DO You Reschedule A Game Because Of Illness or Injury?

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My DD's high school team had a game cancelled recently by the AD of the other team because their team had their top two pitchers out sick. They wanted to reschedule the game. I believe our position was you play or forfeit. (I'm just a parent).

Is illnes or injury to key players a good reason to have a game rescheduled??

I wouldn't think so. Seems to me a lot of games would be rescheduled if so.

What are your thoughts??

 

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I would say no. You have to deal with injuries and play with who is available. Simple.

 

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I'm thinking like you're thinking...

One or two players "sick" isn't enough. (Would he/she try to reschedule if the two players were "reserves"?)

Half the team out with strep/mono/ACT's/funeral/graduation; that's another story...

Weather, bus breaking down, ump not showing - those are valid reasons, too.

(And haven't we all been in coach pitch at some point when half the players on both teams can't make a game because of a birthday party?)

 

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I'm thinking like you're thinking...

One or two players "sick" isn't enough. (Would he/she try to reschedule if the two players were "reserves"?)

Half the team out with strep/mono/ACT's/funeral/graduation; that's another story...

Weather, bus breaking down, ump not showing - those are valid reasons, too.

(And haven't we all been in coach pitch at some point when half the players on both teams can't make a game because of a birthday party?)

I would agree with you. I could see the team eating together and getting food poisoning together being a valid reason.

 

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If I were asked to reschedule I would probably try to find a date that worked. I want to play the game not collect a forfeit. If I were the coach of the team with the two sick pitchers I wouldn't ask; you play with the cards you are dealt.

 

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I'd reschedule. I'm not afraid to play them when they are at full strength. Just as I wouldn't be afraid to play them at half strength. If the reschedule left no other conflicts, why not reschedule. Two pitchers deep with illness probably mean
there are others not 100%. I'm not in the game for a cheap win. I'm in the game to go toe to toe against whatever you got.

As an opposing coach, if a conversation ahead of time brought this news to my attention, I'd offer to reschedule if it would work out for both of us.

 

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I'd reschedule. I'm not afraid to play them when they are at full strength. Just as I wouldn't be afraid to play them at half strength. If the reschedule left no other conflicts, why not reschedule. Two pitchers deep with illness probably mean
there are others not 100%. I'm not in the game for a cheap win. I'm in the game to go toe to toe against whatever you got.

As an opposing coach, if a conversation ahead of time brought this news to my attention, I'd offer to reschedule if it would work out for both of us.

That's a lot of macho. ha. It's not a matter of being afraid to play them. I'm like cshilt, I would want to play instead of having a forfeit but I don't think you should set a precedent. You play through injuries on your team unless it's half the team. If you are familiar with high school ball you don't have a lot of open days. The few you have should be held for legitimate reschedules like rain outs. If very plausible to have half your schedule wiped out by rain. You need days to reschedule those. And sorry but I'm really baffled by the thought that two out ill means there are others out sick. You can't have just two sick???? And if there were more then two out sick the AD would have called and said I have X number out sick instead of I have two out and they are my 1 & 2 pitchers.

 

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You play withwhat you have, girls getting injured or sick happens. Let me ask this, do you think that would ever happen in football, basketball or even baseball. Why should softball be any different, 2 girls is not enough to cancel a game.

 

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we had this happen in a non-conference game, their #1 pitcher was hurt, they asked to reschedule. Now the coach had a decision, if he doesnt allow them to reschedule they just cancel the game and nobody wins or loses. So he chose to reschedule. The new date they cancelled becasue they didnt have a bus. So who knows what is going to happen now....

 

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I say play with what you have or forfiet. You reschedule for emergencies but not because a few players are sick. That would be exploited to death if it were allowed.

 

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I watched a JV team, who didn't have much in the pitching dept. to begin with show up with no pitchers due to illness. They had a girl throwing for the first time ever. I would have rather waited, then to have played the game if I was the other coach. It was a total joke............

 

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Just for clarification...there are no forfeits in high school ball.

If those were the only pitchers he had on varsity then reschedule. I'm not in favor of bringing up non-varsity ready pitchers throwing BP and taking a chance of getting hurt. Tough enough on a solid varsity pitcher at times.

 

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LK:

So what happens when a team doesn't show up and the opposing team has not agreed to reschedule? Is it a 7-0 loss?

 

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Just for clarification...there are no forfeits in high school ball.

If those were the only pitchers he had on varsity then reschedule. I'm not in favor of bringing up non-varsity ready pitchers throwing BP and taking a chance of getting hurt. Tough enough on a solid varsity pitcher at times.

SO if a team didn't show it would just not count? Good way for a coach to work their record. DD's team has a game today. We are in first place but if the team we play wins they take first place away. So if we wanted to stay in first we don't show. haha. We all know there are coaches out there that would do that.

I don't know about your area but we have several varsity teams in our area that are playing with pitchers that are not "varsity" ready because it's all they have. They made the girl a pitcher so they would have a pitcher or a second pitcher.

 

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Good question and lots of food for thought. I can see both sides of this ... I guess I would say that I'm not in favor of making the team play or forfeit if they truly don't have anyone who can pitch safely. But, as much as I respect what daboss always has to say, I have to agree with others that you play the game when it's scheduled and with whatever injuries/illnesses you have to deal with. Other sports aren't cancelled except in very extraneous situations ... while one could make a case that the pitcher in high school softball is the one position in the one sport where you can make the best case of the argument to reschedule, I think a team needs to go with the cards they are dealt. As Musty says, there are definitely other schools out there who don't have varsity pitchers at all ... do you cancel their whole season? By the way, I have to believe that if a school and coach really tried to work this situation and were caught at it (with multiple non-weather related reschedules), I have to believe they would be in big trouble with the OHSAA and/or their conference.

 

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what if they only have 9 or 10 players? lots of schools dont have JV teams.

 

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what if they only have 9 or 10 players? lots of schools dont have JV teams.

Speaking of that, we had a double header for today, Saturday. cancelled because they couldn't get enough players together. Don't know the reasons. I believe this school only has varsity and has a hard time just fielding a team each year. Guess that's the landscape of high school ball.

 

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That's a lot of macho. ha. It's not a matter of being afraid to play them. I'm like cshilt, I would want to play instead of having a forfeit but I don't think you should set a precedent. You play through injuries on your team unless it's half the team. If you are familiar with high school ball you don't have a lot of open days. The few you have should be held for legitimate reschedules like rain outs. If very plausible to have half your schedule wiped out by rain. You need days to reschedule those. And sorry but I'm really baffled by the thought that two out ill means there are others out sick. You can't have just two sick???? And if there were more then two out sick the AD would have called and said I have X number out sick instead of I have two out and they are my 1 & 2 pitchers.

I agree this is a macho attitude but I put more thought into the answer than to simply be arrogant. I'm thinking they are kids and it's just a game. If there's not a problem with either team rescheduling, why not. Injury; that's a whole different subject. Yes, I agree we play thru injury or sit out till healthy. Teams with pitchers that may not be qualified to pitch at varsity level simply have to do what they can because of the cards dealt. Schools can't advertise and recruit as we all know.

I guess in a nutshell I'm saying I personally don't want to be one of those coaches looking for a cheap win by doing something underhanded such as being described in a few of the posts. Let's keep it clean and upbeat and remember they are just kids, schools have issues, softball programs struggle for respect, and it is just a game.
Remember, it all might be very innocent and we don?t always have all the facts to form an opinion. I think this thread is interesting---keep it going.

 

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As I stated previously there are no forfeits allowed in HS softball. It is considered a "No Contest" and the game can be rescheduled at a later date or not rescheduled at all. Only games that count are the ones you play, so if a team doesn't show up there really is nothing that can be done other than not schedule them again next year.

 

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As I stated previously there are no forfeits allowed in HS softball. It is considered a "No Contest" and the game can be rescheduled at a later date or not rescheduled at all. Only games that count are the ones you play, so if a team doesn't show up there really is nothing that can be done other than not schedule them again next year.

Well I guess if it's a conference game like ours was all you can do is shame them for whimping out! Ha