Plate Conference

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by SRW

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

What's the problem? When they go off you get hungry waiting on the cookies from the oven?

[marvin]

Originally Posted by SRW

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

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.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by marvin

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.

Exactly why we require the timer on the fence for our games with time limits here in AZ.

I don't know why Seattle has such an issue with it....maybe too many of their timers have been ruined by all the rain......

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by marvin

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.

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.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

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.

Which is why I prefer a watch in the pocket and a non-mandatory "approximate" 10/15 minute heads-up.

I'm a convert to those who believe in a time limit plus one inning. Takes a lot of the BS out of the stupid coaches' game.

[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.

It is always up to the umpires to keep the game moving and provide a consistent pace from start to finish.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by SRW

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

Curious to hear why... extremely curious since our assignor (with 90-ish umpires) prefers just that. Seems to me it would be A) easier to ensure we are being fair and impartial, B) easier for coaches to trust that we're not monkeying the clock just to stay on schedule (yet another of my pet peeves from partners).