When darkness arrives...
 

NCAA rules...when or how do you determine when its too dark to continue? I was plate umpire last week during 2nd game of doubleheader; I could see the ball as it was being pitched, and batters hit the ball; catcher complained she couldn't see it very well, and my partner told me that F4 said "the ball is a blur"...I killed the game in the top of the 7th inning; losing/home coach wasn't too happy but, I explained that I wasn't taking any chances with anyone getting hurt. He was losing 11-5 at the time...

I umpire H.S. baseball and fastpitch softball, and I use the U.S. Naval Observatory's website to look up the time of sunset for the location of all my games. Since every State in the U.S. requires drivers to turn on their car's headlights 30 minutes before sunset, that makes sunset a very good indicator of when it is too dark to play baseball or softball.

I announce what time sunset is to the coaches at the pre-game meeting and tell them that them that if we are still playing 30 minutes before sunset, there is an excellent chance that the game will be called because of darkness no later than sunset.

MTD, Sr.

I can't remember the last time I worked a field that had no lights... but if it came up, I LOVE Mark's solution.

Most of the HS and Jr College fields here do not have lights....double headers that start at 2:00pm early in the season, ie February can really push the envelope. Once it gets into March and April, it's not as much of an issue.

But I do like Mark's method....

Not me. Paints you into a corner, even though the announcement isn't absolute. It is different for every field. Some have trees or buildings to the SW, some are wide open.

And I can tell you from more than 40 years of experience umpiring and my real job, people hear and remember numbers better than any attached quantifier. You can soften it however you want, you are occasionally get an argument from someone who needs an extra inning to win.

xtreamump
 

I agree, you can not say anything at the beginning of a game to any coach about a time limit. If my partner & I agree that its over because of darkness, "Its Over". Judgment 100% 1st Safety 2nd Sportsmanship. There are 3 team's on the field, Home-Visitor, & Blue.

Once I feel that a player's reaction time will be affected, the game is going to end very quickly. The last thing we need is a line shot back at the pitcher that she can't even get a glove on.

If I'm the base umpire and I have to strain at all to see the ball, it's time to shake hands.

One team may not be happy, but I can at least go to bed knowing I did what was right, even if it wasn't popular.

In Texas, you are not required to turn on your headlights until 30 minutes AFTER sunset or up to 30 minutes before sunrise.

Headlights? Whut's that?

Not to make light of things...:rolleyes:...but that is, unfortunately, a qualified comment.

In states which require head lamps/head lights to be turned on during inclimate weather, there are a lot and I mean a LOT of people who do not know the difference between these and the running lights that are on all the time.

Aren't gun racks and beer coolers mandatory equipment while headlights are optional, :p.

MTD, Sr.

I forgot, Texas is not part of the U.S.

MTD, Sr.

Irish:

I don't believe it paints me into a corner. I have never had a complaint later in the game when I have said that it is too dark to play once sunset had arrived.

There is a reason that all of the states have the requirement that I alluded to in my original post, and that is that studies have shown that vehicles are difficult to see as sunset approaches. It really does not matter if the diamond is or is not surrounded by trees and buildings. If one is required to have the lights on his car on so that others can see his vehicle then that is a pretty good indicator that it is too dark to see other much smaller objects.

MTD, Sr.

Ahem....according to Ohio Code 4513.03, the time to turn on headlights is AT sunset and until sunrise, and at anytime when conditions warrant the use of windshield wipers. :D

You know, those glass/plastic covered disc shaped objects on the front of your truck that are probably coated in mud! :D