Indoor softball games...

[FastBat]

My dd and some her school friends (mostly sixth graders, all from the same school) and two of their dads, decided to put a team together this late fall/early winter and play in an indoor league. They had one practice before the first game, but my daughter wasn't able to attend.

I have always thought indoor softball just doesn't have the same feeling as outdoor softball. But, the worst part about indoor leagues is when they decide to change the rules, which makes me cringe.

Here are the rule changes for this league:
1. They start each inning with runners on the bases, except the first inning. How would that benefit the players? I think it just makes the weaker team, look weaker.
2. They start each batter with a 1-0 count. So they start the batter with one ball, no strikes. To me it seems to encourage the batter just stand there and wait to be walked. Even in men's softball they start with a 1-1 count, I understand that, but a 1-0 count doesn't benefit the defense.
3. The amount of players on the field. I.E. no right fielder, etc. Some of these fields aren't full size fields, but on the right side the field still has a larger area than usual for the second basemen to cover and I think this confuses the second basemen.

Am I over thinking indoor? Should indoor play simply be a way to get extra work in, in the snowy months? Are we wasting time/money playing indoor? The girls do seem to enjoy it and appear to be having a good time together. I just feel this isn't real softball! But, this time of year I start missing the ball field, so I should be grateful!

 

[cobb_of_fury]

the trick to Indoor softball is DO NOT Look at it as games - think of it as an opportunity to see live pitching and get some reps -
Indoor softball is the second worst thing you can do during the winter - worst would be doing nothing -

Take it for what it is - DO NOT CHANGE THE GIRLS APPROCH IN ORDER TO WIN AN INDOOR LEAGUE!!!! Don't Teach the girls how to drive the ball in to the turf to get a weird hop and do not teach them how to pop the ball off the roof net - Work on line drives work on making the correct plays - in other words treat it like practice -

Come June no one will care that you won or lost your indoor league -

 

[coachjwb]

Jen ... I see what you mean about it potentially be confusing for younger players especially, and I think Cobb offers some great advice.

Some of the rules in your indoor league are a little unique. The smaller the venue, the more difficult scoring can be, and so it seems like the rules in your league are to try to increase scoring (or at least get some??). The 1-0 count is the weirdest one in my mind. Only playing 8 fielders is more common-place to open up the outfield a little and encourage hitting away, especially for players who hit to RF. The runners on base I remember we used to see in the later innings at the Spano Dome to try to help scoring, but you can also argue it helps the defense deal with situational plays that might not occur because of it otherwise being difficult to get runners on base.

 

[Shane]

Spot on cobb_of_fury!!

 

[daboss]

Find you a stadium large enough to play inside just like the girls play outside and I'll show you a league fee you can't afford.

Indoor softball is kinda like playing basketball in your grandpa's hayloft. Gotta have special rules for the poles, holes and hay stacked up there. lol

FYI, I wrote hay "loft" because I have never written the word hay "maal" ???? How do you spell Hay maul????

 

[Pacerdad57]

Find you a stadium large enough to play inside just like the girls play outside and I'll show you a league fee you can't afford.

Indoor softball is kinda like playing basketball in your grandpa's hayloft. Gotta have special rules for the poles, holes and hay stacked up there. lol

FYI, I wrote hay "loft" because I have never written the word hay "maal" ???? How do you spell Hay maul????

i thought it was mawl, but that is just my best guess, never asked my Dad how to spell it, but that's always what he called it.
personally i kinda like the live pitch hitting leagues run in the winter. but then my kid pitches so its great reps for pitching, and she does try to field anything back to her so there's some reps there too.
it certainly doesnt do anything for basic defense during the winter, but we also do indoor team practices for those reps...sooo there is work being done to stay sharp.

 

[Dougk30]

My way of thinking is if they are having fun with softball do as much of it as you can. There is so much of the sport that can be not fun. If it is only not fun or frustrating (very frustrating at times) for the parents that doesn't matter because usually the parents are not the ones trying to improve their game. If they are having fun with a bat in their hand or a glove on their had their are improving their game, pretty much no matter what the rules are. I do totally agree about the rules especially the ceiling rule very frustrating.

 

[raidian70]

I like the runners always being on. It allows you to work on situations that you don't always see. For friendlies, I still like this format as well. I wasn't sure the first time I did it, but by the end of the scrimmage I was a believer. We were able to situation things that you may never get an opportunity to see. Sometimes, it might be years before you see the situation, but the kids will be able to respond.

 

[CARDS]

I like the runners being on as well. The indoor games are really just a practice. Having runners on allows teams to work on defensive plays in a game condition. As far as outfield...they too have an opportunity to improve by adjusting to the game...Too many ladies in the OF play in one spot and one spot only never adjusting to game situations/batter.. Having runners on requires the OF to also THINK prior to the pitch on where they are going to go with the ball.

Hitters get to see live pitching and pitchers have an opportunity to work on pitches. Many more positives than negatives but again...coaching can impact the value of the games...

 

[FastBat]

Find you a stadium large enough to play inside just like the girls play outside and I'll show you a league fee you can't afford.

That is the truth! You are correct, I can't afford any bigger/better, but I consider the physical facility top notch, clean, and nice. I think it's just the unusual rules that get me. Indoor isn't the same, very different. They should just call it scrimmages/friendlies especially when they put runners on or maybe start with runners on and with a 1-1 count?? It seems to only be frustrating for me, I notice the kids don't care about the rule changes and seem to be having fun. So that's good!

The funny thing is, I didn't notice the batter starting with one ball, until the second game, then I only caught it a few times! I thought the ump was getting messed up and I didn't really care. I just thought, wow, this ump must have been to a good time last night, he's struggling today. Lol! By the third game, I realized every batter was starting with one ball, no strikes.

My guess: haymow? Although, could be misspelled as haymaw because that's how it sounds (especially in Ohio)??

 

[Pacerdad57]

haymow is probably correct now that i see it written, in southern ohio it was always pronounced like mawl, and in doing some googling, i found that mawl was to mow or cut hay....
if there is anyone older than me out there (doubtful...) that has used this term and seen it written, lets put this one to bed!!! lol
btw, the clean and well maintained indoor facility is a BIG thing to me too Jen. the one here in central Ohio is neither. although we have a tourney next month at the new Bo Jackson facility (pricey) so i'm looking forward to seeing exactly what it's like.