Drop Dead games

A lot of tournaments are starting to do a showcase event with a single elimination at the end. This pleases the showcasers as well as the "trophy hunters". I like this format as long as the tournament will let you play and hit as many players as you would like in the showcase part of it. Now, when it comes to bracket play I can see playing it by the book. During the showcase part of it I wouldn't mind drop dead rules as long as it was 1.5 hours or more.

Another potential problem I see, especially this day and time, is the 4 day format. 4 nights in a hotel plus meals is really expensive. If an event is going to be really huge, say 90+ teams and 90+ collge coaches I can see a 4 day format, but I would like to see more 2 day tournaments too.

When all is said and done the tourny directors put a lot of time and sweat into making a tournament work. I applaud them and know that it seems like a thankless job at times, but I am glad people and organizations are willing to put them on. Most of the tourny directors only want to put on a quality event and perhaps make some money in doing so and that is to be expected. If we continue to give suggestions in the right way I am sure they will listen.

Scheduling and keeping a tournament on time has got to be somewhat of a nightmare. Drop dead games definitely keep the tournament on time, but it does have it drawbacks...just make the games 1.5 hours or more and I believe most people would be OK with it. At 1.5 hours most games would go into the 6th or 7th inning.

 

Doesnt the drop-dead only apply to Showcase? If you dont like drop-dead, dont play showcase. The drop-dead keeps the games that are scheduled for specific appearances to a time schedule. And when you have to schedule between multiple games/teams to see the different players the firm times make alot of sense. I would, however, like to see a batter get to finish their at-bat.

I do like the quick single elimination tourny at the end of a showcase to allow some semblance of a winner.

Is the drop-dead carrying over to the non-showcase?

 

Then the solution for a team that is not worried about this is to not play showcase.

 

Yes it is in some regular tournaments also. Just no place in softball for it in my opinion. but that is just my opinion.

 

I could be wrong, but the reason the teams are paying hundreds of dollars to get into tournaments is because they want to play in front of college coaches. If people assumed there would be no college coaches at these showcases I would bet they would not spend the money or time to play in them. I firmly believe both parties (the players and the college coaches) can be accommodated and I feel that both require it. JMHO

 

Sorry..duplicate post so I deleted it.

 

agreed

 

Showcases

We play in all tournaments that advertise themselves as showcases, with the exception of the State Tournament(which should have no time limits - play 7 innings). I would rather finish the inning, than to have a drop dead time limit. I hate it when a player is in the box to hit and the play immediately stops. It is Showcase for a reason, so let the kid showcase her complete at bat.
When playing in the 'end the inning' format, it reduces the chances of coaches and players delaying play and running out the clock. It gives the game a more game-like, competitve atmosphere because teams know that they have until the bottom of the inning to battle it out. The Cardinal Classic ran it that way this weekend, and I loved it.

 

Plenty of proof

There is plenty of proof of that on this board chachacha. All folks have to do is read the thread when someone is advertising a tournament or when tournament scores are being posted. One of the very first questions asked is...

How many college coaches attended (or are planning on attending) and who are they?

 

Thank goodness we have the high school game to preserve fastpitch softball as it is intended to be played. Seven innings period... with tied games continued until somebody wins. The game was never intended to be played with a clock. Not drop dead and not "normal" travel ball. Some of the most exciting games are those duels tied at the end of 7 with both sides working hard to make the other side blink first.

Men's slowpitch is an example of how modifying the game so a tournament can squeeze 1000 games into a weekend can ruin the game. Men's slowpitch has conjured up so many speed-up rules that it's become ridiculous.