If it's happening so often that you need advice on how to handle it, then the league is doing a poor job of ensuring reasonable parity.
Advice needed on how to not run up the score (8u rec)
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If it's happening so often that you need advice on how to handle it, then the league is doing a poor job of ensuring reasonable parity.
- Feb 14, 2014
- 160
- 16
Thank you for all the advice. Our girls play in a variety of positions, and we are really only sticklers on pitcher (they have to pay attention or this position can get them hurt) and first base (because some of our girls can really throw the ball and we don't want anyone hurt there either). This division doesn't allow bunting, stealing, or running on overthrows. When we had a 4 run lead, we held our girls to one base per hit...then run-ruled them three innings one base at a time, which made for a long, not-exciting game. We have decent-sized scoreboards on each field at the LL park, so the girls are aware of the score. Although, one game we were up 10-6 and when our girls came in to bat, the AC's told them that we were down 10-6. Our girls believed them, so I guess they're not paying attention to the numbers.
I had thought that it might be insulting to retire our offense early or purposefully step off the bag, but I didn't know if I was the only one who felt that way.
I completely agree! For one thing, on the softball side of this LL, the players stay on their teams for as long as they are in each division. So, I've had 9 of the same girls for three years now. The baseball side makes everyone go back in the draft each year, and tball teams are even redrawn each year. Plus, there is no rule on how many players of each age you can have. Not only is it disheartening to the new players/teams, but it doesn't offer any challenge to teams like ours. How are these girls supposed to improve if they aren't playing tougher teams? Our league doesn't allow us to go play in tournaments, so we don't have that option, either.
Sorry for the lengthy post, and thanks again for all of the advice.
I had thought that it might be insulting to retire our offense early or purposefully step off the bag, but I didn't know if I was the only one who felt that way.
I completely agree! For one thing, on the softball side of this LL, the players stay on their teams for as long as they are in each division. So, I've had 9 of the same girls for three years now. The baseball side makes everyone go back in the draft each year, and tball teams are even redrawn each year. Plus, there is no rule on how many players of each age you can have. Not only is it disheartening to the new players/teams, but it doesn't offer any challenge to teams like ours. How are these girls supposed to improve if they aren't playing tougher teams? Our league doesn't allow us to go play in tournaments, so we don't have that option, either.
Sorry for the lengthy post, and thanks again for all of the advice.
talk to league officials about balancing teams better, even if it means splitting them up year to year. the only parents who will be unhappy are the ones of the group of players dominating, rest will love it, and girls get chances to make new friends. We have this issue partially in our league, mostly because one coach has his travel soccer team request him as coach when they play softball, and when eligible to play up, none of them try out to do so (so they all stay together, and dominate the division).
As for worries about P and 1B, legitimate, but get a couple of facemasks for team for P and 1B, then you can play virtually anyone there who wants to try (they still might get beaned, but at that age I doubt anyone throws hard enough to do more than leave a good bruise other then the face). this will get your players to develop faster, and give other team good chances to score.
As for worries about P and 1B, legitimate, but get a couple of facemasks for team for P and 1B, then you can play virtually anyone there who wants to try (they still might get beaned, but at that age I doubt anyone throws hard enough to do more than leave a good bruise other then the face). this will get your players to develop faster, and give other team good chances to score.
I am the Asst. Coach on my daughters 8U team and we were just accused of "running up" the score. We were hitting the ball well, being aggressive on the bases and I believe we were up by 11-1 runs going into the 3rd inning. The mercy rule is leading by 12 after 3 innings so the game continued and we continued to play hard. We won the ball game 17-2 and they accused us of being aggressive on the bases and running up the score. I am the 3rd base coach and I even eased up on stealing and let the girls make their own judgment calls on when to steal. I think as long as you are teaching the girls the game as well as keeping them humble while reminding them about showing good sportmanship then you are doing your job as coach.
Who is ''they"?
Coaches, parents, kids?
IMO, 8U kids can take a 17-2 beating much better than their parents. If parents and coaches handle it well and teach them that throwing, catching and hitting are still fun no matter what the score, then the players will continue to have fun and hardly care about the scoreboard. In fact, most 8U kids don't have to be told this. They learn to fret when they see adults not having fun because of the score.
Of course, I'm also a realist, and sometimes you have to tone it down just to keep the peace and accept that not everyone sees it like you or I might.
Also, as I sorta said in an earlier post, my problem with 17-2 scores isn't usually the coaches. It's the league. When I was president of a rec league, I was embarrassed by 17-2 scores because it was evidence that I didn't do enough to ensure the teams were more balanced. I think coaches also bear some responsibility. Some would be thrilled to pick a juggernaut and don't care about the league as a whole.
- Feb 7, 2013
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You did nothing wrong. Both teams should play hard until the last out. I have learned in youth sports that you can't please everyone, especially the families of the team that lost. It's called sour grapes nothing more and there is really nothing you can do or say to make them feel better.
- Dec 27, 2014
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We have six teams in my 10u league. I think all six play their own version of the rule book.
Some don't steal. Some only on passed balls/wild pitches. Some only if it is NOT a passed ball or wild pitch. Some steal home, some NEVER do even when the ball has bounced almost to first base. Rules are you can steal home, and any base, when the ball reaches the batter.
I can see coaches not sending kids when the game is out of hand but sometimes that is more embarassing for the losing team. We had a game last week where our only experienced pitcher, and best hitter, was out sick. (we are not a deep team) We lost 15 to 2 AND the opposing coach was TRYING to hold her players from stealing home. One time the runner was literally inside 10 feet from home and she made her go back.
When I used to coach rec my rule of thumb if we got up was to only steal on PB's. As far as stealing home I would stop
stealing home if pitcher was throwing strikes so we could hit and score our 5 runs quickly. If they weren't I would steal
home to get the inning over. On hits we would get what we could get but didn't just keep running just because they couldn't
catch it. The only exception was if a kid had a chance for an HR I always gave them a chance to get one. For a lot of kids it
might be the only one they ever get.
stealing home if pitcher was throwing strikes so we could hit and score our 5 runs quickly. If they weren't I would steal
home to get the inning over. On hits we would get what we could get but didn't just keep running just because they couldn't
catch it. The only exception was if a kid had a chance for an HR I always gave them a chance to get one. For a lot of kids it
might be the only one they ever get.
