skipping your time at bat

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Little Jimmy

I was told about a situation that happened in a JV game yesterday and wanted to see what you guys thought about it. As head of my local association I want to tell my umps how to handle this in the future.

Fed rules. We have a very poor JV team that has problems scoring any runs or preventing their opponent from scoring. At the end of the 4th inning the visiting team was ahead 24-0. Instead of switching places and taking their turn at bat, they convinced the home team and the umpires that they would like to forgo their time at bat in the top of the 5th and simply stay in the field to speed up the game. All agreed to do this and the 5th inning ended 3 batters later.

I was told about this yesterday and it doesn't sit well with me. The only game ending proceedure we have officially is a 10 after 5 run ahead rule. Fed 4-2-3 certainly states that "by mutual agreement of the opposing coaches and the plate umpire, any remaining play can be shortened at any time or the game terminated". But to do so simply by stating you do not want to bat seems to be a stretch. Everyone wants to get these types of games over with as soon as possible but this doesn't seem right to me. Any ideas or opinions?

"Official" game ending procedure, no. If all parties agree in front of multiple witnesses at a JV game. not a problem with me. In spite of what the rule states, they really don't need the plate umpire to agree.

At least in my area, JV is not a competition leading to playoffs or championship levels. The two people making the decision are the ones who are paying you to be there, they are the customer. The team is doing you a favor if stats/scores are to be submitted to an authoritive organization as it will show the losing team batting the required number of times.

And the best of all, what if the coaches just tell you the game is over, go away? What are you going to do? Tell them that the game MUST be played to an official end and the teams MUST continue playing? And you are going to do what when they laugh at you?

Don't sweat it. At no time can you FORCE a team to play. Want to file a report to insure full fee will be paid? Shouldn't be a problem, file away. If any of the HS org. have a problem, they can take it up with the coaches and respective school administrators.

JMHO