lightning caused the balk!

[1dumbquestion]

Fed rules. I did a plate game the other night, I balked my F1 and he and the coaches let me know that it was because of the lightning stike (behind me) very near the field. I let the balk go and told everyone to clear the field for 30 minutes. The rain let up after about 5 minutes and the coaches wanted to restart the game, I told them 30 minutes and I was sticking to it... of course after another 5 minutes the sky was blue and the sun shining. So now to my question. Do you require a full 30 minutes on any lightning delay or do you restart the game early depending on the weather. I waited a full 30 minutes but had a lot of pressure from parents and coaches wanting to get the game going. Just wondering, 1

[JaxRolo]

30 minutes! Its your responsibility not theirs. Its 30 minutes from the last flash.

Do you want to get hit by a lawsuit or have a kid get killed or hurt on your watch?

[Mr Umpire]

Stick to it. You have the rules on your side.

[jjb]

30 minutes allows the storm cell to move to a safe distance. You have the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration on your side. If you allow coaches/parents/players to determine what's safe, virtually NONE of them will testify on your behalf at your lawsuit.

[yawetag]

You did the right thing on waiting 30 minutes.

That said, was this a one-man game? If not, did your partner see the lightning? I find it hard that lightning caused a balk, yet you didn't see it, even as a PU. If the lightning is enough to distract a pitcher enough to balk, then it should have been obvious there was lightning.

[1dumbquestion]

You did the right thing on waiting 30 minutes.

That said, was this a one-man game? If not, did your partner see the lightning? I find it hard that lightning caused a balk, yet you didn't see it, even as a PU. If the lightning is enough to distract a pitcher enough to balk, then it should have been obvious there was lightning.

Thanks for the support all, I'm glad I did wait the full 30 and will again next time. yawetag, I was doing the game solo, we had thunderstrom warnings that afternoon with the dark clouds coming in from behind me. As I came up to balk him he was looking to the sky and both O and D coaches pointed out the lightning. I wear a traditional style mask and didn't see a thing. I did have one parent tell me that his pole on his instant-shelter arced at the ground. Not really sure how I missed it but it was there. 1

[mstaylor]

Wait the thirty. If they are that impatient, tell them to spend the time on their smartphones researching the deaths and injuries caused by lightning on sporting fields. There are many and lightning is not to be triffled with. There is no game LL to professional that is that important to get someone killed over. If a pro game gets stopped they wait the thirty.

[yawetag]

If a pro game gets stopped they wait the thirty.

Big "if," though. I've seen games continue with lightning in the area, and definitely much later than a youth game would have been stopped.

And, for those keeping score, you've got two rulings on your side when not calling the balk: 9.01c and Fed's Lightning Guidelines: "Suspend play and take shelter immediately."

[mstaylor]

In a pro stadium they are using lightning detectors so they can let it go further if the detectors say it is OK. The same is true with youth fields that have them. However, and this was a discussion on another board, I AM NOT starting before thirty minutes, I don't care what the detector says. I have seen detectors cause a stoppage before anything has been seen, I'm OK with that. But I am going with I believe to be correct for a restart.

[Thunderheads]

you did the right thing .... one of the guys I work with primarily was standing next to someone on a soccer field where someone didn't wait .... and was killed. You can NEVER tell ...so 30 means 30! I know when working with him that "seeing lightning" is never a problem ;)

[jjb]

I really don't see the problem we have in telling coaches and parents 'Nope, we're off the field until it's safe". Suppose we call the game, and we didn't have to: what happens? They have to re-schedule the game, and come back to play it again. That's it, it happens all the time. Now, suppose we DON'T call the game, and we should have: What can happen? Something life changing for a lot of people: including me. The lawsuit aside, lightning isn'r going to discriminate and only hit a player. It can hit me as well. Not worth the 50 bucks, as far as I'm concerned, Sometimes, we gotta keep everybody safe, even if they don't want us to...

[Umpire in Chief]

Lightning is absolutely no joke and your call exclusively. If you see it and suspend the game don't be talked into restarting early.

Also don't be talked into anything based on a lightning detector. You trump a lightning detector.

[BigBird]

There was a clipping iin the newspaper a few years ago where the umpire called the game due to lightning (30 minutes went past the games time limit). 2 kids and their fathers went out on the field and were playing catch.. umpires, coaches and other team members and parents were leaving when they got struck. I think the two kids were killed.

When push came to shove, the umpire made the correct call. The two kids parents were too stupid to realize that and the two kids are dead because of that. Never second guess this type of call. This is not about the game, but purely about safety. As has been stated before, no game is worth someones life.

[TX-UIC]

Fed rules. I did a plate game the other night, I balked my F1 and he and the coaches let me know that it was because of the lightning stike (behind me) very near the field. I let the balk go and told everyone to clear the field for 30 minutes. The rain let up after about 5 minutes and the coaches wanted to restart the game, I told them 30 minutes and I was sticking to it... of course after another 5 minutes the sky was blue and the sun shining. So now to my question. Do you require a full 30 minutes on any lightning delay or do you restart the game early depending on the weather. I waited a full 30 minutes but had a lot of pressure from parents and coaches wanting to get the game going. Just wondering, 1

Just something you might want to consider if this happens again (if you can).... once you suspend the game and get everyone in a shelter (generally dugout is not the best choice), tell everyone you will be back in 30 min to restart the game and find a place you can wait out the storm away from everyone... This releases you of the responsibility keeping players, coaches inside the shelter and no one can chirp at you about restarting the game early.

I know a lot of places don't have someplace to hangout but this is what I try to do... even to the point of going to my car...

[Mr Umpire]

Fed rules. I did a plate game the other night, I balked my F1 and he and the coaches let me know that it was because of the lightning stike (behind me) very near the field. I let the balk go and told everyone to clear the field for 30 minutes. The rain let up after about 5 minutes and the coaches wanted to restart the game, I told them 30 minutes and I was sticking to it... of course after another 5 minutes the sky was blue and the sun shining. So now to my question. Do you require a full 30 minutes on any lightning delay or do you restart the game early depending on the weather. I waited a full 30 minutes but had a lot of pressure from parents and coaches wanting to get the game going. Just wondering, 1

Just something you might want to consider if this happens again (if you can).... once you suspend the game and get everyone in a shelter (generally dugout is not the best choice), tell everyone you will be back in 30 min to restart the game and find a place you can wait out the storm away from everyone... This releases you of the responsibility keeping players, coaches inside the shelter and no one can chirp at you about restarting the game early.

I know a lot of places don't have someplace to hangout but this is what I try to do... even to the point of going to my car...

That is an excellent point.

[scrounge]

Another anecdote on why to wait the 30 mins...

Girl struck by lightning on sunny day by Stephanie Backus Posted: 07.27.2011 at 10:11PM

Bolt from the Blue is dangerous lightning that comes from the back end of a storm and can strike an object several miles away. / National Weather Service An 11-year-old Pennsylvania girl is recovering after a lightning strike last Friday.

The girl's mother said the sun was shining when her daughter was struck by a bolt from the blue. It was apparently from a storm several miles away.

Bolts from the blue are extremely rare, so we asked Chief Meteorologist Chester Lampkin to shine some light on this weather phenomenon.

"Lightning on a clear and sunny day is a real and very dangerous phenomenon. These errant strikes of lightning, sometimes called "bolts from the blue" are in fact associated with thunderstorms. It's just you can't see the storm," Lampkin said. "Occasionally lightning strikes emerge from the back side of a thunderstorm cloud, travel a relatively long distance before angling downward to the ground. From the view point of a person near the strike, it would seem the lightning came out of blue skies. In reality, the storm where this deadly bolt comes from may be up to 25 miles away. That's what makes bolts from the blue so dangerous."

The National Weather Service recommends waiting at least 30 minutes after the final appearance of lightning before resuming outdoor activity. If someone hears thunder, they should head inside. The 30 minute rule can keep families safe while enjoying the great outdoor activities Mid-Missouri offers.

Weather Call also offers a mobile lightning option which gives the user a heads up when lightning enters and exits the area. As always, you can find weather information on KRCG or our website for the latest conditions.