When To Call It

[Mussgrass]

What criteria do you all use as to when to call a game for darkness, weather ect.? I know safety is the most important consideration. Do you take the score or the inning into account? Do you even track the score or innings if there is no scoreboard? Do you work with the situation to try to (safely) get the game to where it will be complete?

Jeff

[MUAump2]

I personally track the innings and score by creating a makeshift line-score on one of my lineup cards, on the opposite side from where I track conferences/warnings.  This way, in case there is a protest, game suspension or whatever, I know exactly what the situation is without having to track down a scorekeeper.  As far as when to call the game, if I'm having trouble seeing the ball, it's too dark for the game to continue.  If it's raining and the players are slipping and sliding all over the field, its pretty obvious that the game should be stopped. 

[maven]

For darkness: I require a minimum of 25 lux. (That's not an official rule in any code, just my personal standard.)

[stkjock]

7 minutes ago, maven said:

For darkness: I require a minimum of 25 lux. (That's not an official rule in any code, just my personal standard.)

curious how you measure that?

[udbrky]

How do you measure it?

 

[scrounge]

 @udbrky and @stkjock, you two may need to pick up that sarcasm detector from the shop!

 

That, or @maven really is the umpire world's biggest uber nerd!

[udbrky]

Geez, don't even give him a chance to come up with something?

[stkjock]

14 minutes ago, scrounge said:

 @udbrky and @stkjock, you two may need to pick up that sarcasm detector from the shop!

 

That, or @maven really is the umpire world's biggest uber nerd!

I suspected sarcasm, but with no emoji....  I sided with caution as it was @maven making the post.

[maven]

You guys don't carry a light meter? I don't get over to the Umpire Equipment forum much, but what the heck do they discuss if not light meters?

[stkjock]

you keep that in your ball bag or under your head gear??

[noumpere]

30 minutes ago, stkjock said:

curious how you measure that?

 

29 minutes ago, udbrky said:

How do you measure it?

 

I assess the pupil dilation of the starting pitchers and catchers (average among the four of them) at the start of the game and then again as it's getting dark.  An experienced umpire can tell the difference needed when the light falls below the required threshold.

[Rich Ives]

I have a hand held photo exposure meter. That works well also. Just make sure the ISO is set consistently.  

[Mudisfun]

And I thought I was a stickler for not carrying a cell phone on the field! I need to catch up with these new requirements.

[LRZ]

I try not to start an inning that can't be completed, so, yes, I do take score and inning into account when appropriate. As darkness encroaches, I'll first check with my partner on how well he can pick up the ball. If the home team has a big lead, we would be in trouble if the visitors scored a lot of runs in the top half, but we couldn't complete the bottom of that inning, and the score reverted.

[Replacematt]

9 minutes ago, LRZ said:

I try not to start an inning that can't be completed, so, yes, I do take score and inning into account when appropriate. As darkness encroaches, I'll first check with my partner on how well he can pick up the ball. If the home team has a big lead, we would be in trouble if the visitors scored a lot of runs in the top half, but we couldn't complete the bottom of that inning, and the score reverted.

Why? That happens.

[scrounge]

54 minutes ago, Matt said:

Why? That happens.

Sure, it does, but if you're really close to darkness, why bother? Now, if the top half goes 20 mins or something, then nothing you could do. But if it's highly unlikely to get another inning in, I'm with @LRZ. Not that it would be any real trouble for us, but it's cleaner for all involved.

[noumpere]

I also agree with LRZ here.  IF there's not enough time for the defense to get x runs, and make three outs, and switch sides and then have the home team make three outs without scoring ....  no need to even start the inning.

[Ump29]

and the score reverted.   ??  what s this ?  an old rule revived ?

[BCBrad]

My rule is: do not anger the baseball gods.

Sure as heck if you think you might squeeze one more inning in, the flood gates open and you end up with an inning where you have more than one kind of bats around the diamond. I had a partner try to sneak in an extra inning last year and the baseball gods responded with both teams getting mega runs in the inning and trying to see the freakin' ball at the end was for the umpire bats.

 

[noumpere]

15 hours ago, Ump29 said:

and the score reverted.   ??  what s this ?  an old rule revived ?

HS and college rule, and used by many youth and adult-summer organizations.

[Rich Ives]

17 hours ago, Ump29 said:

and the score reverted.   ??  what s this ?  an old rule revived ?

In LL it reverts if the V ties or goes ahead in an incomplete inning. 

In FED and NCAA it's basically the score reverts if both teams have not had an equal opportunity (unless H is ahead).