after holding their pre-inning huddles, take up to five warm up pitches and after F2 throws down to second they can huddle again if they want.

Later in the game when one of the teams is behind and could possibly tie or win the game with another at bat with time permitting, I do not allow this team to go into warp speed by rushing the batter to the plate. The team thats behind is not allowed to rush the batter to the plate by having their pitcher not take warm up pitches. We will go the one-minute between innings.

If the team ahead in runs tries in any way to illegally delay the game, I warn that coach immediately.

The pace of the game was set early and we're not going into warp speed or slow speed with only a few minutes remaining.

Non-timed games are my time. One minute between innings. No huddles. When nobody warms the pitcher because the catcher was on base or last at bat, when she arrives at the plate, I put a batter in the box. Some tournaments state the pitcher starts with five warm up pitches and transitions to three in the remaining innings. New pitcher comes in, she gets five warm ups and also transitions down to three. I adhere to this modification.