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TOPIC: Mercy Rule |
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| Dennis (Hosanna)
June 6, 2006
4:02:27 PM
Entry #: 1488585
| IIRC, last year, this website had a little note explaining an interpretation that the mercy rule was optional (as in it was the trailing team's option to invoke the 15-run mercy rule after 5 innings. . .or 4-1/2 innings if they're first at bat).
But the wording in the Softball Canada rules does not give an option. Because our league rules don't override this, it should be in effect. While I don't mind the concept of it being optional, the actions of some teams (apropos of running up the score) warrant further discussion of the mercy rule.
What I would suggest is that the game be declared over once the mercy-rule conditions are met, and that teams have the option to continue to play for fun and/or for practise but without further keeping of score.
For those that don't know, the mercy rule ends the game if either of the following conditions are met:
-if at any time in the bottom of the 5th or 6th inning, the home team is leading by 15 or more runs.
-if after 5 or 6 complete innings, the visiting team is leading by 15 or more runs.
(I'm expecting this post to be at least a little controversial)
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| Jon
June 7, 2006
3:44:12 PM
Entry #: 1490909
| I agree completely. It's not only unsportsmanlike to run up the score, but also embarrassing for the losing team, and sometimes awkward for members of the winning team. I think it should be optional and 15 runs after 5 innings is probably a good guide. Runs for and against might help determine your standings for the tournament, but obscene blow-outs really aren't that fun to be a part of for anyone.
Good posts and good ideas, Dennis.
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| Dennis (Hosanna)
June 7, 2006
4:20:55 PM
Entry #: 1491021
| Note that, a few years ago, our league changed the way that tournament divisions were decided, and currently runs for and against have no value in this regard. Seeding for the tournament is based solely on win/loss record during the season, and if teams are tied, then a random draw is used.
In the tournament round robin, runs for and against do matter for tie breaking, but each game was a maximum of +/- 10 runs for this purpose.
So for both the regular season and the tournament, an automatic 15-run mercy rule after 5 innings would have no effect on standings but it would curb run padding.
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| Bret - CCA Cubs
June 7, 2006
11:55:43 PM
Entry #: 1491770
| Good Topic & Good Post
I personally feel that any team at any point in the game (only if they are losing obviously) should be able to call the game. If it's 21-0 after 3 innings why not have the option to call the game then? Do we have to wait until it's 35-0 in the 5th? I realize that "technically" a game has to be 5 innings long for it to be considered a regulation game but the unplayed innings could simply be zeroed off.
But this should not be mandatory it should be optional. If you feel you can come back from a 15 deficit in the last 2 innings you should have that option.
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| Dennis
June 20, 2006
8:19:11 AM
Entry #: 1515139
| For comparison sake, here are the 'mercy rules' of the major rulesets:
Softball Canada: 15 runs after 5 innings.
SPN: 12 runs after 5 innings.
NSA: 20 runs after 3 innings, 15 after 4, or 10 after 5.
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| Rudy Welz
June 28, 2006
12:52:03 AM
Entry #: 1531060
| Good topic Dennis,
Generally I've been following a 5 inning rule.
If after 5 innings the game is not longer fun to play, and we are losing. We stop.
After 5 innings, if we are losing, and I feel my team is unhappy due to weather, score, or opposition, I ask my team if they want to continue. If the general reply is no, then we stop. I've never had an opposing team disagree with stopping since as Dennis mentioned only wins and losses count towards position.
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| Chris Nissen
August 4, 2006
5:35:30 PM
Entry #: 1601130
| I think that we should make it explicitly optional. Personally, I prefer to play the full game because I like to play, plus there is the slight chance that the trailing team could come back. If the teams continued the game "for fun," and then the trailing team managed to come back and win, what then?
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| Dennis (Hosanna)
June 22, 2009
11:31:10 AM
Entry #: 3194643
| In light of Jay's recent post on sportsmanship and my own team's defensive woes, I looked at the league game results to date and felt compelled to post in this old thread again.
This year, it seems that there have been a LOT of "blow outs". Scores like 39-3, 29-1, 38-7, 29-2, 31-1, 37-6, 31-4, 38-4 make we wonder at the competitiveness of some teams. Please don't misunderstand me I'm not asserting that all these teams are overly competitive and that the losing team didn't enjoy playing. We've been on the receiving end of some lop-sided scores, and some of those have been enjoyable while others were less so.
I want to point out once again that we do NOT have a league rule that oferrides the official Softball Canada mercy rule. Therefore, by rule, the game is over when:
-after five or more complete innings, the 'visiting' team is leading by 15 runs or more.
-in the bottom of the 5th or subsequent innings, the 'home' teams is leading by 15 runs or more.
As I mentioned before, I'm not against continuing the game, but in my opinion, the game should be over and any additional runs scored by either team would not count in the end. In response to the hypothetical situation that the trailing team makes a come back, it's important to realise the following:
1) By rule, the game was already over, so the 'come back' is irrelevant.
2) The 'come back' may have been facilitated by the leading team relaxing their play because the game was already officially over. So again, such a 'come back' is irrelevant.
3) While the trailing team may complain that their 'come back' should count, the leading team can similarly complain that the game should have been called by the mercy rule. And in fact, they are correct by rule, so if they submitted a proper protest, I would expect their protest to be upheld.
I don't recall point #3 being discussed before, but under our current system (without an explicit rule overriding the official rule yet having the precedent of an unofficial interpretation leaving the mercy rule to the option of the trailing team), we are already open to this possibility if one team has enough of a lead to win by the mercy rule and the game is continued AND the trailing team does make a come back, that previously leading team would have a strong case under the rules to lodge a protest to have the game revert back to the score at which they would have won by mercy.
I will also mention that, due to liability issues, the paid umpires at our tournament would most likely invoke the mercy rule once it applies without giving the option to the trailing team. This is a serious issue an umpire that allows the game to continue after it should have been over risks voiding their insurance in the event that an injury occurs. This makes them potentially personally liable without coverage, and I, for one, would not allow that possibility. I know that EDSUA's policy is that if the teams want to continue anyway, the umpire is to leave the field (though sometimes umpires are talked into continuing against their better judgement).
This issue of liability should also be considered with respect to our league, our teams, and our players.
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