CALL A's

To ALL NCLL Managers and Umpires - We seem to run into this every year during the first few weeks of the season until Daylight Savings Time. There is always a chance of any game starting after 3pm of being called on the account of darkness. Primarily, this will effect the Juniors and Minor A games, but it could happen on the Minor field as well. Managers (and umpires) are reminded that games need to start at the scheduled start time as is reasonably possible. If this means cutting off infield warm-ups, so be it. These are the instructions given to the umpires: 1) The umpires, once they receive the home team's lineup just before the beginning of the game, have the sole authority for calling a game. Rule 4.01 (d). It is not a decision between the umpires and/or the managers and/or the BoD. It is up to the umpires. 2) A game becomes a Regulation Game after 4 complete innings (5 innings for Jr/Snr) or 3-1/2 innings (4-1/2 innings Jr/Snr) if the home team is ahead and the umpire calls the game. If the umpires call the game after 4 innings, the game is over (unless tied) and is not to be continued at a later date. 3) Umpires are to use their judgment as to whether or not to start an inning before calling the game. If the umpire, in his judgment, decides that an inning can not be completed before it is too dark to play, he should not start the inning. In other words, if innings have been taking 25 minutes to complete and there is only 10-12 minutes of daylight left, the umpire should not start that inning. If he calls it before the game is a Regulation Game, then the game is suspended. If he calls it after it is a Regulation Game, then the game is over. - Chuck Reichel Umpire-in-Cheif