Originally Posted by marvin (Post 757595)

The timer on the fence (or anywhere else it is visible to the participants) is much better than the timer hidden away somewhere.

It makes the administration of the time limit transparent, which I prefer.

I never try to 'game' the time limit. If the tourney rule is drop dead or if it is start the next inning if any time is left I enforce it the way the tourney rules are written.

I have worked with too many umpires who were willing to call game over even when time was left on the clock. The visible timer prevents this.

I love it when the time left is right up on the scoreboard, everyone knows how much time is left.

Originally Posted by mbcrowder (Post 757602)

I prefer the kitchen timer to the scoreboard. When it's plain to see from anywhere and doesn't require any effort to see the time, you get a LOT more coaches trying to monkey the system for clock purposes instead of letting the game play out as it should.

Originally Posted by mbcrowder (Post 756658)

Surely better than the one I heard recently...

"Coaches, let me start right here. This is your warning. If I hear any crap from anyone you're gone. If you have a question call time and ask the umpire that made the call, but keep it short. You're in charge of your parents, if I hear any crap from any of them, you're gone. Now, play ball."

Originally Posted by Snocatzdad (Post 757625)

...your pitcher gets a warning on the first eyeroll, I'm tossing her on the second."

:)

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp (Post 757284)

You actually ARE from around here, aren't ya? ;)

Originally Posted by SRW

Ugh. Don't get me started on kitchen timers on the fence

Originally Posted by JefferMC (Post 757633)

...Someone really needs to tell some people south of "the border." What I've just outlined happened at the beginning of every ASA game I witnessed last summer including National Qualifiers, State Championships (which were in essence qualifiers) and "invitationals," in at least three different parks (but generally all overseen by the same TD and UIC)...

Originally Posted by Snocatzdad (Post 757625)

I got that speech nearly verbatim two years ago at a 16U summer state tournament with addition of

"I don't want to hear a da#n thing about my strike zone and your pitcher gets a warning on the first eyeroll, I'm tossing her on the second."

:)

Originally Posted by JefferMC (Post 757633)

Someone really needs to tell some people south of "the border." What I've just outlined happened at the beginning of every ASA game I witnessed last summer including National Qualifiers, State Championships (which were in essence qualifiers) and "invitationals," in at least three different parks (but generally all overseen by the same TD and UIC).

Originally Posted by marvin

One of the tourney rules that NSA Indiana uses is to stop the timer for every team time out in the last ten minutes of a game. There are almost no unnecessary time outs taken because you can't run time off the clock that way.

Originally Posted by JefferMC (Post 757633)

Someone really needs to tell some people south of "the border."

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp (Post 757759)

You mean that place just off I-95? :D

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp (Post 757759)

You mean that place just off I-95? :D

Originally Posted by JefferMC (Post 757836)

Is that place still in business? That's a bit east for me.

Originally Posted by JefferMC (Post 757836)

And, Irish, I did look it up when Dave stated it was an ASA rule.

But as Dakota points out, you're going to have trouble calling that first pitch a ball or a strike while standing at the backstop pushing the button. (Can we call that the "KitchenAid stance?") I suspect one or two umpires add a minute to allow for the time it takes to get everyone on the field, but I know from observation that most of them do not.

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp (Post 757841)

I think it's better to push the button, walk back to the catcher, signal "play" and lose a few seconds than it is to lose a couple of minutes by starting the clock after the plate conference.