"Game forfeiture time is the official start time"

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Aug 23, 2016
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In practice, what does "game forfeiture time is the official start time" mean?

Are the teams expected to be ready to play at the official start time? Does the team (or at least enough players to start the game) need to be present and ready to play? Or is it enough to just have a coach and a couple of players?

(The tournament was running on time and the opposing team had a two-hour break between games, so there was no legitimate reason for the entire team to be running late.)
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
In practice, what does "game forfeiture time is the official start time" mean?

Are the teams expected to be ready to play at the official start time? Does the team (or at least enough players to start the game) need to be present and ready to play? Or is it enough to just have a coach and a couple of players?

(The tournament was running on time and the opposing team had a two-hour break between games, so there was no legitimate reason for the entire team to be running late.)

In practice, not a whole lot unless they are repeat offenders.

It is just a tactic to try to get teams to be on time and ready to go when the tourney is ready to play.

If they are nearby and on their way and there is a game to be played, we are going to play a game. Game starts as soon as they arrive - no warmups, no getting ready. Game starts immediately.

As a TD I am not giving you a win because they are in the car park.

(second offense I will probably forfeit the game though)
 
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2br02b

Trabant swing
Jul 25, 2017
303
43
If I ever wanted this to happen it was last year... 100 degree heat, 4 game Sunday at a national qualifier. We were halfway through our warmup before our 3rd game of the day, expecting to play in about a half hour and we find out that the game before ours was not yet started because one of the teams was sitting at a diamond at another park wondering why no-one else was there... They let them play - even being almost an hour late for the start...
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
If I ever wanted this to happen it was last year... 100 degree heat, 4 game Sunday at a national qualifier. We were halfway through our warmup before our 3rd game of the day
You guys based out of El Azizia? I kid..but it always cracks me up when I see coaches make girls take grounders, etc before the 3rd game of the day in 95 degrees..really? If they are not ready to play by that point they are not going to be ready :). Playing catch for a few minutes should suffice at that point.
 
Last edited:
Aug 23, 2016
359
43
If they are nearby and on their way and there is a game to be played, we are going to play a game. Game starts as soon as they arrive - no warmups, no getting ready. Game starts immediately.

Our game clock definitely started immediately (he said that time started at game time), but the game did not. The pitcher threw her first warmup pitch with seven minutes on the game clock; first pitch of the game was twelve minutes in. (The game was 1:20 no new.)
 

2br02b

Trabant swing
Jul 25, 2017
303
43
You guys based out of El Azizia? I kid..but it always cracks me up when I see coaches make girls take grounders, etc before the 3rd game of the day in 95 degrees..really? If they are not ready to play by that point they are not going to be ready :). Playing catch for a few minutes should suffice at that point.

FWIW. I never said the warmup didn’t entail more than just a few throws. I just would have preferred to have kept them in the shade.
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
Our game clock definitely started immediately (he said that time started at game time), but the game did not. The pitcher threw her first warmup pitch with seven minutes on the game clock; first pitch of the game was twelve minutes in. (The game was 1:20 no new.)
Clock shouldn't be running until both teams are there.

Get the TD and UIC involved. If you did and they did nothing, then you know not to come back next time
 
Nov 4, 2015
320
43
I'm a little confused by the comments.
In practice, not a whole lot unless they are repeat offenders.

It is just a tactic to try to get teams to be on time and ready to go when the tourney is ready to play.

If they are nearby and on their way and there is a game to be played, we are going to play a game. Game starts as soon as they arrive - no warmups, no getting ready. Game starts immediately.

As a TD I am not giving you a win because they are in the car park.

(second offense I will probably forfeit the game though)

This confuses me. What is your cut-off time for forfeit? When does your clock start (i'm assuming this is a tournament with a clock)?
 
Jun 7, 2019
170
43
Clock shouldn't be running until both teams are there.

Get the TD and UIC involved. If you did and they did nothing, then you know not to come back next time

Marriard's comments sound right to me.

What is your cut-off time for forfeit?
Most often, 15 minutes. I've had several forfeits in the past few weeks, but none came about by waiting the 15 minutes. When there's no team waiting, or known to be playing at another field, a call is put out to a team contact.

When does your clock start.
As soon as we break the pregame meeting to go over ground rules.
 

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