Ideas- Increasing The Number of High School Games Allowed In A Week

As most know, the NCHSAA limits the number of softball games a high school team can play to four in a week. With many NC HS teams now playing in spring tournaments out of state where to win the tournament a team must play sometimes 5 or games more in a week. This four game restriction NC teams must follow requires NC teams only to be able to play pool games and then head home while teams from other states continue to play.

On the NCFCA website, transcripts of a Q&A meeting between Lin Wheeler, NCFCA VP and head coach at Cape Fear High School and Que Tucker, Deputy Executive Director of the NCHSAA are posted. Coach Wheeler questions Mr. Tucker about the reasoning behind this ""four game rule" for NC HS softball teams.

Here is the question and answer from the NCFCA website:

Question: The NCHSAA addressed concerns of the NCFSCA at the winter meeting, one of the questions involved requesting 24 playing dates in softball instead of a 24 game limit. Does the NCHSAA realize that fastpitch softball is a “tournament” sport and many of our players are playing 5-9 games every weekend at least three times a month during the summer? The NCFSCA and many softball coaches are concerned that we are being compared unfairly to other sports when our circumstances are much different. Could you discuss why the number of playing dates should be consistent between sports and what the criteria for comparing these sports might be?


Answer: NCHSAA Softball takes place during the school year. We have no control over parents allowing their daughters to play in tournaments, even if it consists of 5-9 games every weekend. Traveling softball is not our concern-- we care more about numbers and the opportunity for young women to play fast pitch softball. The Board feels the 24 game limit—4 game in a week—is sufficient while being a high school student. Those same girls, as you indicated, turn around and play all weekend. Somehow, we seem to want to make high school sports “professional”.

After reading this, what are some thoughts and ideas so at the next opportunity, the NCFCA could present to the NCHSAA that would cause them to re-consider their position on the four game limit for softball?

I'll start. IMO opinion coach Wheeler asked a great question, however the answer leaves me thinking Mr. Tucker is comparing softball to baseball, plus Mr. Tucker didn't fully answer the question. What I take from the answer is that the NCHSAA is concerned about the amount of time a softball (and baseball) player may be spending playing games which if increased, could possibly be interferring with school work. This is a valid and very important concern.

I think everyone agrees, there is no way the number of HS baseball games played in a week can or should be increased. In baseball there are many more concerns with pitcher's innings as well as 99% of baseball games take MUCH longer to play than a fastpitch softball game.

Many times you can play two fastpitch games in the same amount of time or less it takes to play one baseball game. I have been to many HS baseball games that have taken 2 1/2 hours or more to play. Most HS softball games are completed and the dugouts cleared in an hour and forty-five minutes or less.

I don't think the four game limit is in place for softball because the NCHSAA is really concerned with the number of innings a softball pitcher throws or player safety. If that is the case, then in the the 2005 state 4A finals, there would have been no way Mendy McKenzie (West Forsyth) and Gina Allen (Central Cabarrus) would have been allowed to pitch 19 innings straight in 90 plus degree heat. (Not to mention the well being of the 2 catchers in that game). Another example is this past year's state 4A finals, I believe North Davidson's Danille Glosson pitched 3 games in one day (21 innings).

So if pitcher/player safety for softball is part of the reason for the four game per week limit, then the NCHSAA is sending conflicting messages when softball players are allowed to compete in ways just described.

If the NCHSAA would compare the number of hours a baseball player spends in a week just playing games to the number of hours a softball player spends, there would be a huge difference.

If the NCHSAA is concerned about HS players potential for spending too much time on athletics compared to studies, I think a more fair method of evaluation between baseball and softball should be done. I don't think the number baseball games should be reduced, but that the approximate number of hours spent actually playing games in a week should be considered. Then softball could be treated more fairly in respect to the time spent playing softball games rather than the actual number of games.

Just my thoughts. Anyone else have an opinion or possible solution?

 

why

why have you not groomed another pitcher anyway even without a rule in place for innings pitched, especially if you are concerned about your lone pitcher being overworked?

 

Bmac, just to clarify, I think Que Tucker is Ms. Que Tucker, a lady; I think she played basketball at NCSU?

 

I agree totally that they do not play enough games. Don't forget, this is a girls sport & girls never get a fair shake compared to boys and thats a CROK OF CRAP!!!!

What if you listed all sports, total number of games played & avg. games per week. How would that work out.

 

Response to NCFSCA Concerns!

The NCFSCA addressed the question of 23 playing dates as opposed to 23 games to the NCHSAA at their Winter meetings in 2005. This is the response that was given by the NCHSAA.

"23 games-24 if playing an endowment-is consistent with other sports".

No further explanation was given. Lin Wheeler asked Ms. Tucker in his Q&A that you have referred to the same question. The rsponse from her is correct

 

I have met Ms. Tucker before and I have no idea what I was thinking. I apologize for my mistake.

 

Their response only makes sense in respect to the number of games played. If the number of hours in those games played were compared, there is no way softball is consistent with other sports.

Pop- what can be done to get this issue reconsidered?

 

what

Bmac, what would you recommend if you could change this rule on # of games?

also would you be in favor of limits on innings pitched per pitcher in HS ball?