The question should be;
At a travel ball tournament; would you prefer to play all seven innings of the game, just like God intended the game to be played but have fewer games and no ability to stay on schedule OR have a time limit, be able to stay on schedule and have a 4/5 game guarantee?
You will need to schedule at least 2 hours for each game, from start to start. That will drop the usage of a field from 8 games per day to 6 games. If one game goes into extra innings or is a run-fest the entire tournament must wait for the delayed teams which delays more teams. The tournament is then controlled by the slowest game on each slot.
Also now the umpires will want to get paid similarly per day wether they do 6 or 8 games. The field rentals will be per day for not as many games. This will lead the TD's to either find more fields (read more cost) or allow fewer teams. This fewer teams will mean less income for shirts and food. All this means the prices will rise for these tournaments.
You vote for tournament formats with your attendance. Would you really pay 25% more for a tournament with less teams and no enforceable schedule? I don't think so. You will complain about it on this forum but no one would allow the TD's to make the adjustments necessary to implement a complete 7 inning game format for all games.
So at least one of us likes the time limit. Perhaps if you really thought about it you would to. Play some friendlies with no time limits, make it to the Championship game or go to your high school game. Trying to stuff 250 games into a weekend does lend itself to a timeless format.
Why would you as a team haft to pay 25% percent more for a tournament with less teams?
Why don't TD's schedule 2 hr time slots? It's indeed about money. Personally, I like playing ball. Probally the only TD not worried about his pocketbook by Sunday's end.
I think where the mistakes by TD's are happening is the ITB rule in pool play which can go forever in a game. Great possibility of everything being behind come Saturday night before the start of the double or single elim ( whatever the format may be). In pool play it should be finish the inning and TIES CAN HAPPEN.. instead of trying to do the ITB thing in pool play. This WILL keep pool play on time.
There is absolutely no reason the game cannot be played.. without drop dead and revert back rules. Dumbest thing I ever heard of personally... but then again it is about money and organizations raising money so they can do the tournament circuit.
Do the 1:20 and no new inning- ties can happen in pool play. and schedule games at 1:30
OR
Do the 1:30 and no new inning - ties can happen in pool play.. and schedule games at 1:45
OR play the game the way it is suppose to be play and make time slots of 2:00 hrs and have fun.
I seem to notice the teams have more fun at 2:00 hr time slots versus anything else.
But, having TIES in pool play happen versus ITB rules in pool play is a MUST to keeping things on time early on Saturday... so by Saturday night there isn't a delay of hrs.. because two teams just happen to play ITB's and the games last 9 or 10 innings... along with the bad luck of it happening on the same field AGAIN by two OTHER teams... which then throws everything out of whack on all fields.. if the TD can't adjust or move games to another field to go ahead and get started.
I suggested that to a Park in Cincinnati that had the ITB in pool play and was getting a reputation ( which was unfair I thought) of things not being on time. I suggested the use of TIES ..... and walla... things stay on time.
I think teams, parents and coaches DEAL with TIES in pool play versus DROP DEAD or being behind on Saturday because of ITB's in pool play.... so much better and hard feelings by coaches and parents is reverted because of it.
