Trying to milk the clock.

[RADcatcher]

When there is a clock it's part of the game.

I mean our fans all knew when the batter looks down at the hitting coach, takes the sign and then kneels down to untie and re tie her shoe. That was after they held a team meeting as we took the field with no warm ups. They talked for a awhile.

No warm ups is a manipulation of the clock also.
(pace of game)

We always hustle, on and off. The faster you are the more playing time you conserve. It’s always hustle. We want more playing time.

Can understand wanting more playing time!


Regardless of the clock
imo the pace of the game is an important nuance. Sometimes speed it up. Sometimes slow it down.
Especially while on defense and the offense starts getting on a roll.

When the opposing pitcher is controlling the game. Disrupt timing pattern while the pitcher is getting on a roll. Like stepping out longer out of the box. Or stepping in the Box and then calling time out immediately. Or going to step in the box and hesitating first then properly getting in the Box.

 

[cnardone]

When there is a clock it's part of the game.

True, but for some of us, there is a point where you are taking control of the game away from the girls. If it is hot out and the girls are dragging rear in and out between innings, it is on them. Artificially holding up the game, un-tie / re-tie you cleats, unnecessary time outs and the like, does not feel right to some of us.

 

[_MIA_]

True, but for some of us, there is a point where you are taking control of the game away from the girls. If it is hot out and the girls are dragging rear in and out between innings, it is on them. Artificially holding up the game, un-tie / re-tie you cleats, unnecessary time outs and the like, does not feel right to some of us.

I wouldn’t do it but I probably wouldn’t post about it either... If the game is close enough where the other team feels the need to do it then there are probably 5-10 things your team did you could point to which would have not allowed them to have the chance to stall.. It's like when my kid bitches about a called strike 3 and I tell her there were two other strikes you could have hit (this only "works" when those two other pitches were actually strikes..but I digress)

 

[Lance Steckler]

IME - coaches that try and insert themselves into the games and manage the clock in this "stalling" fashion, are usually not higher level teams anyway and are desperate to scratch across one of their few wins.

 

[RADcatcher]

True, but for some of us, there is a point where you are taking control of the game away from the girls. If it is hot out and the girls are dragging rear in and out between innings, it is on them. Artificially holding up the game, un-tie / re-tie you cleats, unnecessary time outs and the like, does not feel right to some of us.

What do you think of putting a clock on the game? isn't that in itself artificial?!


I like the goal of playing more softball! However when there is a clock there is only so much softball that can be played.
Within that is the goal of winning! Sometimes the clock matters to the end result.
Winning can get the team another game. That's more playing time!

 

[HunterMO]

Time is part of the game now. And if the rules allow stalling as a tactic, then it is what it is. Doesn't mean I have to like it or would choose to participate in those tactics. I'm a fan of "let the players decide the game", but having a clock won't change since more teams/games = more $$$.

As Pattar said, at the end of the day if you don't like the stalling tactics....don't let the game get to that point.

I think the frustrating thing watching DD's team....is they'll let it get to the "oh poop, we're out of time" moment and all of a sudden put it into another gear. Sometimes they eek it out. Other times they don't. Waiting for the lightbulb to turn on to simply start the game that way.

 

[uncdrew]

Mike's a jerk. I know that guy.

 

[The Man In Blue]

I would say that putting a mike on the clock wouldn’t sound any different, but then I remembered that clocks do tell time, so I guess we do need to hear them.

You know what I hate? When the other team comes out and scores more runs. That’s not fair. Nowhere in the rules* does it say the other team should win. I can’t stand it when coaches keep sending runners to the plate. We paid lots of money and we didn’t pay it to lose. Umpires should make the other team play until we win.

Or when we get to the last inning and we are still down … we should definitely get a couple more innings so we have a chance to make up for the four innings where we didn’t even get a hit. Maybe we should just toss out the highest and lowest scoring innings so that it is more fair to the team that plays hard but has a fluke inning (e.g., my team).

*Using the OPR (Official Parents Rules) book.

Why are we still beating this broken record? You know coming in what the rules are. Tournaments have a clock on the game. That is not a surprise and it is not new. You knew it at the beginning and every second in the game. It’s funny how this is only an issue in a very specific circumstance.

Sorry for the condescending tone. It’s been another long weekend of listening to this stuff.

 

[uncdrew]

True, but for some of us, there is a point where you are taking control of the game away from the girls. If it is hot out and the girls are dragging rear in and out between innings, it is on them. Artificially holding up the game, un-tie / re-tie you cleats, unnecessary time outs and the like, does not feel right to some of us.

Our team may take a first strike, but that's about it. We believe in playing the game and not playing games. Yes, we've had many games go to the next inning with 1-2 minutes left and we wished it hadn't. But thing is, I think we win them all anyway. And we think it's better for the girls on both teams this way.

 

[Northball]

In the little tournament I run (~30 teams across 5 age groups, C-Rec level teams) the format of hit the time limit, finish the inning you are on, then play one more inning has gone well. Only had one grumbling from an umpire because his +1 inning lasted 25 minutes. Between the format and it being a little lower key, we don't see the shenanigans.