Ending game's due to darkness

[chapmaja]

Originally Posted by Manny A

I can't recall where I read it; I'm sure it was some baseball discussion board somewhere on Al Gore's invention. But a youth league uses a drop-dead rule based upon when a safety light on a sensor that is on a storage trailer illuminates. One of the dumbest things I've ever heard of, since I'm sure the light turns on and off when there's significant cloud cover that later dissipates.

I understand your opinion of this rule, and somewhat agree, but it does make a point.

Maybe the schools should have a light detector that detects the amount of available light on the field. If the light level gets below a certain level, the game is suspended and then a decision is made to continue or not to continue the game based on a totality of the situation. If heavy clouds are moving over, but will vacate the vicinity, the game is only suspended. If the light level gets to low due to sunset then you have a different situation.

Drop Dead rules are often like Zero Tolerance laws. They are good on paper, but don't stand up well in the real world.