Length of games in tournaments?

[SB45]

What do people like??

 

[MTR]

I think the 90 minutes was ASA but I wouldn't swear to it.

When there is a time limit, ASA uses 1:40 (100 minutes) with the exception of 10U Championship and If games which use a 2 hour limit. All with the condition of finishing the inning.

That said, these can be adjusted locally in order to get the games in to ensure the tournament gets finished.

 

[FP26]

Most tournaments locally (regardless of org) are 80 minute time limit, finish inning.

We have played some that used different times and some that were drop dead. My least favorite is drop dead with a revert to previous inning stipulation. 2 years ago we were playing in such a tournament. 2-0 on the day but started game 3 slowly. We got down 4-1. We scored 4 runs in the top of the 6th inning to take a 5-4 lead. The other team (home team) came to bat with 5 minutes left and did their best stall job. Time ran out with 2 outs and the score reverted back to 4-1 them. We lost.

 

[canyonjoe]

Around here ASA is usually 80 minutes, NSA and UTrip are 75 minutes. Championship games 90 minutes.

 

[grcsftbll]

What do people like??

I have never played one, but I saw a format (maybe here) where it was a 50 minute limit, finish the inning plush one more inning. I love that format. It seems like it would keep the games relatively on schedule without as much potential for abusing the clock.

 

[FP26]

What do people like??

We play a mixture of showcases and regular tournaments. They have different purposes and therefore different formats. If we are not in a showcase, I prefer the "finish inning" format. I really don't care what the length is, as long as it is finish inning. Drop dead is fine for showcases (or finish batter) as long as the other teams don't start stalling. Stalling in a showcase is a huge pet peeve of mine. College coaches really don't care about a travel ball coach's ability to stall. They are there to see the players play. JMHO.

 

[junkball]

We play a mixture of showcases and regular tournaments. They have different purposes and therefore different formats. If we are not in a showcase, I prefer the "finish inning" format. I really don't care what the length is, as long as it is finish inning. Drop dead is fine for showcases (or finish batter) as long as the other teams don't start stalling. Stalling in a showcase is a huge pet peeve of mine. College coaches really don't care about a travel ball coach's ability to stall. They are there to see the players play. JMHO.

Yep. But at every showcase there will be a new coach or dozen that doesn't get it. Showcase is not about wins and losses, but about reps and most importantly keeping things on schedule so college coaches can be at field X at time Y to see a particular player and know they will.

Regular tournaments vary by sanction, TD, weather, and more. We've played tourneys that were advertised as 90 min games, but due to rain delays they moved to 70 min games. And most big time nationals are 7 innings for bracket play.

 

[redhotcoach]

I HATE drop deads. We played a top 5 national team last month and ump stopped game with dd at bat, full count plus 2 fouls. We lucked out not having that ump again after I called him a cleaning tissue of one's rear end.

Seems like most pgf and top gun tourneys we played were 90 minutes. Did have one in July, dd was only catcher, pool was 90 minutes and bracket games were 7 innings. Exhausting!

 

[sbmom19]

Love the "finish the inning" tourneys, HATE the drop dead ones. Especially at the older ages.

 

[Gambler Bob]

My least favorite would be the drop dead time limit.