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Mdfio

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I have a question, what is better in your opinion:

6 games at 80 minute drop dead

5 games unlimited time - 7 innings

This would be for older ages - 14 and 16u
 
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Maxdad

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Agree with Jeff on the drop dead. Sometimes you have to do it based on rain etc. Not sure I've ever seen a summer tourney outside that had a drop dead unless games were shortened due to weather. I would prefer 6 gg 80 min finish the inning over 5 no time limit games. Generally, the older they get, the shorter the games. At 16U you can quite often get a "complete" game finished in the 1:20 finish the inning.

No time limit games are fine for a four team round robin type, but time limits are an evil necessity with the size of the more popular tourneys these days. Scheduling 50, 60, and sometimes well over 100 teams on multiple fields, there is no way to do it without time limits.
 

JoeA1010

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Five full games is much better.

First, our game was designed for seven innings to determine a winner. The fewer the innings played, the more likely a fluke will occur.

Second, if college preparation is a part of the equation, then I'm seeing pitchers who struggle to go seven innings in college. They get so used to going 4-5 innings that they struggle in that fifth or sixth inning. They need to learn how to face hitters a third time and to throw those sixth and seventh innings.

Third, drop dead is really bad. I'd do anything to avoid it. If it's a scrimmage that doesn't matter or something like that, then fine, but any game where the score is being kept should not have a drop dead.
 

Maxdad

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I suppose I stated my 6gg time limit preference over 5 full games solely on the basis that a no time limit tournament is not realistic unless the tournament is only a few teams.

I agree with Coach Joe that full games are always preferred. If you make the schedule work, great.
 
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