Our Rain Out Policies and Proceedures

Our Rain Out Policies and Proceedures

Rainout decisions are difficult and usually require an educated guess based on the amount of rain we have received over the last few days, the temperature, the amount of wind and the amount of sun.  If it is the first rain in days and we have sun, wind and it is hot, this is the ideal condition to get a field ready after a good rain.  If we have had a lot of rain over the last few days and we aren't getting a lot of wind, sun or warmth, it will be more difficult to get a field ready.  

Another factor is the weather forecast.  We will not make a decision based on the forecast more than 12 hours prior to the game time.  As it gets closer to the game time, we will use the radar to assist in making our decision.  (Please note, this page is discussing rainouts only and not severe weather)

And yet, another factor is the field.  Each field has its specific ability to handle rain so sometimes we can get some fields ready but other fields may be too wet for us to take the risk to play.

The goal is to make a decision by 3:00 pm and post on the website and a message on Voice Mail as to the final decision if we will play or not. 

One of the most difficult decisions is when there is rain expected after 3:00pm and although we understand the radar can change very quickly we will use the radar and the weather prediction to assist us in making this decision.  However,  we will continue to assume we will play until the weather determines otherwise.  It is the nature of the sports of baseball and softball to sometimes arrive or start a game in light rain but the field gets too wet during the game and will need to be canceled.  
Here is some additional information:

  • SAFETY: The main concern always is safety. There is a risk of injury when playing on a muddy field. I would rather be "safe than sorry" in this situation. So, if there is ever any doubt we will always make the decision as to what is the safest for the athletes.
  • EDUCATED GUESS: So, this is the hard part. Clearly, when we have water on the field or a field that is muddy we can't play at that time. The question is, "can we get it ready by the game time". That requires an educated guess based on if we are supposed to get any more rain, the temperature, the wind and the amount of sun. So, we have to make an educated guess by 3:00 pm if we can get the field(s) ready by the game time and unless they are playable at 3, this isn't easy to do. So, when it comes down to what mistake would we rather make. Cancel and we should have played or play and we shouldn't have played.  Sometimes, we make the wrong educated guess but we would rather make this mistake on the side of caution than on the side of risk.
  • CAN WE RESCHEDULE: There are times that rescheduling is really going to be a complete nightmare or even impossible. If we can reschedule the games fairly easily I will take that option rather than spend a lot of money getting a wet field ready and risking injury to the players.  
  • MOVING THE GAME TIMES BACK:  This is possible on some fields and some leagues but not possible for all leagues but is always an option.  We will also take in consideration if it is a school night.
  • THE FIELD:  On occasion, it may be possible to get some fields ready because they drain better than other fields or other factors.  So, there may be times some games may be played but other games can not be played based on the condition of the fields.
  • FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: It costs extra money in "man-hours", supplies and sometimes umpires when we have rain issues and we do take financial implications into consideration when we make the decision as to what we need to do to get the field(s) ready.
  • RESCHEDULING: I realize that rescheduling can cause problems with teams/coaches and we try to follow a consistent pattern in rescheduling in the season. It can be difficult to find times to reschedule the games but rainouts are part of the baseball/softball world.   


RESCHEDULING POLICIES

  • We will Avoid Saturdays as much as possible
  • We will NOT reschedule any games on a Sunday
  • We will not reschedule games during Memorial day weekend or 4th of July weekend.
  • We will not schedule 4 games during the week unless we absolutely must and both head coaches agree.
  • Umpire availability is a consideration when rescheduling.
  • Pitching for the "kid pitch" leagues will be taken into consideration but will not be the final deciding factor.  
  • We MAY schedule a team to play a DH but only when absolutely necessary.
  • We MAY need to use a different field to play a rescheduled game.
  • If all other options are exhausted, we will play games beyond the 4th of July weekend. We will make every effort to finish prior to the holiday weekend as we are aware that many people plan on vacations after the 4th.
  • The forfeit rules will exist on all rescheduled games. It is understood that in today's busy life that a rescheduled game can cause issues but our first goal is to play all games scheduled.
Again, we do understand that everyone lives a busy life but we will make every effort to follow the above policies in rescheduling and we do understand that the rescheduled game may impact other aspects of your life.  We take no pleasure in any games that are forfeited but we must follow these guidelines and the rules established by the board.

The current rulebook takes priority over any policy in this knowledge base.

Did this answer your questions?  If not, please use the search bar (above) to find the answer or you can submit a ticket below.  

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