Coaches and Rules

[Jocko]

Or under a tree :fuel: :fuel:

[Pete Peterson Sr]

As my partner and I stood on the third base line

 

So you're in the middle of a mandatory 30-minute lightning delay, but you're standing on the third base line? You do understand why there's a 30-minute delay, right?

 

 

 

 

 

 You may have noticed in my original post that I stated that the SB umpires had already re-started their game. Obviously the weather had cleared up, but I was riding out the remainder of the 30 minute lightning delay. But thank you for insinuating that I'm a DA, who wouldn't know to come in out of the rain.

[kylejt]

 

As my partner and I stood on the third base line

 

So you're in the middle of a mandatory 30-minute lightning delay, but you're standing on the third base line? You do understand why there's a 30-minute delay, right?

 

 

 

 

 

 ....... the SB umpires had already re-started their game.

 

No comment

[mstaylor]

The reason for the length of delay is because you can be struck by lightning that you can't see. It will appear clear when it may not be. The only way to restart in less time is if there is a lightning detector in use. I do go to my vehicle, it allows us a place to go where I don't have to hear coaches crying about the delay and I can discuss the situation with my partner. 

[dddunn3d]

My association in Central Florida does huge USSSA tournaments during the summer, and as happens in Florida, we get lots of afternoon and evening thunderstorms. With six fields going, it always bugged me that when I saw lightning and stopped play, no one else would.

 

Plus, add in the TD pacing back and forth beseeching us to get underway ASAP, because there's another four games scheduled on our field, something had to be done. (Whether or not I was the cause of something being done, I'll not know, but I did try to plant as many seeds as I could.)

 

Our association during one of our last meetings finally voted to do this:

1) When play is stopped for lightning on any field, those officials are to inform all other officials and they are to stop play on their respective fields. The site TD is also informed that lightning has been spotted and that no game will resume until at least 30 minutes have passed.

2) All officials are to leave the immediate vicinity of the fields, and convene in the parking lot (which is convienently located away from the fields). If 30 minutes pass without lightning, we return to our respective fields to resume our games. If lightning is seen before then, the 30 minute clock is reset, and the TD is informed by cell-phone as to the new re-start time.

 

This way, all of us are on the same page, we avoid the TD's pressure to try to get us back on our field, and we also avoid that inevitable coachs' whine: "But they're still playing on the other fields."

 

Of course, the TD was made more amenable to our policy ever since a youth football player was struck and killed by lightning this past summer, and one of the local TV news reporters interviewed him about how he protected the players in his tournaments/leagues.

[mstaylor]

At the complex where I work, I help run the complex as well as umpire, if one field stops everything stops. If I see it as the site supervisor, I pull the games, umpires don't get the choice. If they stop I have no choice. We work together so whoever sees it stops.

[spiritump]

 

As my partner and I stood on the third base line

 

So you're in the middle of a mandatory 30-minute lightning delay, but you're standing on the third base line? You do understand why there's a 30-minute delay, right?

 

 

 

 

 

 You may have noticed in my original post that I stated that the SB umpires had already re-started their game. Obviously the weather had cleared up, but I was riding out the remainder of the 30 minute lightning delay. But thank you for insinuating that I'm a DA, who wouldn't know to come in out of the rain.

if you are not ready to re-start the game why are you on the field, stay away until it is time to play