Game time on scoreboard

[DTQ_Blue]

I worked 10 games this w/e at a complex that has scoreboards that count down the game time remaining like a football clock. In one game a visiting coach with a 2 run lead came out for a conference with his F1 with 2 outs and about 90 seconds remaining to eat up a minute so that the game would end after the NNI. There was no strategic need for the conference. Home coach and his parents are now all mouthing off at me for allowing the conference.

The home batter is sent to the plate with about 30 seconds remaining and ordered to swing and miss 3 pitches. She does for 2 pitches, then there are about 8 seconds left in the game and F1 is taking her sign. I believe that she would have pitched the ball and got strike 3 with 5 seconds or less remaining, but the home coach tells his batter to swing while F1 is taking the sign and says to me at PU "that's strike 3" (Coach, no pitch was delivered so that's not strike 3, I explain as time expires). One parent asks me "What country are you from?" As that was the last of 7 straight games on a 90 degree day, I resisted the temptation to eject my first parent ever cause I was more than done for the day.

In another game today a home batter who would have been the final out of the inning (home down 3 runs) has 2 strikes with about 20 seconds left and F2 asks to tie her shoe. The shoe looked maybe "a little loose" and I'm not going to tell a girl she can't tie her shoe if I'm asked, but it makes ya wonder.

I've not worked much with running clocks on the scoreboard but it seems to give a team a very visible incentive to engage in delaying tactics and makes their actions much more of a flash point if they do because everyone is watching that clock. If you have a timer in your pocket and you are asked how much time is left at the beginning of an inning you tell the coach 4 minutes or whatever and at that point it's his matter to deal with if he wants to delay. But with the clock running on the board a player like today's F2 is overtly tempted to do what she did, or the parents are mouthing off everytime a few practice swings are taken because the clock is in everyone's face. It just seems to bring a lot of negative elements into the game.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by DTQ_Blue

I worked 10 games this w/e at a complex that has scoreboards that count down the game time remaining like a football clock. In one game a visiting coach with a 2 run lead came out for a conference with his F1 with 2 outs and about 90 seconds remaining to eat up a minute so that the game would end after the NNI. There was no strategic need for the conference. Home coach and his parents are now all mouthing off at me for allowing the conference.

The home batter is sent to the plate with about 30 seconds remaining and ordered to swing and miss 3 pitches. She does for 2 pitches, then there are about 8 seconds left in the game and F1 is taking her sign. I believe that she would have pitched the ball and got strike 3 with 5 seconds or less remaining, but the home coach tells his batter to swing while F1 is taking the sign and says to me at PU "that's strike 3" (Coach, no pitch was delivered so that's not strike 3, I explain as time expires). One parent asks me "What country are you from?" As that was the last of 7 straight games on a 90 degree day, I resisted the temptation to eject my first parent ever cause I was more than done for the day.

In another game today a home batter who would have been the final out of the inning (home down 3 runs) has 2 strikes with about 20 seconds left and F2 asks to tie her shoe. The shoe looked maybe "a little loose" and I'm not going to tell a girl she can't tie her shoe if I'm asked, but it makes ya wonder.

I've not worked much with running clocks on the scoreboard but it seems to give a team a very visible incentive to engage in delaying tactics and makes their actions much more of a flash point if they do because everyone is watching that clock. If you have a timer in your pocket and you are asked how much time is left at the beginning of an inning you tell the coach 4 minutes or whatever and at that point it's his matter to deal with if he wants to delay. But with the clock running on the board a player like today's F2 is overtly tempted to do what she did, or the parents are mouthing off everytime a few practice swings are taken because the clock is in everyone's face. It just seems to bring a lot of negative elements into the game.

Unfortunately, stupidity isn't against the rules.

If a team doesn't like a time limit, they shouldn't be in the tournament with one.

And when asked what country you are from, look them squarely in the eye and say, "the one where the play real softball without time limits, special rules and stupid parents."

[DTQ_Blue]

Come to think of it, if the home coach in my first story was smart, he could have told his girl to step on the plate and bunt the ball. But he had to try to accomplish in 3 pitches what he could have done in one.

I had one girl step in front of the plate and bunt the ball 3 times in 2 games this w/e. She was playing 12U but looked like a 9 or 10 y/o who couldn't do much else but bunt and her coaches told me nobody's ever called her on it. But at least they understood that she needs to fix that problem.

I guess the fall is the time when some of these teams break in the girls that are just rising to the next level but this 10 y/o wasn't quite ready for the next level.

[robbie]

Firstly, In Indiana NSA ball, we stop the clock for time outs in the last 10 minutes.

Secondy, The easiest way to accomplish a legitimate out when batting is to switch batter's box while pitcher stats to pitch.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by robbie

Firstly, In Indiana NSA ball, we stop the clock for time outs in the last 10 minutes.

Secondy, The easiest way to accomplish a legitimate out when batting is to switch batter's box while pitcher stats to pitch.

aaaggghhhh

[RKBUmp]

Drag out rule 5-4-E on them and watch the expression on their face.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by DTQ_Blue

Come to think of it, if the home coach in my first story was smart, he could have told his girl to step on the plate and bunt the ball. But he had to try to accomplish in 3 pitches what he could have done in one.

Well, no. If YOU were smart and the girl did this, game would be over. I'll leave it for you to figure out why.

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by CecilOne

aaaggghhhh

My feelings exactly! Where the clock is part of the game, the teams' management of it should be also.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Skahtboi

My feelings exactly! Where the clock is part of the game, the teams' management of it should be also.

This is why I was disappointed a few years ago when ASA barely took time to consider the proposal to change their "time limit" games to 75 minutes plus one inning.

[ronald]

Hey DTQ, I was there too.

I had one really bright pitcher who knew how to milk 2 minutes and some seconds off the clock. After each pitch, she moved the dirt around so it would not bother her when she pitched. Of course she pitched the next pitch within 20 seconds. Great girl. Loved every second of it. Smart one.