New NFS time between inning rule

[EdLovrich]

Personally, I am at the field an hour before game time for HS games. I am nervous if I have not seen my partner by 40 min prior and we are having words if he is not there by 30. Of course, I have longer travel times and leave room just in case there is traffic or an unforeseen issue. Getting the teams off the field can be moved along by letting them know to hustle on and off. As for P and C who are on base, THIS is the reason for courtesy runners, not to make up for P or C who is not fleet of foot. The only time I will give a C extra time is if she was the last at bat and needs to get geared up. All Cs in the area I work know me, know what I expect and know they will get 2 pitches to themselves if they needed to gear up, one for the P and one to throw down on IF they hustle. Make it a habit as an umpire and the players will make it a habit to be timely.

 

[lostcreek1]

NFCA guidelines are an umpire should be there 45 minutes before game start to discuss pre-game items with their partner and to inspect the field.

There is a desperate need for umpires. I am missing my DD's game today to umpire a rain out reschedule High School game, as most schools in my area have lost 3-5 games to rainouts in the past two weeks.

I can send you resources on how to become an umpire.

Interscholastic Officiating

Check out Interscholastic Officiating from the NFHS Learning Center! http://nfhslearn.com/courses/interscholastic-officiating

nfhslearn.com

I have umpired my fair share of games all at the LL level, and for 7 years ran a little league park coached baseball and football. I immensely enjoyed all of it, however I will never do any of those things again.

 

[Dabears17]

For my 4PM game Wednesday, my partner asked me to meet him in the parking lot at 3PM. I didn't get there until 3:05, and we didn't find each other until about 3:15PM. We talked about how to approach the game, for about 15 minutes, then walked the 5 minutes to the field. We spent 10 minutes inspecting the field for any possible issues.

For the two rec games I did two Saturdays ago, they were at fields I hadn't been to in 6 years, so I planned on getting there about an hour early, but only got there 45 minutes early because I couldn't find the street to enter the field complex. For rec games I know where the field is and I am doing solo, I get there at least 30 minutes before gametime.

I am doing a game next week at a school where I went to watch a game last week and it took me 15 minutes to figure out where to park.

Today I didn't know if I was going to have a partner, until he showed up about 15 minutes before game time. I was contacted last night around 8PM to see if I could do a game today, and only caught the last 3 batters of my DD's game. I got to the parking lot about 3:15PM and wasn't sure where the field was, and got halfway to the field from the parking lot before I realized I had forgotten to put my plate shoes on, so got to the field about 20 minutes before game time.

During lunch today I got a text asking if I could do a 5:30PM rec game. I told them I couldn't but to let me know if they needed me for any other games. They said they were short umpires for 4 games on Saturday. I told them I where I was doing two games Saturday morning. The gave me a 3:30PM and a 5:30PM game. I'll have about a two-hour break between games 2 and 3 and have to drive 10 miles between fields.

 

[Dabears17]

It is because some officials at some times are letting some rules go unobserved that they become points of emphasis (hence the emphasis on these points). In addition, frankly, it isn't a stopwatch on the game itself but on the folderol between innings, i.e. the non-playing time. I agree that rules not being applied evenly at all times is an issue, but does that mean we refuse to ever try to tighten up on them in the future?

The first topic discussed at the umpire clinic I went to about a month ago was, don't be the umpire who causes the next umpire that a team has to hear 'but the last umpire didn't enforce that rule' or the last umpire enforced a made-up rule.

 

[Agcy]

I've been coaching since 2016. I can't think of a single time an umpire showed up 45 minutes early unless he thought the game time was earlier than it was or the visiting team had transportation issues and showed up late.

Many if not most of them walk up 5-10 minutes before the game, barking about how games' in x minutes blah blah like we've been making him wait around.

As for this rule: I think it's reasonable to expect the offensive team to get on the field and be ready within a minute, except most defensive teams take a good 45-60 seconds just to get off the field. Penalizing the team going out (and that is who gets penalized by not getting any warmup time) because the team coming in doesn't move quickly is ridiculous.

They might 'walk up 5-10 before the game', but do you really know how long there have been at the park? Likely, they checked in with the coach/administrator, found their partner, figured out who was plate or field, got their clothes/gear on, reviewed their signals/responsibilities/techniques, had a snack and then walked onto the field to start the game. If they haven't check in with the admin 20-30 minutes before they game, the admin is calling the scheduler and asking where they are.

Defense really takes 45 seconds to get off the field?? I highly doubt that. If they are, they are not well coached or organized. That and it should only take about 25 seconds to get 5 pitches thrown. I doubt the defense leaving the field is a reason you can't get 5 pitches in in a minute.

 

[Agcy]

Question,
The WIAA ( Wisconsin’s sports body) has implemented a new NFS rule stating that teams only have one minute between innings to be ready for the next.

What is the reasoning behind this rule (Games move right along in about an hour and a half)? And who brought this “Issue” to light?

We are loosing coaching time between innings and that hurts the players.

As others have said - not a new rule. It has been in place for as long as I have been part of the game. You can always send out another player to catch the first few pitches (make sure she has a CATCHER's helmet and not a batting helmet) OR one of the coaches can warm up the pitcher between innings.

I am guessing it has come to light because coaches were abusing it. (you can see some of the results in other posts) And probably not by a little. Iowa finally adopted a Shot Clock in HS precisely because coaches were abusing the intent of the game (IE I believe one game was a 6-4 OT Thriller)

To be clear, in the latest NFHS training, umpires are NOT to use a stopwatch on the field to manage the time between innings. But, as mentioned, you can call a ball if not done on time.

How much time do you need to coach your team between innings? I realize that there is some game strategy that can be discussed, but this isn't practice, you are there to play a game. If you want to coach the girls, you can always do it in the dugout or you can call timeout. Part of the game is game pace.

You can argue a lot of 'rules' out there could be modified, 20 seconds to pitch, 10 seconds for the batter to be ready, but 1 min between innings should not be a challenge, even if you are a runner or batter, to get your gear on and be ready to play.

 

[The Man In Blue]

The problem I have with this is it was not enforced in the past. If a rule is a rule why was it not enforced prior to this? What changed?? Just like some of the pitching rules (Leaping, replanting) some choose not to enforce.

I agree the game needs to move along, but do we need to put a stop watch on a softball game?

So ... you want us all to be $#!++y umpires? I am so confused.

Do we need to? That is up to you coach. Don't make me do it and we don't need to do it.

 

[The Man In Blue]

More than likely the only ones worried about how long the game took was the umpires.

On one hand, we are choosing to be there. On the other hand, when you are good at doing something, you should not do it for free.

We are the only ones getting paid to be there for that game. We don't get paid more for staying longer.

I know that will be misconstrued six different ways, but it is a fact. No, I am not there to screw you out of a check and get home as fast as I possibly can. I am also not there to twiddle my thumbs and watch paint dry while you screw around unnecessarily. That is not what I am there for or getting paid for. My time is not valueless.

 

[The Man In Blue]

Do these evaluators wear any official-type clothing? If I scout other teams maybe I could disguise myself as an umpire evaluator.

The evaluators I see typically carry their kids' gear in for them, towing a wagon full of folding chairs, pop-up tents, coolers, and a three-foot tall blue tooth speaker. They let you know they are there the whole game.

 

[The Man In Blue]

They might 'walk up 5-10 before the game', but do you really know how long there have been at the park? Likely, they checked in with the coach/administrator, found their partner, figured out who was plate or field, got their clothes/gear on, reviewed their signals/responsibilities/techniques, had a snack and then walked onto the field to start the game. If they haven't check in with the admin 20-30 minutes before they game, the admin is calling the scheduler and asking where they are.

Defense really takes 45 seconds to get off the field?? I highly doubt that. If they are, they are not well coached or organized. That and it should only take about 25 seconds to get 5 pitches thrown. I doubt the defense leaving the field is a reason you can't get 5 pitches in in a minute.

Quoting this because it needs quoted.

Around here, the standard is at least 30 minutes ahead of game time. This is because of travel times and the fact that 4:30 starts are already hard to make if you are a working adult. I look forward to the day I am retired and can get there an hour early. (Next week I will probably be there an hour early since I am on Spring Break and need to knock the rust off myself.)

If your umpires are ON THE FIELD and IN UNIFORM 30 minutes before the game, they need to get the heck out of there. There is nothing for an umpire to be doing on the field 30 minutes before the game. Once we are on the field in uniform, that is our field and we are responsible. I don't need to monitor your warm ups. I don't need to catchup with the hot bookkeeper or Ol' Grampa Joe.

At 30 minutes before I should be in the parking lot and parked. As soon as I get there, look for my partner. If he/she is not there, go up to the field (in street clothes) and find the coach/AD. Let them know I am there, introduce myself, and hopefully collect the check then (I hate taking it on the field). Getting dressed. Hoping my partner is there and we are having our pre-game walkthrough. On the field no more than 10 minutes before. Walk the field if I haven't worked there before. Let the coaches know "Plate meeting in 5 minutes." Finish the warm ups and get the kids off the field. No, NOBODY is throwing anything while we have our plate meeting AT HOME PLATE.

College games you should be there at least 60 minutes early as you still have to do bat checks.