Ump not keeping time for game

[Zville stars]

Listen to this,
Played a bracket game this weekend where the field ump had the home book keep the game time!!!
Yes I said the GAME TIME!! so my team was down 1 and the visiting team. We had 2-outs and 0/2 on batter and the home book calls time with 8 mins left. It was 3:03 on mine and all 16 parents pHones but his had 3:10? The field ump said " he has the official time" I said that's your job, he tells me to get my team off the field so next game can start!! THEY NEED RETRAINED!!! Or stay in Portsmouth!!!

 

[backstop09]

Was the type of time limit drop dead/revert back or no new inning after a certain period of time and then finish the inning?

 

[Rocket8]

Doesn't matter - the umpire should have the official game time - not the home team. Amazing how a few minutes could go missing here.... HMMMMMMMM

 

[Softballfarm]

As a habit, when the umpire says "we are on the clock" I check my cell phone and the score keeper writes that time in our book. At a tournament a couple weeks ago the umpire said we are on the clock...I noted the time, 8:01 am, and we began play. The rules were no new inning after 75 minutes, finish the inning. We were the home team down by two runs and the time limit was getting close. We made our final out and my team took the field for a new inning of defense. The umpire called the game even though I had 6 minutes left on my timer. I showed him the start time and the current time from my cell phone. He pulled back his sleeve to show me his analog watch. The little hand was on the 9 and the big hand was somewhere between the 2 and the 3...thus, he ruled, game over. Not using a timer is one thing...an analog watch...well...

 

[The3dm]

Important lesson for both coaches here. If blue wants someone else to keep the time, or even if they keep the time them-self, make sure that everybody is in agreement and in sync.

 

[ech92]

Our team had more than its share of clock issues with umps this weekend . The one that made us laugh was an ump had a timer hanging from a fence were my first base coach could clearly see . The ump says to us at the start of the 6th inning and says "15 minutes left , this will most likely be the last inning " . My first base coach peeks at the clock on the fence and it is counting down and clearly says 20 minutes & some odd seconds . The ump seemed to notice my coach looking at it and after the first out is recorded he puts the timer in his pocket . Of course as soon as the inning ended he says times up , ball game ! It ended about 7 minutes early. We won the game so we didn't make a fuss about it . There were other issues , but I just can't see how umps & tournament directors think its ok to short change the girls !

 

[BretMan2]

This is basic game management. Absent a neutral third party scorekeeper, or clock on a scoreboard, it is the umpire's responsibility to keep the official time. Too much can go wrong if the clock is in the hands of somebody who stands to gain by manipulating it.

Another one that really grinds my gears is when the umpires keeping the clock, but tries to shave off a few minutes to get the game over with. To me, this is cheating that shows a lack of character and integrity.

Some guys just seem to want to get their games over with sooner than they should. Some tournament directors hammer on their umpires to "keep things on schedule" and some umpires seem to take pride in doing that any way they can. But if you're doing it by cheating the teams, that's nothing to be proud of.

 

[wvanalmsick]

Who keeps the time needs to spelled-out in the Tournament Rules by the Tournament Director. There needs to be communication during the pre-game meeting with the 2 coaches and the Umpire. I have had several good umpires that start their timer and also had the home team scorekeeper note the time of day as a back-up in case the timer had a malfunction. I have seen timers hanging on fences get taken out of action by foul balls or errant throws. It is always good to have a back-up plan.

The bottom line is communication at the pre-game conference and then stick to the agreed upon rules.

 

[streak2010]

At our tournament last weekend we went with 5 inning games on Sunday prior to the 7 inning championships. No body complained and everyone seemed to like it.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

Based on your experience, how much time would you schedule for 5-inning games?

 

[Mdfio]

What cracks me up is when umps call games when there is a minute or two left on the clock, new inning starts at the time of the last recorded out, amazes me how many umps need to see that rule!

 

[softball24_7]

Portsmouth???? Just curious, but what tourney were you in?

 

[ThompsonUSSSA]

What cracks me up is when umps call games when there is a minute or two left on the clock, new inning starts at the time of the last recorded out, amazes me how many umps need to see that rule!

Maybe a few of them know the rules but will see if anybody is paying attention or will call them on it...

 

[Westler33]

I have seen and been a part of games that have been called with 1 or 2 min. still left and that's not right let the girls play the allotted time given by the TD. Don't call the game because your hot or your trying to get back on schedule with game times play the game.

 

[Zville stars]

Donna Newberry in Cambridge,oh

 

[hot corner]

Donna Newberry in Cambridge,oh

Some very good ones but many needed more then understanding the time rule