Fall Softball - How is it done?

[FP26]

In GA, all fall sports start before the start of the school year. That's even considering that most schools start by the 2nd week in August at the latest and many start August 1.

In looking at our schedules, it looks like ours do too. Practice starts mid-August with games starting 2 weeks later. But to complete all of the playoffs prior to Thanksgiving, they would need to either compress the schedule, or reduce the levels of playoffs. That is still risky as November weather is very similar to March weather here. Mid to upper 40s... To be honest, we have a 5 month period (Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, and Mar) that is nearly worthless for most outdoor sports.

 

[quincy]

That would have been a good post if you threw April into it.

Still cold and miserable here.

 

[FP26]

Lol!! Yep. Cold and snowing here right now. But April typically isn't this bad...

 

[reagansdaddy]

I'm not sure there is ever a good time in PA. The current system has the first day of official practice scheduled to start March 5 with the first official game permitted on March 26. We have played 6 games so far, but should be playing our 11th today. Our AD has aggressively rescheduled our postponements. We have played 3 of those 6 games in temperatures under 40 degrees, but at least we got the games in. Our last game is scheduled for May 16 and I think districts start some time the following week. So the regular season essentially lasts 8 weeks. Playoffs culminate with the state championships on June 14/15 which is after school is officially out of session for the summer.

If we moved this to the fall, it would get VERY interesting. DD's school had its first day this year on August 28. If we followed the same 3 week practice period, that would mean that games would start on September 18. An 8 week season would take games into November with districts and state playoffs carrying past Thanksgiving. The wouldn't work either. As much as I believe March softball is a mistake in PA, I don't see any better options.

The only real option for fall softball is to start practice a few weeks before school starts and then start scheduling games the first week of school. I'm not sure that would be permitted.

Added: Today is April 17. It is currently 38 degrees and snowing... DD is now a senior. Typically the last week of March and the first week of April are always a mess. Postponements and cancellations. This year has been worse than usual.

FP - How do they do football in PA? In OH, most schools are now starting in early August due to testing. Here, the football teams have a couple of weeks of practice in before school starts which is how I would envision softball working.

 

[reagansdaddy]

In looking at our schedules, it looks like ours do too. Practice starts mid-August with games starting 2 weeks later. But to complete all of the playoffs prior to Thanksgiving, they would need to either compress the schedule, or reduce the levels of playoffs. That is still risky as November weather is very similar to March weather here. Mid to upper 40s... To be honest, we have a 5 month period (Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, and Mar) that is nearly worthless for most outdoor sports.

I agree that in order to make fall softball work in the Midwest the state finals would have to be second weekend in October or third at the latest. I think that could be done in Ohio.

 

[reagansdaddy]

Swapping seasons just trades one set of problems for a different set of problems.

What problems would be created by swapping seasons?

 

[FP26]

FP - How do they do football in PA? In OH, most schools are now starting in early August due to testing. Here, the football teams have a couple of weeks of practice in before school starts which is how I would envision softball working.

For fall 2017 the first "official" practice date was August 14 (first day of school was August 28). The first official game was scheduled for September 1. The State Championship game was on December 8.

For softball, our current playoff structure is approximately 4 weeks long which includes districts and states. In order to finish by October 13, let's say, playoffs would need to begin on September 17. That means the last regular season game would have to be completed no later than September 15. That doesn't leave much time for the regular season.

 

[Westwind]

What problems would be created by swapping seasons?

What I mean is that option “a” has problems typically loaded to the front and option “b” has problems loaded to the back. So...same number of problems, just different ones.

BUT, some years “a” will be better than “b” but other years “b” will be better than “a”. Some years both “a” and “b” will both suck.

Heck, ask a meteorologist. He can tell you which one is better with at least 50/50 certainty.

All I know is that fall would be better than what Iowa does, which is play in the summer. But that is an entirely different discussion, lol!

 

[Slow Lefty]

For fall 2017 the first "official" practice date was August 14 (first day of school was August 28). The first official game was scheduled for September 1. The State Championship game was on December 8.

For softball, our current playoff structure is approximately 4 weeks long which includes districts and states. In order to finish by October 13, let's say, playoffs would need to begin on September 17. That means the last regular season game would have to be completed no later than September 15. That doesn't leave much time for the regular season.

PIAA needs to compress the playoff schedule. A few years ago we qualified for the state tournament. We played our first district playoff game on a Tues. The next game (quarterfinal) was on a week later the following Tuesday. Then the semi-final was the next day on a Wed. Then we waited an entire week for the championship the following Wed. 4 games in 16 days, it made no sense. Then our first state playoff game was 5 days after that.

 

[Sparky Guy]

It already DOES happen in several states. We're not talking about something new here.

So, are you saying that girls in Georgia are at a distinct recruiting disadvantage because they play in the fall? I see a whole lot of Georgia girls on D1 rosters. Also, Georgia is a pretty warm state.

Not sure where you are from, but it would be a overwhelming benefit to everyone who plays school ball to have it in the fall in Ohio.

It works there because the percentages of GA players versus the entire country. GA also has the advantage of being a warm weather state. You can play longer into the fall and winter once the HS season is over. The cold weather states can't do that. Last fall the St. Louis Showcase 1 was brutally cold. Two years ago it was comfortable.

From the Northern Illinois area. So we get the same weather you do in OH. This spring has been brutal, without a doubt.

Again, your perspective is biased towards your thoughts about the importance of HS softball. If your player is a top level travel player who wishes to play at some level in college then the bias is most likely shifted away from the importance of HS ball and towards recruiting in the larger picture. Her future softball plans beyond HS are important to her. If the player has no aspirations of playing college ball then HS ball can be very important to them with the heightened community atmosphere. There is no one size fits all solution.

Trying to convince so many different entities whose needs all differ dramatically would be a monumental task.