Length of games in tournaments?

Hi - Just wondering if different tournaments play by different time limit rules. Had our first experience with tournament ball this weekend and my daughter (and I) really enjoyed it! Only thing is - the games are short! This is U10. The games had a timer that went off after 75 mins and at that point it was finish the inning. I think of the 4 games my daughter played in only one went 4 innings.

I think it was a NSA tournament. Just wondering if other orgs play differently. Would have liked to get more innings in but I do understand the time constraints - especially when pitching starts to struggle.

Annesdad said:

Hi - Just wondering if different tournaments play by different time limit rules. Had our first experience with tournament ball this weekend and my daughter (and I) really enjoyed it! Only thing is - the games are short! This is U10. The games had a timer that went off after 75 mins and at that point it was finish the inning. I think of the 4 games my daughter played in only one went 4 innings.

I think it was a NSA tournament. Just wondering if other orgs play differently. Would have liked to get more innings in but I do understand the time constraints - especially when pitching starts to struggle.

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Time limits can and will change tourney by tourney, sometimes even day to day within the same tourney.

Was at a 10u USSSA tournament this weekend in Pennsylvania. Saturday games were 1 hour and 20 minutes, finish the inning. Sunday games were 1 hour and 30 minutes long, finish the inning. We made it to the 6th inning in every game we played on Sunday.

It depends. Some do shorter pool games/drop dead innings to move those along and then longer bracket games. Some just do set times for all the games. 65 - 75 minutes seems to be the norm for 12U in our area.

"Was at a 10u USSSA tournament this weekend in Pennsylvania. Saturday games were 1 hour and 20 minutes, finish the inning. Sunday games were 1 hour and 30 minutes long, finish the inning. We made it to the 6th inning in every game we played on Sunday."

Good pitching then?

We're second year 10U and I think 90 minute was the longest we've ever played. 70-ish seems normal to me. Last year we played mostly USSSA and some ASA & CAM. This year we've played USSSA, ISA, and CAM (I think that one might be local here, not sure). I think the 90 minutes was ASA but I wouldn't swear to it.

chinamigarden said:

Time limits can and will change tourney by tourney, sometimes even day to day within the same tourney.

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And with age I assume?

Annesdad said:

"Was at a 10u USSSA tournament this weekend in Pennsylvania. Saturday games were 1 hour and 20 minutes, finish the inning. Sunday games were 1 hour and 30 minutes long, finish the inning. We made it to the 6th inning in every game we played on Sunday."

Good pitching then?

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Yeah, good pitching and fielding. We won a game 5-0 where our pitcher only recorded 3 K's. The other 15 outs were fielded outs.

Annesdad said:

Hi - Just wondering if different tournaments play by different time limit rules. Had our first experience with tournament ball this weekend and my daughter (and I) really enjoyed it! Only thing is - the games are short! This is U10. The games had a timer that went off after 75 mins and at that point it was finish the inning. I think of the 4 games my daughter played in only one went 4 innings.

I think it was a NSA tournament. Just wondering if other orgs play differently. Would have liked to get more innings in but I do understand the time constraints - especially when pitching starts to struggle.

Click to expand...

By your fourth tournament it will feel like forever... especially when you run into uneven match ups.

Different tournaments will have different rules.

1:15 + finish the inning is pretty common because you can schedule game in 90 minute blocks (so 8am, 9:30am, 11am and so on)
1:30/1:40 + finish the inning or seven innings is 2 hour schedule blocks - but you don't normally see this until 14U or occasional championship games in ASA/PGF where there are no games behind them

You will also run into 'drop dead' - that is the game stops AT a set number of minutes time no matter what is going on... It will either revert back to the last completed inning or result stands if the home team is up and is winning. These are becoming less common around here.

And then you will get adjusted for weather games - now your 1:15 game is 50 minutes. That can go by real quick...

And you will not have run into stalling tactics quite yet. You will see them shortly I am sure.

The tourney we went to this weekend was only 55min pool play (drop dead if home team was ahead, finish the inning to get last at bat otherwise) and 75 min bracket.
I don't think we saw past the 4th inning all weekend