New coach

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

I've always wondered why teams stay on the field when they consider it "unsafe"? You don't want to play in it, don't.

Originally Posted by tcannizzo

Before I became an umpire, in an ASA Tournament, there was significant lightning around the park, but the umpires would not suspend play.

I went to PU and said that if he didn't suspend play that I would pull my team off the field, even if it meant a forfeit. He still wouldn't yield.

I pulled the team. The UIC came over and ruled that we would not have to take the forfeit.

I've umpired in tournaments where it was made clear to the umpires that decisions regarding suspending play due to weather were reserved solely for the TD. They did not want each field to decide independently, but the tournament as a whole.

Fortunately, when this has been in the tournament rules, the TD has been very safety-conscious, so it never became an issue where I thought play should be suspended but the TD had not reached a decision yet (and it did provide a deflection for whiney coaches).

But, what is the thought here on such a tournament rule? Would you "violate" the rule if the TD was too slow to decide (i.e. in your judgment, the conditions were unsafe)?