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Game suspended because of darkness

2016/7/15 16:55:30


Question
Hi Mark,

Our slow-pitch playoff game was suspended last night due to darkness during the top of the 7th.  My team led after 6 and was still leading when the game was suspended.  The league commissioner has us finishing the game from where we left off tonight.  The league's bylaws state:
"Any game called after 4 complete innings of play will be considered a completed game. EXCEPTION: Any playoff game will follow the ASA rule for championship play."

That exception has me confused.  From my reading of the rulebook, the game should be over with the score reverting back to where it stood after 6 innings.  Looking at the ASA Code, the only thing I can find is in Article 510-C:
"Continuation of Game. In the event of rain or any cause that interrupts a game, the game must be resumed at the exact point where it was stopped."

My guess is that the commish is looking at this part of the code and interprets it to mean that in championship play the game must go the full 7 innings.   But I think it's really just meant to emphasize that you don't replay an incomplete inning if the game is tied or not yet regulation.  To put it another way, the definition of a regulation game from the rulebook is the same regardless of whether you're talking about ASA championship play or any other ASA game.  Am I right?

Also, we had a guy in our lineup who can't make it tonight.  We have a legal sub who wasn't there last night.  He can sub for the missing guy, right?  Or if the sub doesn't show up, we can take an out for the missing player, right? (We had 10 fielders and an EP last night.)

Thanks!

Answer
Hi Jim,

very nice argument, well done.  BUT in ASA championship play if it's at all humanly possible we play 7, restarting at 2am (yes it's happened) or the next day if need be and also of course if it's possible.  

I'm not an expert on the "code" (different from the rule book as you know) but I believe it's intent is unless an extraordinary situation exists, we play 7.

Any player on the roster can legally sub in at the re-start.  If your shorthanded you can take an out in that BP.  While I would enforce the line-up in championship play, since this is just local w/ your logic skills you might try to convince the commish to allow you to withdraw the EP on the restart if your short, should you need to bat.  Probably won't work but what the heck.

Mark
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