Delaying play to run clock time off

[Momo'sDad]

Everyone draws their line in a different place.

What one believes he would "never do" suddenly becomes acceptable behavior when there's a chance to end a 6-game losing streak and advance to the 2nd game on Sunday for the first time all season.

 

[The Man In Blue]

I don’t want to like that .... but I do.

 

[_MIA_]

Everyone draws their line in a different place.

This is true.

What one believes he would "never do" suddenly becomes acceptable behavior when there's a chance to end a 6-game losing streak and advance to the 2nd game on Sunday for the first time all season.

Some people's line is drawn with permanent marker so I don't think this generalization is accurate.

 

[grcsftbll]

Some people's line is drawn with permanent marker so I don't think this generalization is accurate.

I agree. I don't see why someone's principles should go out the window for a win. I realize they do sometimes, but not everyone is like that.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

Ha ha ha, you would play about 5 games a year.

The point was that you can pick the tournaments that do a better job with clocks (more PGF and Showcases in my area).

Tournament directors think in "number of games" and there are only so many hours in a day. I would rather play fewer games with a longer clock than the other way around. Communicate that to your tournament directors. They are always asking for feedback.

We managed to only play in one tournament last year where the clocks were unreasonable. It can be done.

 

[NJgators14uSPARK]

I always hate that strategy. I think your Assistant Coach called it right "Busch League." I chalk it up to if someone wants to win that bad then go right ahead. Everyone is seeing what you are doing. For the coaches that are doing it: You are showing your team that you have zero faith in them as players to play the next inning. You are potentially destoying their confidence. My mindset is I want them to play the game the whole game. If they lose in the last inning then that is part of the process and we need to get better in the last inning. Stalling is Busch League and you will never know what teachable moments, great plays, great at-bats you denied your athletes because you stalled for a win.

 

[Tide_will_Roll]

Maybe same but not quite the same. This situation is at least similar. I can only assume the situations I am about to describe are coach sanctioned time wasting.

12U open tournament against a team we'd never played before. After every, every, out in the infield 3B and SS would run to the circle and do a dance together slapping feet, then backheel each other and go back to their positions. About 80% of the time, the entire infield would run to the pitcher and slap gloves with her when an out was made. This wasn't limited to strike outs. It could have simply been a ground ball to 2B, throw the ball to 1B for the out.

Run in , slap gloves, 3B and SS do their dance after, then back to playing ball. Time wasting, yes. Coach encouraged, to me probably. Looking like the team "has been there before," not in my eyes it isn't. Maybe I am just a grounch?

 

[Hawk_]

If i'm one of your Parents sitting in the stands and I notice that you didn't attempt a little clock manipulation when needed (switching LF to catcher is too much) and we lose....... then you didn't do enough for your team.
Everyone who says "oh we just want our kids to grow and have fun" is lying to themselves...... losing is not fun. Go win the game.

 

[The Man In Blue]

Looking like the team "has been there before," not in my eyes it isn't. Maybe I am just a grounch?

That nailed it. It isn't really a sportsmanship issue (though it can become one), but it is a maturity issue. Some teams are younger and it is fun, I can't knock them for wanting to have fun.

If it is delaying the game, the umpire needs to step in. If it isn't delaying the game, not much to say unless it is a sportsmanship problem.

It comes from volleyball, and volleyball started to clamp down on it a few years ago.

 

[Dabears17]

That nailed it. It isn't really a sportsmanship issue (though it can become one), but it is a maturity issue. Some teams are younger and it is fun, I can't knock them for wanting to have fun.

If it is delaying the game, the umpire needs to step in. If it isn't delaying the game, not much to say unless it is a sportsmanship problem.

It comes from volleyball, and volleyball started to clamp down on it a few years ago.

In the last two tournaments my DD played in, umpires warned the players there was no 'huddling' after an out but let an occasional hand slap go. I've never liked the huddling; I'd prefer not to see the simple throw in around the horn after an out.

In our 3rd game last Sunday in 105-degree heat, the umpires were encouraging my DD's team to delay, but there were 4 plus minutes left on the clock and the HC felt there was no sportsmanship way to delay 4 minutes. The BU told my DD to go tell the pitcher to try not to get 3 outs before time expired. The pitcher tried to throw a couple balls after the 2nd out of the inning, but the batter swung at a ball and grounded out. Pitcher apologized to the umpire for throwing a ball that was hittable. Luckily it only took our pitcher 6 pitches to get 3 outs the next inning.