Wining_The

Useful information if you take a team to a tournament or umpiring.

Seniors league Vs SPN tournaments

Some differences between the seniors games we often play and sanctioned tournaments: Often there is a 10 or 15 run mercy after the 5th inning. No rover (10 fielders allowed not 11), no infield after the 1^st inning at tournaments, no free overrunning the bag, no courtesy running from the plate. A batter must get to 1^st before a courtesy runner is allowed. Masters are allowed 7 runners (other divisions are 3), but each runner can only run once per game, tagging is allowed behind the commitment line in SPN and NOT allowed in SPO, sliding is allowed at both (not at home base).

Courtesy runners and tagging behind commitment line vary widely and is in a state of change; check before each game.

Bat rules for tournaments generally following the ASA standards.

(There are some exceptions in Florida and other local areas).

Approved & Non approved Bats ASA website

Last, but important, the flip: (This applies when runs for and against are used to break a tie.**) Home team is always determined by a coin toss. If you win the toss - always strive to hit first on Saturdays and take home on Sundays. It is a value to your team to get as many runs as possible on Saturday. Tie breakers are often settled by the plus minus run system. If you take home, you may only win by one run (no completion of last at bat). However, if you bat first you should get extra runs because all your allowed batters get their turn to hit and you runs are maximized.

If you are home and ahead when the opposition has finished their last bat, you just win and don't get to hit anymore. So, whatever run advantage you have is all you get. If you come from behind at last bat the game is stopped as soon as you as you drive in the winning run. Your team wins by 1 run & your scored runs will stop at +1. However, it could have been higher if the waiting batters had a chance to hit, but they can't because the game is over.

Sunday games are all sudden death elimination and there is no plus-minus consideration. Take home advantage on Sunday, which also means, you have to put in the bases (unless the convenor has supplied them). If you don’t have base to put down, you forfeit the home advantage and it goes to the team who has the bases.

Fine Points of the Flip:

Here is one more interesting point. You win the flip and take visitors (hit first – Sat.), but the other team says they do not have bases to put down. LOAN them yours and they put them down. DO NOT be a good guy and put in the bases in for them, unless it is Sunday. The team who puts down the bags becomes the home team by definition.

Testimonial

At our last Virgil (Niagara on the Lake) game of the season, Saturday, October, 2002. We hit first and played our final Saturday game against a team that beat us head-on by several runs. Each team had one win for the day. Despite the fact that they beat us, they were eliminated from the tournament and we moved forward to play on Sunday by +1 run. The reason is, although they won our game – they didn’t beat us bad enough to overcome the plus-minus differences.

However, we were very lucky that day and it wouldn’t have been so close if one of my know-it-all seasoned league players hadn’t jumped my flip (coin toss with the Ump). Without permission he took and won the flip and chose to make us home team.

In the game we beat the Bald Eagles by 1 run when we could easily have had more if we batted first. It was that one run that save us, but man, that was close. The guy had no business taking that flip!

Twice in my short ball coaching career, well meaning guys seeing me busy have taken it upon themselves to go up when the ump called out for coaches (mostly showing off). They went to the plate met the other team, got the ground rules and took the coin toss. Both guys won the flip and came back to proudly tell us we won home team advantage. That was not what we needed on Saturday.

This is only an advantage in league games, but tourney is another world and they disadvantaged the team through lack of the big picture. Don’t jump my flip!

You should let guys take the flip, how else can they learn and progress. I often, let guys take my place for the flip, but only with counselling from me first (tell them what to do first or it will always come out wrong).

**The exception to the Flip is when you play double knockout. This this case you have to lose twice and the +- tie breaker does not apply. Take home advantage. Some teams like to bat first anyways. If you get a good lead by batting first it stresses the opposition's confidence and they may not do as well. I often bat first and I am liking it more.

The gentlemen act: you can only get a maximum of +7 per game. If your team is an obvious over match for the opponent and you are 16 runs ahead with no looking back; don't embarrass the guys further. Ground out a few hits and let them have a turn before the obvious impending merci arrives. This way you can still have friendly after game HQ chats with them and makes some new friends.

It is true a team can over come a good lead and win in slo-pitch. I figure +9 runs nearing the end of the game is the safe zone to start slowing down, but it is a judgment call for each team to make. You certainly don't need +24.

By W. Crowley - SoB # 60