Do-over?
 

Last night, in a men's SP league for which I assign the umpires, the lights (on a timer) went out in the 7th inning of a 19-16 game just as F6 released a throw toward 1B in an attempt to retire the BR for the third out. (There's virtually no ambient light at this field, so everything went immediately pitch black.)

At the time, there were runners on 2B and 3B. Naturally, the play was not completed. The lights could not be turned back on, so the game is suspended and will be completed next week.

I'm assuming that this is a do-over. Right?

similar situation
 

I don't know of a rules reference for this case but a couple of things come to mind. Was this a playoff game?

If all parties agree as to when the lights went out relative to the play, I would think it would be legitimate to have a "do over". I'm curious about where in the rules that shows up, though.

There'll be a lot of scenarios playing through everyone's minds: would the throw have retired the batter? he already grounded out, why not just assume the out would be made since the SS is an all-star former semi-pro player? what if the batter gets a hit on the do-over? what if substitutes need to be made because Joe Jock can't make it for the next game? What if Homer Hannigan, who couldn't make this game, shows up for the do-over and is inserted as a pinch-hitter for the batter who almost grounded out? What fun!

In a similar situation a few weeks ago, our lights also went out. Not as dramatic a situation as yours - we were between pitches. This was a regular season game where the visitors had just scored 11 runs in the top of the 7th to take a lead. The league ruled that the score would revert back to the previous inning [visitors down after 6] because the home team did not have the opportunity to complete their last at bat. So the 7th inning heroics were all for naught.

However, I think if that game had been a playoff game, the league would have rescheduled it ASAP to complete the game.

Ted

BR out on a banger at 1b....game-set-match...whiskey for my friends...beer for my horses!!

Who could argue??

Not sure what you mean by a "do over." If you are talking about the game being replayed from the beginning or from the point the lights went out, that is really a decision for the league officials to decide based upon their code. Not an umpire issue.

If they are asking you for your opinion on how to handle the situation as they are resuming play from the point the lights went out, then I would say the only choice would be to reset everyone to where they were before the play began when the lights went out.

I agree with Scott...reset batter, runners, and the count to the time of the pitch and start there.

I'm kind of curious about one thing though...when the lights went out with the ball in flight toward F3, what happened, did F3 duck out ot the way or was he able to somehow catch or deflect the ball?

By the book (ASA 5-3-C) the game was suspended due to darkness. Beyond 5 innings, so the game is regulation. Since you were still playing, I'm assuming this was either the top of 7 or home was behind. Either way, revert to the score at the end of 6. Done, unless the score was tied at the end of 6.

If the game must be resumed due to league rules or a tie score at the end of 6, you would resume play at the point just before the pick-off attempt (ASA 5-3-F).

This happened in 2005 at the 12U Regional here in Seattle. I was PU on Field 4 at the time, but the situation happened on Field 3:

Runner on 2B. Fly ball hit to F8. While the ball is in the air, Field 3's lights go out.

The decision by Wild Bill: This is a do-over. Since it was only Field 3's lights that went out, they were able to move to empty Field 6 (which still had lights on) and continue the game at the point of the time of the pitch.

I agree with socal. A nice glass of chardonnet and a croissant on the beach with my pinkie pointed upwards while sipping the wine while watching the sunset from a California beach with the wind in my hair and the surf churning in the background.

I think that while there's nothing in the book that says you can have a do-over, it's the fairest thing to do under such a bizarre set of circumstances.

Sorry, I misread the OP... it was not a pick-off throw, but a throw on a batted ball... sigh...

It still is a regulation game and the game is over with the score at the end of 6, unless the score is tied or unless there are league rules that state otherwise.

The umpire saw no runners put out and no runners score, so no change in the score.

If the game must be resumed, I don't see too much of a problem with either the do-over restart or the bases loaded restart.

You're kidding, right? Who would NOT argue? (Men's slow pitch...) ;)