2021 Tournament Preferences

Captain_Thunder

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Have noticed a trend recently with lots of teams content to play tournaments with just One (1) Umpire. Not sure if this is due to many more "C" Level teams now playing "Travel" Ball, or teams satisfied with the cost savings?
I am curious to hear responses from various Coaches/Teams if during the 2021 season
-If you prefer paying to know you will have 2 Umpires on the field? Or would rather save the money and play games with a Solo Umpire?

-If you would prefer to pay a Cheaper Entry Fee and then pay the Umpire(s) at the Plate? This saves some money for the weak teams who only look to play one Bracket game on Sunday, but could end up costing the teams playing in the Championship on Sunday evening a lot more than expected???

-If it is something teams would be interested in for an "A" event or even an Open event? For a "B" event, or just a "C" event? Or it's Summer Travel Ball, play the game with 2 Umpires?

As many are posting their 2021 Tournament offerings this is something I think would be very helpful in finalizing the pricings and offerings.
Not looking for big debates or arguments - actually wanting to hear what people are actually thinking and wanting to be provided in Ohio for Fastpitch Softball!
 

Creek01

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Russ
If my dd had 1 umpire for 23u would I care? Absolutely not.

However I wouldn’t play a tourney with our 16u team knowing it had 1 umpire. Also 10u & 12u have so many shenanigans that happen on and off the field you’ll need 2 umpires.

Also with continued protocol for COVID please have plenty of balls. Nothing like paying for timed games and losing time in those games cause you started with 2 balls....
 

TheSoftballZone

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When my team played ASA Real Gold not fools gold. We played a few events with only one umpire and never had a single problem. But then again we played at a level that one error would most likely cost you the game or if a team manager to score more then 3 runs they most likely was going to win. We played lots of game with the scores being 3-2 2-1 and so on.

I've always believed that a umpire won't cost you a game. And I can't think of a single time in over 500+ games that a umpire(s) hurt any teams.

The problem now a days is the parents believe for one reason or another your getting cheated or a umpire cost you a game if you only have one umpire.

Time for people to stop being cry babys.
 

steve77621

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I have coached for over 15 yrs now and I have had teams of all different ages and skill level and I don’t mind 1 umpire in pool play but you definitely have to have 2 umpires in bracket play. Unless your team is 10u (which mine is) and then you should request 4 or 5 umpires per game and that probably still wouldn’t keep the parents in line.
 

Passion4theGame

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I would obviously prefer 2.
Extra set of eyes always helps.
Never know what that person behind the plate is going through and if he or she brings it to the field they take it out on the teams. It’s happened.
I teach my Athletes Umpires are humans. They are going to make mistakes. It’s part of the game. Don’t yell at them and act a fool. Be polite and let them know they owe you one. They will give one back at some point in the game.
If you have 2 out there it’s always easier to get a call overturned that one missed. I would say on missed calls we had roughly 60% or more overturned this fall. great umpires this fall in my opinion. Now we played Showcases and they should have great umpires for as much as we pay to play those timed games.

My biggest issue with our weekend games would be time limits. Fix that and I don’t think you would hear complaints from coaches or parents.

Directors should model their events like Marc Fiorilli. Finish the inning plus one. Use a set time plus one inning. Works great. Teams love it.
 

yocoach

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I always prefer 2 umpires. If it's a friendly or a small tourney of say 6-8 teams per division, one will do in pool play but 2 in bracket.

As a side note, I have had umpires cost me games. Two I can think of off-hand. One game the strike zone changed every half inning. For us, if the ball wasn't over the middle of the plate belt high, it wasn't a strike. For them, it was armpits to knees and one ball off the plate either side. I complained to the TD mid-game and he came to watch. It didn't change the outcome of the game but the umpire was asked not to return the following day or any of the other tournaments that TD held.

The other, the ump kicked the call. We were tied in the final inning, the go ahead run on third and they were the home team. My pitcher lost the handle on the ball midway through her arm circle and the ball went 20 feet up in the air and landed behind her. He called an illegal pitch and advanced the runners to score the winning run. I calmly called time out and explained to him it wasn't considered an illegal pitch because a pitch has to move towards the plate. He disagreed. After the game, he approached me in the parking lot as I was packing up and asked what the ruling should have been. I told him the ruling should have been the runners can advance at their own risk and it should have been a ball to the batter. He said, "That makes sense. Sorry, I blew that one." While it was nice to hear him admit it, it still didn't keep us from going home for the tourney. With 2 umpires, they at least could have discussed it.
 

yocoach

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Time limits suck!!! We pay big money to play in 75/80 minute games? It’s total BS, tournament director’s take a few less teams and play full games or at least 1 hour 30 minute time limit!
Some would say that taking less teams would result in less money to be made. They would be wrong. Most of the entry fee of a $450 tournament is spent on field rentals, umpire fees and field maintenance materials, game balls, etc. etc. The profit from a tournament comes in the form of gate/parking fees, concession stands if they are allowed to run it, t-shirt sales if they sell them, 50/50 raffles and maybe gift basket raffles. If they do all of these things mentioned, they might make $2500-$3000 (no matter how many teams they have entered) depending upon gate fees, and that can be wiped out in a heartbeat in field dry if it rains. Thus, fewer teams should easily be doable since the more games they hold, the more the money goes out.
 

PaulP

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Don’t forgot about the money to made from the hotel markup...
 

yocoach

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Don’t forgot about the money to made from the hotel markup...
This is usually not the case for most around the state. Most of the larger tournaments (80-150 teams) are stay to play and the rooms marked up for a reason. Why you may ask? Because the markup allows the to TD's to comp rooms to umpires from further away to entice them to come ump the games your team may play. In that fashion, they guarantee they have 450 umpires needed for the entire tournament of 150 teams as an example. How many umpires do you think would be willing to drive 3+ hours, work 4 (or even 6) games at $40 a game (total of $160 or $240) and have to fork out $90 of it per day for a room and another $30 for food (if they don't bring their significant other which many do as a mini vacation so make that a minimum of $60 per day for food) to make a total of between $40 for the day which they just spent in gas to make the 3 hour drive in the first place or $50 after the gas expenditure with their significant other. I'm not saying this is always the case but oftentimes these tournaments make very little to no money on the rooms.

Some would say, ' well for 2 players paying an additional $30 a night for a room that should cover a room or at least close to it!' Wrong. Another enticement the TD's use is to put them in the nicer hotels since the pay per game is so low. As an example we'll use the Sheraton East in Columbus which runs roughly $110-$140 a night in peak season. For arguments sake, we'll average the room at $120 a night. So now you have 4 families paying for the room to be comped. Do the math. 450 umpires at $120 a night x2 nights = $108,000. You have 150 teams at 12 families each on average paying a $30 increase per room for 2 nights which =$108,000.
 
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Bibb

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Russ
If my dd had 1 umpire for 23u would I care? Absolutely not.

However I wouldn’t play a tourney with our 16u team knowing it had 1 umpire. Also 10u & 12u have so many shenanigans that happen on and off the field you’ll need 2 umpires.

Also with continued protocol for COVID please have plenty of balls. Nothing like paying for timed games and losing time in those games cause you started with 2 balls....
You act like that happened in Tennessee or something like that. HaHa
 

flygirlsdad

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Short time limits are the worst. Some as low as 70 minutes. Almost had a 3 inning pool game this fall due to time running for injuries, pitching changes, and time between innings. Also prefer 2 pool and double elimination as opposed to 3 pool single elimination. Last pet peeve for now is umpires yelling clocks started before the home team is even on the field to warm up for the first inning.
 

Cat-Man

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One umpire for pool, two for bracket, or at the very least 2 for the Championship game. I don't like the "pay at the plate" model. You shouldn't have to pay more just because your team is playing well and are making a run. I'd hate to be the coach that goes to the parents toward the end of the year and says "uh...we have ran out of funds because we went to the Championship game in several tournaments." Also HATE short time limits.
 

wpaguy

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More and more tournaments are going with Blind draw. I may be in the minority but would rather have 5 or 6 games ...and go home. I thought Showcase = Exposure for each player..Not trying to win another trophy. 6-7 games over 3 days is great or 5-6 over 2. 1 umpire would be ok under this format
 

Kurt Kuster

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Some would say that taking less teams would result in less money to be made. They would be wrong. Most of the entry fee of a $450 tournament is spent on field rentals, umpire fees and field maintenance materials, game balls, etc. etc. The profit from a tournament comes in the form of gate/parking fees, concession stands if they are allowed to run it, t-shirt sales if they sell them, 50/50 raffles and maybe gift basket raffles. If they do all of these things mentioned, they might make $2500-$3000 (no matter how many teams they have entered) depending upon gate fees, and that can be wiped out in a heartbeat in field dry if it rains. Thus, fewer teams should easily be doable since the more games they hold, the more the money goes out.

I hear you, but I do very small events, 6-teams one age group. I do one ump in pool play and 2 in the single elimination which each team makes. Entry fee is $350-$375 per team, so $2,100 in entry fees. Of that $960 goes to umpires, about another $300 goes to trophies and medals. We do not and will not have parking or gate fees or stay to play. The most expensive thing we have in the concession stand is $2.We make $1,500 or less on tourneys without concessions, and we don't prevent people from bringing in water. And while we don't prevent it we frown on those parents that oder 10 pizzas to be delivered or bring McDonalds to the field. T-shirts, with just six teams or so, you have to order twice as many as you'll sell so they are a money loser if you do something of quality. We have not done raffles in a long while as they have been more pain than profit. What we do is sell advertising and naming rights to the event. With all that said. I'd rather have the small event that is done well and right and managed well than a bigger event that might make more money but become looser and not as well managed.
 

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