Thread: Timed Games or 7 innings

I am curious about something. The area I live in has a time limit for a bracket game of 75 minutes (pool games 60-65). I was chatting with another parent who has two daughters playing college ball (the third is playing 14U TB with DD). He was telling me that every tourney they played on the West coast was a straight up 7 inning game. No time limits. Which leads me to wonder how it is in other areas of the country.

Time limits certainly change the dynamics of how a game is coached and how it is played. I think I've seen a gateway game make it to to the 5th once, but it's been about an average of three in my experience. The associations around her load up with teams and the tourneys and probably make a killing off a weekend of softball.

What has been your experience?

As far as multi day tourney with a large number of teams playing and numerous games to be played...7 innings can be a very long time...virtually impossible to keep on any schedule...also 7 innings is a LOT of wear and tear on a kid...My DD has caught 6 games in one day...1.5 hr games...so if they'd have been rock sold 7 inning games (which Ive seen last up to 3 hrs)....42 innings would have been way to much...

Originally Posted by GOINGDEEP

Agree with 3D. I'd like to know what sanction he is referring to on straight 7 innings for a whole tournament. I do like some tourneys that do a 90 min or 7 inning championship game. But most stick to the 75 min limit for every game in tourneys around here.

Now some HS tourneys are 7 innings, I wonder if the parent is referring to that type/level of play?

You know, I am not sure what sanctioning he is mentioning. We practice tonight and I will ask him if he is there.

Most of the sanctions want to cram as many teams as they can into their tournaments, hence the lower time limit. ASA plays 90 minutes or 7 innings and so far this season we have only had one game that has not gone all 7. A lot of it depends on the pitchers and how many base runners are allowed and how many runs are scored.

DD has played everything from Little League to TB. Little League and High School are the only organizations that play a regular 7 inning game. TB at all levels will play timed games; it is the only way to keep a tournament on schedule.

Timed games in North FL and South GA. Normally 75 minutes. Championship games are normally 90 minutes, but occasionally 7 innings. Played a "one" day tourney that the finally pitch was a 2:15am on Sunday. That game was a 7 inning deal. Nothing like starting a 3 hour drive home at 2:30am after leaving the house at 5:30am.

Most of your TB tournaments will have time limits anywhere from 75 - 90 minutes, mostly a no new inning after....

In my experience, showcase or exposure type events have a "drop dead" time limit. When the time is up, the game is over.

All of the ASA national events I have attended played a straight seven inning game with no time limits. We had an ASA qualifier tournament here for the 14u age group with 100 minute time limits per game. I don't believe we had a game that ended prior to seven innings due to the time limit.

Also...NCAA does not allow time limits in any contest, including tournaments, by rule.

Originally Posted by Ajaywill

Most of your TB tournaments will have time limits anywhere from 75 - 90 minutes, mostly a no new inning after....

In my experience, showcase or exposure type events have a "drop dead" time limit. When the time is up, the game is over.

All of the ASA national events I have attended played a straight seven inning game with no time limits. We had an ASA qualifier tournament here for the 14u age group with 100 minute time limits per game. I don't believe we had a game that ended prior to seven innings due to the time limit.

Also...NCAA does not allow time limits in any contest, including tournaments, by rule.

Nationals may be what he is talking about...I can imagine a straight up 7 inning game could certainly change the dynamics of how things go in a tourney. A 75 minute limits lets a team have one solid pitcher week in and out. 7 inning games would really test your depth (catchers, oh my). It is an interesting thought.

What the OP has questioned is standard most everywhere,
Championship games in 14U and older are 7 innings, pool
and brackets are 75 minutes