Any International Tie Breaker (ITB)

[fitzpats]

Hey everyone. Just wanted to see if I screwed up last night, or if I got it right. League playoff game using ASA/USA softball rules with some league modifications. Time limit hits with the score tied, so we move to extra innings. League paperwork says extra innings are done using the international tie breaker. I've always understood that ITB is last batter for the inning on second with one out. Other umpire had no outs. What is the rule? Tried searching here and online. All I find is placing a runner on second with no mention of outs to start the inning. Don't worry, I'll be asking the league director for specific direction on this in the future, but just wanted to see what others know. Either way, it was the same for both teams so it was fair. Thanks.

 

[Joker]

no outs

 

[irishmafia]

Hey everyone. Just wanted to see if I screwed up last night, or if I got it right. League playoff game using ASA/USA softball rules with some league modifications. Time limit hits with the score tied, so we move to extra innings. League paperwork says extra innings are done using the international tie breaker. I've always understood that ITB is last batter for the inning on second with one out. Other umpire had no outs. What is the rule? Tried searching here and online. All I find is placing a runner on second with no mention of outs to start the inning. Don't worry, I'll be asking the league director for specific direction on this in the future, but just wanted to see what others know. Either way, it was the same for both teams so it was fair. Thanks.

Why would some putz want to add an out? Sort of defeats the purpose of placing a runner on 2B.

As Joker noted, there are no outs to be awarded. BTW, there is no such thing as an ITB. It is just a tie-breaker

 

[NCASAUmp]

Keep in mind that the Tie-Breaker rule was not written with regular slow pitch in mind. As such, there may need to be additional rules written to handle when a courtesy runner is allowed for the runner at 2nd base. I know of one league that follows the (unwritten) Senior rule that the runner must advance to 3rd base before a courtesy runner is allowed.

 

[defos]

When they first started using the tie-breaker here, it was last batter (or out) from the previous inning on 2nd with 2 outs. Obviously the idea is to speed up the game, but this does not do that. We took more time than if we had just kept playing as we were. We'd go 3 or 4 extra "innings" before somebody scored, with a lot of time wasted going on and off the field. Did it that way for a couple of years before they changed to starting with 1 out. I don't remember if we're going with 0 or 1 out this year. That's one of those things that's stated one way at the preseason coaches meeting (that few attend), but changes by the time it comes up on the field.

 

[TomicSquad13]

The tourneys we play in use SCMAF rules (kind of bastardized ASA/USSSA rules) and its a runner on second and it can be anyone (same gender in coed) with one out. They used to do the last out thing but the teams would always sub that runner out as soon as they could and that just ate up time.

 

[billvp]

since we're adding anecdotes, our local league starts runner on 3rd with 2 outs

 

[dttruax]

Did away with any of that in one of my leagues this year to save time (park has a curfew at 1030). So if the game ends in a tie, it's a tie.

 

[LIKEUCM]

The reason for the tie breaker rule is to "break the tie". Starting with an out kinda defeats the purpose. A team could walk the first batter in hopes of turning a double play to end the inning.

 

[A Salt Weapon]

The tourneys we play in use SCMAF rules (kind of bastardized ASA/USSSA rules) and its a runner on second and it can be anyone (same gender in coed) with one out. They used to do the last out thing but the teams would always sub that runner out as soon as they could and that just ate up time.

Here we have a 1 courtesy runner per inning rule. So by keeping last batter it forces the team to burn their courtesy if they want to change the runner.