Other Team's "Rules"

[Carriker]

Thanks to the help here, a few books, and some help from other coaches our girls can play 8U softball pretty well! I have taught them the rules they way they are written but every single time we play a game the other team's coach walks up and says "We play it this way..." One coach wants to give his girls 6 pitches no strikes, another didn't want our girls running more than one base at a time, and every single team we play has their entire team in the infield! It drives me NUTS! Our out fielders have to keep one foot in the grass till the ball is hit, it's 3 strikes or 5 pitches, and they can run the bases till the pitcher has the ball which stops the play but no stealing.

This last game was no exception just like all of them they expect to get their way but I tell them I play by the rules. I had to pull out the rule book yesterday to prove they didn't get us out at home. Girl touched the base with ball in hand then threw it to 2nd before our runner got home. We had 1 on 3rd and 1st it wasn't a forced out so she has to tag her at home and didn't. The couch had a FIT! Made a scene and even though we had 30mins left I called it to go to base race and end it.

It it like this everywhere? We have 3 more games left and I love watching our girls play I dread the "rule change" part and the other coach having a tantrum. What would/have you do if a coach tried to change the rules to their liking?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Your league president needs to send out a sharply worded e-mail. We have a league that doesn't allow sliding at 8U. I find that very unsafe and I tell people that. But, you either play by the rules, or go somewhere else.

8 yo girls can play the game very well, if they are given the chance.

 

[quincy]

I see 2 different things in your post.

1) Not playing by the rules. Even if they do not like them, they need to play by the rules. Shouldn’t be an argument about where the OF starts. Same with pitching rules. It does kind of bring a smile to my face when I envision the chaos this is causing. Get the League involved if you need to and stop having arguments about it.

2) Not knowing the rules. 8U the coaches and parents are still learning the rules. By the time they are in 18U .... they still do not know the rules. Coaches are parents cannot be throwing fits right or wrong. You will need to handle to game to game and decide if it is worth it but get the League involved if you need to and stop coaches from having “fits”.

If you are going to blow-up just protest the game so you can get annoy again when they tell you were right and to just move on. 

 

[Orange Socks]

The rules are there for a reason. Don't you have umpires or a commissioner to facilitate these things? I am the 12U Commish for our league and there was a dispute with a borrowed player recently. Team A borrowed a player that happens to be playing up in the 14U division and that player played the outfield and batted last according to the rules. Unfortunately, no one read the borrowed player rules closely and decided to interpret the rules without consulting me. They broke the rules which resulted in a forfeited game.

The Rules are there to protect the coaches from the themselves. There needs to be consistency from game to game otherwise the players get confused and won't learn the game. Each year we go over our local rules to determine if we need to make any changes that will make the game better or to close any loop holes that coaches have found to take advantage of. Carriker-I suggest you be part of the solution and volunteer for the board to help bring some consistency to the league. Sounds like you would be an asset to your league.

Good luck.

 

[guero_gordo]

This sounds like the time-honored tradition of "Working the new coach." Sounds like you are handling it well.

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

My 8U rec coaches do this, even though we discussed the rules at the pre-season meeting. Visited 2 8U games last week on adjacent fields: one game used the 45' throw down bases, the other did not.

 

[marriard]

If your league doesn't have a person responsible for running the division and making sure whatever house rules you are using are being used (and actually bothers to attend the games to make sure they are being enforced) then it might be time to step up and volunteer for it to be you. Another option is the need a third-party official at these games (i.e. not the coaches which seems to be the case) then you get that in place as well. But SOMEONE in the league needs to be the authority figure - not individual coaches.

Our 8U games are played specifically by the rules (both by sanction and a few in league rules.) Only if we cross leagues may things change and then there is written agreement on how those games are going to be played.

 

[Carriker]

This sounds like the time-honored tradition of "Working the new coach." Sounds like you are handling it well.

I hope you are right!

I talked to a few other coaches and i guess this is normal for 8U because there are new coaches every year and no one reads all the rules... They suggested I hash it out with the opposing team's coach the night before by calling them so there are no surprises at the game.

 

[marriard]

I hope you are right!

I talked to a few other coaches and i guess this is normal for 8U because there are new coaches every year and no one reads all the rules... They suggested I hash it out with the opposing team's coach the night before by calling them so there are no surprises at the game.

Wow... just wow. Ignorance of the rules is no excuse. Reading is hard I guess.... Here is how I would hash the rules out via email (or similar via phone).

Dear [other team coach],

It was suggested we hash out the rules before the game tomorrow.

We will be playing by the actual rules (see attached). I suggest you read them so you are familiar. I will also bring you a copy at the game tomorrow so you have them for reference.

Here are some highlights:
- # of pitches
- infield/outfield rules
- other important info teams want to change

It is hard enough at 8U for my girls to figure out the game without changing how it is played each time. Understanding that rules govern the sport is part of learning the game.

If you have any issues with playing by the rules I suggest you bring them up to the league president and he can explain why we should play by the actual league rules.

Yours,
Carriker.....


-- I removed how I really felt.

 

[Carriker]

Wow... just wow. Ignorance of the rules is no excuse. Reading is hard I guess.... Here is how I would hash the rules out via email (or similar via phone).

Dear [other team coach],

It was suggested we hash out the rules before the game tomorrow.

We will be playing by the actual rules (see attached). I suggest you read them so you are familiar. I will also bring you a copy at the game tomorrow so you have them for reference.

Here are some highlights:
- # of pitches
- infield/outfield rules
- other important info teams want to change

It is hard enough at 8U for my girls to figure out the game without changing how it is played each time. Understanding that rules govern the sport is part of learning the game.

If you have any issues with playing by the rules I suggest you bring them up to the league president and he can explain why we should play by the actual league rules.

Yours,
Carriker.....


-- I removed how I really felt.

This is awesome! I love it and I will be taking this and running with it! Thank you!