Drop Dead Rule

[jinjet95]

I've never seen the rule applied either way. In tournaments we've been in, there is no new inning begun within 5 minutes of the time limit, but any inning begun prior to the time limit is finished. The only exception is if the home team is leading at the end of the visiting team's at bat and time is expired.

 

[shockcoach]

It is very unusual, but not unheard of. The rule has been used where a tournament was ran on strictly enforced time limits.

E.g., there was a national championship tournament that had 3 days of a 4 day tournament rained out. So, they played 1 hour strict time limits--not one minute over to finish an inning. The umpires walked off the field after 60 minutes. The team that was ahead when the umpire walked off won the game.

The concept is that this will stop the defensive team from prolonging a game. I've seen it done a 100 times where the defensive team wastes time in order for the game to be called.

Sluggers,

Can't the offensive team also slow the game? It goes both ways. As BretMan says, a good umpire can stop this from happening. Something about making a monstrosity of the game. When you employ a clock on any game, clock management becomes part of the game. You hear about it in football with 2 minute drills. You see different tactics in basketball. Hockey just pulls the goalie, but in all cases you call it management. When it becomes excessive in baseball or softball where you need time limits due to the many games that must be played, there are ways to handle it. You should not give one team a distinctive advantage of an extra at bat. From ASA's rules, since this was an ASA tournament

One of the primary purposes of ASA’s official playing rules (including its equipment
standards) and ASA’s Code is to promote competitive balance and to preserve
the integrity of the sport of amateur softball.

There is no balance when you get an extra at bat to win the game.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

I got one for ya. Seen a drop dead pool game last year. 2-3 game, tie runner at 3rd winning run at 2nd. Girl hits the ball deep center ( burnt the CT fielder ), while the ball is in the air the timer goes off. ( expired ) Umpire calls game while the first run comes across and the 2nd run would have been safe by a mile. Neither one scored in the official book. He said because time had expired before the runs scored.

We were not playing, only watching. If we had been playing, not only would I have been thrown out of the game but also the park, city, and state.

 

[alexander58]

There is no reason for this rule to exist. If you need to play only 1 hour, revert back to the score of the last full inning. Both teams should get the same number of opportunities to score. Coaches may still stall, but at least both teams get the same number of at-bats.

 

[mkral]

That is wild to me. We have not seen that rule. We play to the time limit and are notified that this will be the last completed inning. We finish the inning, we do not revert back an inning either. We do run over time every now and again but it has never been a big deal.

 

[SoCalASABlue]

I would also like to see the Drop Dead rule abolished. Make it 5 innings for pool play and 7 innings for bracket play (with the appropriate Mercy rules left in place).

 

[amanda_cake]

I've never seen the drop dead rule used in that situation until this weekend as well. At the end of a championship game, the other team gets up by one run and the time clock runs out. The game is halted. I was shocked that it didn't go to seven innings, as a championship game should!

 

[mudbug]

Seen it, not uncommon where time is critical. Most often in pool games but occasionally in other.

 

[Greenmonsters]

Never seen it done that way, seems absurd, but its the responsibility of the coach/manager to know what rules you're playing the game under.

Just sayin'

GM

 

[shockcoach]

Never seen it done that way, seems absurd, but its the responsibility of the coach/manager to know what rules you're playing the game under.

Just sayin'

GM

I knew it was drop dead. I have played drop dead and we revert back to the last full inning if home team was not ahead. I had no idea this bomb would be dropped on us.