Batter Up: Tips for Getting your Game Finished on Time

Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Rachel
Creative Design and Web Admin

If you have been playing in our leagues you should be aware that at the SSC we schedule regular season Slo-Pitch games in a 90 minute time slot or for a maximum of 7 innings.

During certain parts of the season, when sunlight permits, the SSC schedules two games in a row on the same diamond, so it is important to finish your game on time. This ensures the teams playing in the second rotation have a full 90 minutes to complete their game before the darkness sets in, or the field permit ends.

We schedule double rotations for multiple reasons. We want more teams to play on the best quality diamonds possible and the diamonds in more ideal locations. We also have a field maintenance team who is focused on lining, racking and mowing the diamonds we use. So having the best diamonds get more regular maintenance from our crew is beneficial for our players.

Here are some habits your team should get into to make sure you finish your 7 innings within the 90 minute time slot.

The first tip would be to arrive early! It is recommended that both teams arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled game time. This is not only to warm up and play catch, but also to set up for your game. This includes setting up the bases, determining your batting order and also deciding the home and away team. There is quite a bit to do before the game starts so making sure you are ready to start on time is essential to get your game completed on time!

In addition, if you are the late game it is recommended you check in with the teams currently playing to see where their game is at. If they are approaching the final 10 minutes of the time slot kindly remind them of our policy regarding starting a new inning. This means regardless of what inning the game is in, teams in the early rotation are not allowed to start a new inning with less than 10 minutes left in your 90 minute time slot.

So what happens when a player on your team is not at the diamond when the game is scheduled to start? If this happens and the other team is ready to go with a full roster then your team should bat first…even if you won the coin toss/rock paper scissors. When you bat first you can place the late players near the bottom of the order and get the game going like normal. You wouldn’t be short fielders to start the game and it is also unlikely that you will go through your line up before your teammate arrives. But if you do reach your teammate and they still aren’t at the game then it would be an automatic out for the missing player.

Lastly, hustle during the game to maximize your playing time. This includes having a little pep in your step in between innings and being organized during the game. Have your players know when they are up to bat and ready to go on deck so there is minimal transition time between batters. Settle the positions before you head out to the field and hustle to those positions…do not make both teams wait for you while you walk out to your position. And it is normal to take a couple warm-up pitches or toss the ball around a bit when you head out to field, but you should keep warm up time between innings to a minimum. When the batter is ready to go the fielding team should be ready too. And finally, make sure you have an umpire ready to go at all times!

If you follow the tips above you should have no problem completing your 7 inning game. I hope you try out these steps at future slo-pitch games and see for yourself…now go PLAY BALL!