- Aug 3, 2019
- 159
- 28
12B Saturday pool game USA Softball
Rules sent prior to tournament say finish the batter Saturday, finish the inning Sunday. 75 minutes.
At the coaches/umps meeting at the plate. Umpires say that it is finish the inning both days. “That is the way this organization always does it and that’s the way they have been doing it all day.” Both coaches say OK. Team A wins the toss and chooses home team thinking it’s now finish the inning. In hindsight, both coaches should have called the Director over at that point to clarify things but did not.
To make a long story short, team A is trailing 3-0 going to bottom 5. During bottom of 5th time expires. They play out finish the inning and team A ties the game at 3. Final out of 5th is made, game ends and both teams move on to their next game.
Director comes over to Coach A during the next game and says his team actually lost 3-2 because it was finish the batter and Team A was trailing at that specific moment.
Obviously, coach A is unhappy about the rules as explained by the umpires (which were the rules the game was indeed played under) not being honored. Notably, he argued that he wouldn’t have chosen to be home team had he not been told finish the inning was in place. Coach B obviously is pleased with the turn of events as his tie has now become a win.
Directors position is that the umpires involved were wrong and regardless of what rules the game was played under—the intended rules retroactively apply.
Any thoughts?
Rules sent prior to tournament say finish the batter Saturday, finish the inning Sunday. 75 minutes.
At the coaches/umps meeting at the plate. Umpires say that it is finish the inning both days. “That is the way this organization always does it and that’s the way they have been doing it all day.” Both coaches say OK. Team A wins the toss and chooses home team thinking it’s now finish the inning. In hindsight, both coaches should have called the Director over at that point to clarify things but did not.
To make a long story short, team A is trailing 3-0 going to bottom 5. During bottom of 5th time expires. They play out finish the inning and team A ties the game at 3. Final out of 5th is made, game ends and both teams move on to their next game.
Director comes over to Coach A during the next game and says his team actually lost 3-2 because it was finish the batter and Team A was trailing at that specific moment.
Obviously, coach A is unhappy about the rules as explained by the umpires (which were the rules the game was indeed played under) not being honored. Notably, he argued that he wouldn’t have chosen to be home team had he not been told finish the inning was in place. Coach B obviously is pleased with the turn of events as his tie has now become a win.
Directors position is that the umpires involved were wrong and regardless of what rules the game was played under—the intended rules retroactively apply.
Any thoughts?
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