Rec League Softball Only 15 minutes for pregame warm-ups

[recCoach]

Are rec program adopted a new rule last night that goes into effect January 01, 2017, teams are allotted fifteen minutes for pre-game warm-ups.

Since the board made this decision I will have to modify my team pre-game warm-up.

We typically spent 45 minutes for pregame warmups before this new ruling.

Would really like advice from Coaches that have been in this position with limited warm-up time.

If you only had 15 minutes to warm-up, how would you go about getting the girls ready in only 15 minutes?

I'm thinking run for 3 mins, then have the pitchers warmup using the catcher & 1st Basemen. The reason I would use the 1st basemen to warm-up one of the pitcher is because most of the touches the 1st basemen get in the game is ball that we're fielded by a position player and thrown at frist base. They would spend 8 minutes doing this.

I would take the rest of the team and hit grounders for about 6 minutes. Then do hand pop-ups for about 2 minutes. With only 4 minutes left as a team I most likely would have them throw to each other or have half working off tee or soft toss and the other half throwing or playing catch. As we get a routine going for warm-ups we could alternating ever other game to who practice hitting and who's playing catch..

 

[TheSoftballZone]

recCoach I have a couple questions about the new rule. Was this new warmup rule for softball only? Does your youth or rec league have other sports? The other question I have is why did they come up with the rule in the first place? To many teams? Lack of parking? Trying to squeeze in to many games? Just seems like a odd rule to me.

 

[KillingMeSmalls]

This rule is most likely restricting you to 15 minute warm ups on the field prior to the game. I don't see how they can restrict your warm up times outside the fence.

 

[Fairman]

Don't confuse a warmup with a practice. They are two very different things.

I feel that many pitchers wear them selves out in warmups. I work with my pitchers to get them game-ready in no more than 10 minutes (we actually practice the warmup) So that this is not a shock at game time. All you need to do is to get them (and the team) ready to play and 45 minutes is way to long to accomplish that goal. The running is a good start to raise their core temperature. Cut out the static stretching and use activities to heat 'em up, be positive and then jump on the other team right out of the gate.

 

[recCoach]

This rule is most likely restricting you to 15 minute warm ups on the field prior to the game. I don't see how they can restrict your warm up times outside the fence.

I wish this was true, it's 15 minutes only.

Rule 109.10 No team may begin pre-game warm-ups 15 minutes before your team schedule game start time. If your game start time is delayed for any reason you may continue warming up your team until the home plate umpire has your pre-game Coach conference.

 

[recCoach]

recCoach I have a couple questions about the new rule. Was this new warmup rule for softball only? Does your youth or rec league have other sports? The other question I have is why did they come up with the rule in the first place? To many teams? Lack of parking? Trying to squeeze in to many games? Just seems like a odd rule to me.

TheSoftballZone, we do have other sports. Softball, Baseball, Soccer, Basketball and biddy league football. Baseball will be voting on adopting the same rule on the 2nd Sunday of this month. Football has already voted and voted it down. Soccer voted and adopted the rule. Basketball won't be voting since they only have 5 - 10 minutes warm-ups under the best conditions.

I was going to start another discussion on this topic once baseball votes if they don't adopted the rule. All the softball coaches try to vote it down, the problem we have when it comes to voting, we have 34 Head Coaches in girls softball, 17 of them Coach Baseball as well. When we have a tie the League President of Softball votes to break the tie. She voted to adopted the rule.

 

[Pacerdad57]

Was on a team that used an hour and a half early report time. Worked em for about 40 minutes, then let them sit till game time.
As too can imagine it never worked out very well, especially in the heat of summer!
15 minutes should be workable as per fairman's note.

 

[Hilliarddad3]

Rec league? Heck if they got there 15 minutes before a game I was ecstatic ! Moms and dads are usually coming from work kids all in tow barely grabbing a drive through meal...... It's rec ball, enjoy it and teach them more than they knew when you got them in the spring and you did good.........

 

[Shane]

Make the most out of the 15 minutes, but be careful not to freak the kids out as you try to get 60 min. of pre-game into a 15 min. window. Run them through a 15 min. warm up during a practice so they have a better understanding of what will take place on game day. Don't forget the tunes, music always help cut the tension/anticipation of the game.

 

[FastBat]

Rec league? Heck if they got there 15 minutes before a game I was ecstatic ! Moms and dads are usually coming from work kids all in tow barely grabbing a drive through meal...... It's rec ball, enjoy it and teach them more than they knew when you got them in the spring and you did good.........

Yep, I agree! But, that is an odd rule. Our rec league only rarely had practices, so that extra time before the games was what I would have considered a practice and I believe it was an hour. Some girls would show up late, but that didn't bother anyone, everyone played.