Friendly Etiquette

[Make_It_Happen]

I was taught that there are unwritten rules for friendlies in So Cal.
Seems like their are some teams that didn't get the same advice...

• When you sign up for a friendly, you are expected to attend. There are no registration fees for friendlies so you are bound only by your word. Do not sign up for more than one friendly in a weekend and then pick one to drop out of after the schedules come out.

• When the host team offers tasty and healthy food choices , you should patronize the snack bar when possible. Your team will be remembered when they show up at a friendly with their fast food lunches or set up their own BBQ.

• You do not run your own fundraiser at another team’s friendly. You cannot sell your own food or run your own raffle.

• If you have scheduling concerns, you should express them before the schedule comes out and politely ask for consideration. Do not wait for the schedule and then demand a change due to an early game or the strength of your opponent.

• When hosting, you charge actual umpire fees. You may add a few dollars for field maintenance costs, but you do not make large profits off umpire fees. It is normal to have two umpires for a friendly. If you are not having two umpires, you advertise that clearly.

[Mom2softball]

Amen!!!

[Radar]

Big ups to friendly Etiquette!!
To all you flakers out there don't sign up for a friendly and then drop at the last minute.
Have some consideration for the host team,don't leave them hanging.

[blackwidow]

Did someone have a bad weekend?

[sprtsbimbo]

How about Etiquette for the Hosting team?

[Radar]

Not really....We played in a friendly this past weekend and The host team had a team drop on them at the last minute.
The same team that dropped on them dropped out of our 14u freindly two weeks ago at the last minute.

[NumeroUno]

The teams that drop at the last minute should be exposed

[cent]

NumeroUno, thank you so much for the Friendly Etiquette post. It is so frustrating when we run a Friendly and a team drops at the last minute. I have had the same team drop twice on me in two different Friendlies at the last minute.. Needless to say in my mind they now have a reputation and will not be allowed into one of our future Friendlies.

The other area you mention is that most Friendlies are run as fundraisers. For our organization we must raise money to provide for our facilities as we get no help from the 'City'. So we rely on hosting Friendlies and hopefully providing a well rounded snack bar from burgers, dogs, carna asada, fruit bowls, chicken bowls, etc.. Then to see a team show up with McDonalds bags between games it is very frustrating.

I sometimes think people don't know how hard it is to put together a Friendly and besides the competition, why it is being run.

Thanks again for your post.

[Nzane]

I agree. Teams that drop out last minute SHOULD be exposed!!

[artomatic]

The other area you mention is that most Friendlies are run as fundraisers. For our organization we must raise money to provide for our facilities as we get no help from the 'City'. So we rely on hosting Friendlies and hopefully providing a well rounded snack bar from burgers, dogs, carna asada, fruit bowls, chicken bowls, etc.. Then to see a team show up with McDonalds bags between games it is very frustrating.

Well, money is tight these days, so try to understand if some people show up with a brown bag or cooler with their lunches.
I understand about mc donalds, or bbq-ing at the friendly, bu I can say we have packed a lunch alot more this season, to save money, not to insult the host team.