Question on Game times

[scorkep]

Is anyone else getting fed up with such short game times? Before you know it we will only get an hour to play. This past weekend at the Mother's Day Tournament, tc. It was 1 hour and 15 mins and that clock started before pre meeting at the plate! We even had one game where the sprinklers were still on and the clock was running! LOL

I have been in softball for 24 years, and it is just getting crazy that all our girls get to play, for just alittle over a hour now! Come on, let's let the girls play! Umpires are getting more money and work less, it just does not seem fair!

What do you all think? Just interested in what everyone thinks about this subject!
Thanks

[Nzane]

I am 100% with you on this!! It's 1 hour 15, and, you are right, they started the clock at the meeting!! And, 120 drop at friendlies is ridiculous too. Umpires are being paid better, yet game times keep getting shorter. This shouldnt be JUST about the money!

[SSdad]

I totally agree. Clock started at pre-game meeting, shake hands, blah, blah, warm ups, throw down. First pitch 6 minutes had elapsed. Now I know some coaches who would drool at being able to waste 6 minutes, but that should be the coaches decision. So now the game was and 1 hour 10 minutes. That could have been the start of another inning.

[wadeintothem]

I am 100% with you on this!! It's 1 hour 15, and, you are right, they started the clock at the meeting!! And, 120 drop at friendlies is ridiculous too. Umpires are being paid better, yet game times keep getting shorter. This shouldnt be JUST about the money!

Although I love 120 drop dead.. thats set by the Tournament and what you agree too when you sign up for a tourney and not set by umpire.

At friendlies, I start the clock after pregame... so after that its on the teams to hustle. Cheering and rah rah is on your time.

[slim00]

Our experience is that unless we are playing a team that really drags around, we can get a 5 to 6 inning game in with a 1 hour 10 minute time limit. Well, that's also unless one team is playing really bad ball. And who wants to watch 1 hour 10 minutes of really bad ball. If the umps and coaches stay on the players to hustle on and off the field we can even get in a few 7 inning games.

[Judd]

One of the leagues we play in game time is 1:10 and no new inning after 1:05. I still havent figured out where the 1:10 figures in as home team must finish batting if loosing. Time is supposed to start when the pitcher throws her first warm up pitch.

Our games are usually 4 innings maybe 5. I dont think we have ever played 6 innings

Just wondering what you guys pay in tourny fees? Ours are around $300, sometimes cheaper.

I think the only way to increase game times is to increase fees. To make games longer, you would have to have less teams. So fees would have to increase to cover the lost revenue.

[Tucson]

That's another reason why I like HS ball. 7 innings.

When did these timed deals start? I guess whenever all the games became tourneys. It didn't used to be that way, in ASA. We played a game Friday night, a DH on Sat. and a DH on Sun. They were all 7 innings. We either played at our field or at yours.

A lot of the small towns in the midwest had their own team (both a men's and a women's). We didn't have to travel very - a couple of hours at the most, I guess. Most nights, we could drive home.

All teams were sponsored and we didn't spend much of our own money. (Not even on gas.)

The timed games are almost a different game than what I played. They resemble each other, but I don't think kids will really know real softball, until college. M.O.O. Amy

[Nzane]

I am 100% with you on this!! It's 1 hour 15, and, you are right, they started the clock at the meeting!! And, 120 drop at friendlies is ridiculous too. Umpires are being paid better, yet game times keep getting shorter. This shouldnt be JUST about the money!

Although I love 120 drop dead.. thats set by the Tournament and what you agree too when you sign up for a tourney and not set by umpire.

At friendlies, I start the clock after pregame... so after that its on the teams to hustle. Cheering and rah rah is on your time.

You are correct. It is set by the Tournament. Unfortunately, all Tournaments seem to be doing this now, so, if we dont agree to it, we wouldn't be playing ANY Tournaments!! At the VERY LEAST, start the clock on the 1st pitch!! Would that 2-3 minutes really hurt the Blues that bad??? Personally, I think all friendlies should be 130 drop, and tourneys should be 120, no new, 130 drop in pool play, at the very least. Never happen, but I can dream.......

[hotwheels]

I am against increasing fees. Even as recent as 2 years ago friendly games were $35 a piece. Now, we consistently pay $40 and probably 1/3 of the time we are being asked to pay $45. Why not play 1 hour 30 minutes drop dead for friendlies and almost if not "ALWAYS" play a complete 7 inning game? Imaging the possibilities of a real complete game in a friendly, mindblowing!!! On the very rare occasion you will possibly get to the 7th inning in 1 hour 15 minute, the game at that point is being rushed just to get there. Am I the only person here that knows we are in a recession so as 90% of the world is working harder and getting paid less right now, we have to make sure to give the umpires a raise??? Sorry if I have offended any of you, bye now!

[hotwheels]

Good point Spazsdad, I will partially retract part of my statement to include all of us in the majority of being greedy!