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Online now: 1 member: TABLE SETTER 11; 125 anonymousDiscussion: Open inning ruling
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| March 13, 2016 AZ sfbl 5 posts | Open inning ruling Today in Phoenix we were playing in the semi finals and this happened. As the lead off hitter came to the plate in the top of the 6th inning down 1 run the umpire calls that time has expired and this is the Open Inning.We were not given any previous inning notification.Was the umpire or umpires call correct since no pitch had been thrown yet to the batter in the top of the 6th inning?As you can imagine we did not score and the game ended.This is the first time that this has happened to us.Should we have completed that inning and the next inning be the open inning?Am I reading the rule below wrong?We have always been given previous inning notification until today.What is the call?Please help! Rule book: 5.11 • UMPIRE ANNOUNCES TIME REMAINING Prior to the ball being pitched to begin the fourth and subsequent innings, the umpire will announce game time remaining to both managers. Because teams are limited to five runs per inning, the umpire must also announce the last inning to give both teams an opportunity to score as many runs as possible. (See §5.5(1)) EXAMPLE: As soon as time has expired the umpire will announce clearly to both teams that they will complete the inning in progress and play one more, open inning. This announcement must be made before the last out of the inning). Thank You,just trying to understand this rule. |
| March 13, 2016 E6 in AZ Men's 50 91 posts | Play by play for what occurred today: As I walking to coach 1st at the start of the 6th inning, I passed the home plate umpire and he calls out "Top of 6, we are playing 7". Pretty self-explanatory.... 2 innings left. The base umpire (tourney staff) walks in and relays that this inning is the open inning due to time expiring prior to the 1st pitch being tossed. I disagreed and asked that what keeps the defense from dogging it to get into position in a situation like this. Just let the clock run out. (Full disclosure: This club did not do that.) The inning continued and we lost. Botomline is.... we failed to execute in that last inning. But looking at the example listed above, I think we have a point. This makes two tourneys in a row that poor customer service took place from the tourney organizer or his immediate staff. |
| March 14, 2016 SSUSA Staff 3483 posts | For tournaments played under SSUSA sanction and rules, the game should have been a full 7-innings. This specific fact pattern was discussed and voted upon at the 2015 National Rules Committee meeting on December 3rd. Here is the excerpt from the minutes of that session: __________ TOURNAMENT COMPETITION POLICY • BEGINNING OF THE “OPEN INNING” – Proposal to redefine the commencement of the “open inning” as the moment of the first pitch in an inning that begins after the base game time has expired. The current rule is that any inning begins at the moment of the last out made in the prior inning. The effect would be to adopt the local “Las Vegas Rule” for all sanctioned play. • FAILED 1:11 __________ NOTE: Any game that has five full innings completed prior to the expiration of the time limit should, by rule definition, play seven innings to constitute a complete game. This incident was an unfortunate misapplication of the SSUSA rules of the game. |
| March 14, 2016 lb16 Men's 60 196 posts | Pitch being thrown or not has nothing to do with it. Once the 3rd out is made in the bottom of the current inning the next inning starts immediately! |
| March 14, 2016 E6 in AZ Men's 50 91 posts | SSUSA Staff: Thank you for your attention on this matter, which incidently occurred during a sanctioned qualifier organized by the SSUSA VP. LB16: I agree with you and tried to point that out yesterday, only to be ignored. At the end of the day, we still failed to execute and score in the last inning allowed to play, the 6th. |
| March 14, 2016 AZ sfbl 5 posts | SSUSA staff what is going to be done to this region director that goes by his own rules every tournament? It really makes our point even more valid now!! Also is it normal to have a one game championship?meaning the looser coming through the bracket & beats the winners bracket team once and is champion?in a sanctioned tourney? Its just softball.......Directors comment. I am sure we are not the first ones to complain about the AZ region. |
| March 14, 2016 SSUSA Staff 3483 posts | AZ sfbl - We responded above solely to the rules issue raised ... Any other observation(s) you may have should be sent to the SSUSA Home Office via email to info@seniorsoftball.com ... Please put "Tourney Observations" in the subject line ... We reply to all meritorious correspondence received confidentially (NOT here) ... Thank you |
| March 14, 2016 Dbax Men's 65 2100 posts | Congratulations to Az. Old School on a great performance. You guys have a really good team and will win more than a few tournaments this year. You really got screwed by the stupid "one game winner take all" rule. It was their only loss of the tournament. You beat us two out of three times, but we won. |
| March 14, 2016 Hitemdeep 44 posts | if you guys have played in Ricks tourneys before this is very common. He makes up his own rules all the time doesn't matter what age group. It's very frustrating but nothing any one can do to change it. |
| March 14, 2016 BruceinGa Men's 70 3233 posts | Hitemdeep, you can vote with your wallet. Refuse to play in his tournaments unless changes are made. As long as you play why should he change? |
| March 14, 2016 Dbax Men's 65 2100 posts | If this is a SSUSA qualifier, does he have the authority to make up his own rules, like the winner take all format? Time to start playing elsewhere as BruceinGa suggests. |
| March 15, 2016 Hitemdeep 44 posts | Easier said than done Bruce. There are no other tournaments to play other than utrip. Life is to short to not play. They say it's been this way for 20 years. I haven't lived here that long but have never in my 20 plus years of tournament play seen things run the way they are here. People have tried to make changes but he has Asa and seniors in his pocket. If you wanna play you just have to shut up and deal with it. It's very unfair and sad honestly things could be run so much better and actually bring in more revenue in my opinion. |
| March 15, 2016 Garocket Men's 55 259 posts | Lots of tournaments in this area are going to round robin pools with either single elimination brackets are a 1 one winner take all between the top two teams from separate pools. Seems to be the wave of the future. States and Nationals seems to be the only ones with true double elimination brackets. This is young boy ball and I am sure if they had senior tournaments it would be the same. |
| March 15, 2016 Dbax Men's 65 2100 posts | Rocket, that may be true, but the rules for an SSUSA qualifier as they stand right now, do not have a winner take all single elimination game after a team has come through the losers bracket. Until they change the rule, this director should not be allowed to do it. It's the same as playing one and one count or the one up rule for home runs. Not in a qualifier. |
| March 19, 2016 E6 in AZ Men's 50 91 posts | Looking forward to your St. George tourney at the end of the month. No drama, great umpires (check out my post after last years event) and a super great complex. Thanks for putting that on, I actually like it better than Vegas and way better than the Phx dude's. See ya' in two weeks ! |
