Gotta Love Creativity -- New Stalling Tactic

we do have to stop with the attacking each other, there are enough internet trolls out there. Junkball you straight up attacked him and all he did was talk about other teams way of stalling time, yes he explained he was down so what he put why his team was down. He even said it was a pool game its not like he cried about getting knocked out of tourney during bracket play. His title mentions that this is a new stalling tactic.

I have seen some good stalling tactics myself even had home team get out on purpose to try and start new inning so they can get another shot to close the gap, but that's a good one with catcher needing help. What age group was this?

CoachJD said:

Excuses? He said they were losing because they made mental and physical errors.

I think umpires should be allowed to use their judgment w/r/t stalling, and they should be allowed to force teams who do it to forfeit. Coaches should be banned from future tournaments. It's not part of the game, and draconian measures should absolutely be used to prevent it.

Click to expand...

This is why a game should never end "on the clock".

Yes, there is a need for a clock in some games, but that doesn't mean it should be part of the strategy. IMO, the clock was brought into play because you have teams playing at a level they shouldn't be for whatever reason and there needs to be a constraint as to not blow up a schedule which includes more teams than just the two on the field.

Remove the clock as a strategy and add one full inning at the end of the time.

MTR said:

Remove the clock as a strategy and add one full inning at the end of the time.

Click to expand...

Clock issues cause a lot of disagreements because we have a rules problem that needs to be addressed. When we impose a time limit, we have to expect coaches to try manage the clock. Unless I'm missing it (and if I am please point it out), most softball rule books don't provide a consistent, effective way to police abuse of the clock like other timed sports. Softball has added the time limit to the rules without adding any adjustment to avoid abuse. I've seen what I thought was bad sportsmanship, but sometimes its hard to tell. For example, if a game is late and tight and slipping away from the team on defense, a coach's visit to his pitcher and infield shouldn't be called a bad sportsmanship. That's just good coaching when there isn't a time limit. But I can sure see how the team fighting their way back against the time limit will see it in a bad light. And that's a best case scenario with no shoe string/chin strap type shenanigans. One of the things I like most about baseball/softball is the balance in the rules, and the current time limit rules just aren't quite there.

I wouldn't be thrilled with giving umpires discretion on adding time or forfeit because I think it would be difficult for umps to apply consistently. I think MTR's idea is pretty good because it would be easy to apply across the board. With another inning left to play, I think a coach would be a lot less likely to start stalling on purpose. And the game wouldn't end on a beep, but a little more naturally.

Wouldn't it be fun if the umpire called strike 1 for delay of game and not getting in the box. I wonder how quickly some of these stall tactics would be seen for what they are. And I bet that chin strap would've magically fixed itself pretty quickly.

Westwind said:

Looking a lot like the Chicago trash board.

Let's not bring that crap here.

And whoever is cross posting there, knock it the hell off. It's going to drag all those idiots over here.

Click to expand...

First thing I thought of as I read through this thread.

I still can't believe we need chin straps, but with that said I'm sure that kid will always remember winning the 10U pool game because she was able to not be able to take her shin guards off and make her helmet work. I'm sure the coaches sat around having a few beers at the pool and laughed at how it was a good move to work on that during practice instead of what to do on 1st and 3rd situations.

I have no problem with using the game to help run out the clock such as taking a pitch or 2 even throwing a couple of balls or even striking out on purpose to start a new inning. It's the ones who call timeout to talk to the 4th hitter with no on on up 3 runs and 2 outs to talk "strategy", the same with a pitch no one on 2 outs that I'm not to fond of. But it's guys like this that have no purpose coaching kids. I've seen them send the wrong hitter up and then "realize" that it's the wrong one while the right batter has to get her stuff on. I watched a team change catchers with 2 outs in last inning. Decide that up 5 runs that man I need to change my RF now who of course can't find her glove. What irks me about them is that they have this look like they just outsmarted you somehow and can't believe when you question their motives.

In all I have never once felt that we lost a game because of stalling, but we have lost the chance to win and deprived the kids of a chance to play more which is what they want to do. We had one earlier this year when a coach tried to stall and it didn't work. The next inning one of their players hit her first HR or her career. She'll remember that for the rest of her life and he almost took it away from her to try and win a consolation game.

I've never been a fan of the way the clock gets used to win games - as someone already said - when you get higher up, there is no time limit.

One reason I'm really not a fan of the wrist bands in 12U - how many pitches do you *REALLY* have? And if you have to check it on each pitch, it just takes up way too much time. Oh and - congratulating your pitcher on each strike out? Not a fan..

Same thing can happen to try to end the inning. We were visitor and home team was up to bat - down by about 3 or 4 with 2 outs. Time was almost up - and they had a girl on. We weren't slowing down - just playing normal ball. If they didn't tie or beat us in this inning, the game would be over and I guess they felt like they had a better chance if they were to get another inning. They were playing well defensively so there was a good chance we wouldn't get any runs in the next inning. So girl on 3rd just steps off the bag to get the final out to force the next inning. Wasn't too bad since we were able to win but still felt really cheap.

canyonjoe said:

I still can't believe we need chin strap...

Click to expand...

Chrin straps are not required by ASA. 2016 rule change.

nixxy311 said:

One reason I'm really not a fan of the wrist bands in 12U - how many pitches do you *REALLY* have? And if you have to check it on each pitch, it just takes up way too much time.

Click to expand...

When done right, it speeds up the game. Coach calls out numbers, and in that one call, all of the girls know the pitch and the location. This is more efficient than the coach giving signs to the catcher, who then relays them to the pitcher and IF, and IF relays to OF.

CoogansBluff said:

Kneeling in football (except for the national anthem) is not controversial in any way. Stalling in softball is. If they were the same, they would elicit the same reaction. They don't. They are different.

Click to expand...

The only reason it is controversial is because the game is designed to be played without a clock. Organizations want timed games so they can squeeze six pool games into one day. If people insist on making a clock part of the game, it will become part of the strategy.

Kneeling is more accepted simply because football has always had and is designed around a clock. Clock management is a big part of the game. Why do teams kneel instead of going for another touchdown or running plays? To preserve a win and give the other team no chance. Same reason teams stall.

The door swings both ways. I've seen teams stall and I've seen teams get intentional outs in an attempt to start a new inning before time expires. Both are against the "spirit" of the game. But then again, so is a clock.