When Do You Call Games for Weather?

[834k3r]

Had a varsity DH yesterday afternoon, with two unevenly matched teams. First game (I was BU) ended 16-0--one of those games where you spend half an hour moving from B to C and back to B. Second game was going the same, but rain started rearing its head. The field we were on does not have good drainage and by the end of the 4th there was visible water in the base paths on the infield and the rain was heavy. We suspended the game.

Now I have "buyer's remorse," because by suspending the game early, my partner and I caused the two teams, and another crew, to cover an extra inning of baseball. This is definitely a HTBT, but would you have done any different?

What are your internal checklist items on field condition when considering calling/suspending a game?

[Richvee]

Standing water, mud on the mound or batter's box with poor footing. All the things that I will look for to call a game. One bat slips out of a player's hand and we're done. Likewise, if almost every pitch results in a ball that's too slippery to grip, or pitchers are having trouble controlling pitches, it's over. 

[BLWizzRanger]

Don't forget, sometimes the rain brings the fog in, so the only experience I have on this is that I had 50% visibility on the pitches from the A position and I called it.  The 50% is of course slideable based on the inning and score... 😁

[ArchAngel72]

In the past I did a 13U game between the towns 2 teams. 1st game of the year we got 3 done and then it started a steady cold rain. The field was ok 4th inning but 5th inning I was noticing water starting to puddle at the edge of the dirt around the infield and etc.   I called before we got going both Managers to the infield while watching warm ups and asked them how they felt about conditions. Both of them said the kids are already wet. They both did not care about who won this game but wanted all their kids to get some reps.  I said OK but 1st kid that slips and falls I will end it right there.. agreed?

The kids all had a great time and I was changing balls every other pitch.  But pitchers catchers and infielders kept there footing fine for the next inning.  Then It was like someone turned on the tub faucet and it just started coming down.  TIME yep we're done Im calling it.

By the time the kids got off the field the whole infield was one large puddle.

Both coaches were fine with it and appreciative I stuck it out for that inning.  It was wet but it was playable.. I know more than a handful of umps that would have said NOPE and gone home.

 

 

[834k3r]

3 hours ago, BLWizzRanger said:

Don't forget, sometimes the rain brings the fog in, so the only experience I have on this is that I had 50% visibility on the pitches from the A position and I called it.  The 50% is of course slideable based on the inning and score... 😁

This is a good point. During the second game, my partner did say there were a couple of plays where he didn't see the ball coming off the bat (dirt-rubbed balls aren't as visible as pearls).

[zoops]

4 hours ago, 834k3r said:

Had a varsity DH yesterday afternoon, with two unevenly matched teams. First game (I was BU) ended 16-0--one of those games where you spend half an hour moving from B to C and back to B. Second game was going the same, but rain started rearing its head. The field we were on does not have good drainage and by the end of the 4th there was visible water in the base paths on the infield and the rain was heavy. We suspended the game.

Now I have "buyer's remorse," because by suspending the game early, my partner and I caused the two teams, and another crew, to cover an extra inning of baseball. This is definitely a HTBT, but would you have done any different?

What are your internal checklist items on field condition when considering calling/suspending a game?

You may have done someone a favor - another crew is going to get a game fee for working an inning 😁

[Kali]

The only thing I would add is that, when deciding if the field is playable, the fact that the game will have to be continued by another crew should NOT enter into your consideration.  The game is either safe to continue or it is not.  When you are using Fed rules, the assumption is that this is a school event and the safety of the players is the single most important consideration.

[The Man in Blue]

 

On 4/9/2025 at 10:04 AM, Richvee said:

Standing water, mud on the mound or batter's box with poor footing. All the things that I will look for to call a game. One bat slips out of a player's hand and we're done. Likewise, if almost every pitch results in a ball that's too slippery to grip, or pitchers are having trouble controlling pitches, it's over. 

Those are all good indicators . . . I would add "Don't forget about the bases."  All too often I feel crews overlook whether a runner can safely step on a bag and keep going.  Saw a girl blow her knee out this way; hit the bag, her foot slipped, and her body kept going a different direction.

 

On 4/9/2025 at 10:55 AM, ArchAngel72 said:

 I said OK but 1st kid that slips and falls I will end it right there.. agreed?

The kids all had a great time and I was changing balls every other pitch.  But pitchers catchers and infielders kept there footing fine for the next inning.  Then It was like someone turned on the tub faucet and it just started coming down.  TIME yep we're done Im calling it.

By the time the kids got off the field the whole infield was one large puddle.

Both coaches were fine with it and appreciative I stuck it out for that inning.  It was wet but it was playable.. I know more than a handful of umps that would have said NOPE and gone home.

 

I'm glad it worked out.  I hate to second guess, but if you are making this statement . . . Why are you waiting for someone to potentially get injured after you have acknowledged it?

 

On 4/9/2025 at 1:55 PM, 834k3r said:

This is a good point. During the second game, my partner did say there were a couple of plays where he didn't see the ball coming off the bat (dirt-rubbed balls aren't as visible as pearls).

 

Reason enough to call it there.  

[834k3r]

15 hours ago, Kali said:

the fact that the game will have to be continued by another crew should NOT enter into your consideration.

It didn't--that thought only crept in during the "buyer's remorse phase."

[Velho]

What standing water*? When I grow up in Seattle, we have cinderblock fields (and no fences. Those balls rolllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllleeedddddddddddddddddddddd a long ways).

* and what road rash, ugh.

[834k3r]

On 4/18/2025 at 4:58 PM, Velho said:

no fences. Those balls rolllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllleeedddddddddddddddddddddd a long ways).

I think that's still common--my son's first LL "home run" was on a field like that.