League Game Scheduling Annoyance.

trippy1313

Starting Player
So... I've played softball for.... 17ish years. Since I filled in a bit on my dads team around 17 years old in Kent, WA. I've played in maybe 7 different city/county league around my area over the years, but always played in Kent every year, spring and summer leagues. Doubleheader games. Still do.

The last few years, they started having the first season games back to back against the same team. Second season the double headers were mixed so we'd play two different teams that day, which is what I've always seen in every league. Play two games, against two teams.

But now the last year, it officially became a USSSA ran league, and continuing this year, they've all been back to back double headers against the same team.

I emailed the director asking if they can mix up the schedule, and asked why they do this, if its covid or why?

He responded saying it wasn't because of covid. It's because most leagues run scheduling this way. And they would keep it this way.

Bologna. This is the only league I've ever played in that makes you play the same team twice in a row. It's not fun. Sure, it is when the games stay close. But when either team absolutely slaughters the other team, the its ridiculous to play them right again. Instead of expecting to see them later in the season and hope that either your team has improved or their team as tired out. Underdogs and whatnot.

It's still the same team I started with. I've been there for 17+ years, the rest of the team started 40 years ago. But this scheduling like this makes me tired of it. And it's been one of the best leagues I've played in.

Is it common for you guys to see scheduling like that? I've never heard of it except in Kent. So annoying. We play for 8 weeks. 16 games. I've scheduled leagues just for kids before... it's not that hard to mix up games.
 

defos

Well-Known Member
They're doing it both ways here this year. Wed nights with 8 teams, games are not back to back against the same team, but Sundays, with 10 teams, are. I'm playing both, so I'll see which I like best. At least all games are back to back without a 2-3 hour wait between games like we've had before. As a player, I see advantages to both, but as one who has scheduled leagues, back to back is much easier to schedule.

Wednesdays, one team will have to hustle to clear the dugout and get ready to play on another field while the team staying put gets a few minutes to chill. Granted, with 4 fields we only have to go 100 to 150 feet, but we'll still have to hustle since there's no time cushion between games.

You have a point about the same teams playing back to back if they're not evenly matched. There's a team we've played against for years that just hated us. Don't know why - it was them doing what they falsely accused us of doing, and they usually beat us. Fortunately, we've gotten along pretty well the past 3 years, and most games are a tossup now, but before that, no way would we have wanted to play them back to back.
 

loxx0050

Member
Most of the leagues I've played in are same teams for double headers and the one I've consistently played in recently has been that way for the whole time it has been run for decades. It's because there are 3 different fields at 3 different parks (would have to drive 5-10 minutes to get to another one). Now if we were playing in a park that had multiple fields next to each other maybe they'd mix it up. But I guess it depends on where the games are played.

For playoffs winning teams do have to high tail it to another field though but they don't like to make people do that. It's a PITA due to not being walking distance.

Granted I haven't played in leagues that is at a park that has multiple fields right next to each other hosting all their games. Been to some that has 2 fields with shared outfields but we still did same team back to back. It was interesting when a ball from the game behind you came rolling in.
 

trippy1313

Starting Player
See that makes sense if you're limited on fields, but we have 5 fields in one park.

In past years we used two parks but the other park had two fields so it was easy, teams at the second park would swap after the first game.
 

WiLD53

Well-Known Member
where i play, it's always 2 different teams in a doubleheader... about the only time it isn't is if you have a rainout and have to play the same team 2 times... rarely, but it does happen...:cool:
 

hitless45

Addicted to Softballfans
We used to play two different teams way back when our league first introduced dh's also prior to our complex being built.

The issue became/is, if/when teams went to extra innings everyone is there much later than expected/wanted, even with time limits.. our league/umps are pretty lenient in letting teams complete games, same issues with our 5 field complex when it was built we had to complete our 1st game and one of the two teams if not both would have to move to a different diamond and that clogged things up more often than not so for last couple decades it has been dh vs same team alot of people complained about it at first but it is what it is
 

D-ROCK13

Well-Known Member
It's all about time, and here theres a noise ordinance after 11pm, so they switched to same team double headers. Takes a little less time than teams switching fields, especially if one team goes into 1 pitch after 7 innings or time expires.
 

BigWhiffa

Underwear Researcher
Yeah I hate the back to back same team games. nobody likes getting run ruled but its 10x worse to get run ruled again by the same team. or even being on the other side. which around here, there are always a few teams in every league that are clearly the bottom dwellers.

The only thing I hate worse is when I look at the schedule and we play at 6 and 9 or some BS like that. I even hate an hour in between.
 

Redsfan

Well-Known Member
One year we actually had 22 teams for fall and we had to play at 2 different parks. The parks were only about 2 miles apart. Problem was the idiot would schedule you back to back games at different parks. Threw the entire schedule off because games of course run over. Even if we were on time the next game starts late because you gotta pack all your stuff up and drive 2 miles through a town. Stupid.
 

andy-rockstar

Living for the Cit-ay
So... I've played softball for.... 17ish years. Since I filled in a bit on my dads team around 17 years old in Kent, WA. I've played in maybe 7 different city/county league around my area over the years, but always played in Kent every year, spring and summer leagues. Doubleheader games. Still do.

The last few years, they started having the first season games back to back against the same team. Second season the double headers were mixed so we'd play two different teams that day, which is what I've always seen in every league. Play two games, against two teams.

But now the last year, it officially became a USSSA ran league, and continuing this year, they've all been back to back double headers against the same team.

I emailed the director asking if they can mix up the schedule, and asked why they do this, if its covid or why?

He responded saying it wasn't because of covid. It's because most leagues run scheduling this way. And they would keep it this way.

Bologna. This is the only league I've ever played in that makes you play the same team twice in a row. It's not fun. Sure, it is when the games stay close. But when either team absolutely slaughters the other team, the its ridiculous to play them right again. Instead of expecting to see them later in the season and hope that either your team has improved or their team as tired out. Underdogs and whatnot.

It's still the same team I started with. I've been there for 17+ years, the rest of the team started 40 years ago. But this scheduling like this makes me tired of it. And it's been one of the best leagues I've played in.

Is it common for you guys to see scheduling like that? I've never heard of it except in Kent. So annoying. We play for 8 weeks. 16 games. I've scheduled leagues just for kids before... it's not that hard to mix up games.
The Redmond league also schedules doubleheaders against the same team, with the games back-to-back. I'd take that over only playing one game on league night, as was the case when I lived in Alaska.
 

trippy1313

Starting Player
The Redmond league also schedules doubleheaders against the same team, with the games back-to-back. I'd take that over only playing one game on league night, as was the case when I lived in Alaska.
Yeah. One game a week kinda sucks.

Me personally I'm okay with waiting a few minutes for another game to finish if we get to mix up who we play. Extra innings don't happen too often, I don't find it an often issue. I honestly can't remember the last time we went into extras.

That and, I find the umpires rush us even harder now, because they figure they can get their games done faster and get out earlier, knowing they don't have to wait for new teams.
 

andy-rockstar

Living for the Cit-ay
Yeah. One game a week kinda sucks.

Me personally I'm okay with waiting a few minutes for another game to finish if we get to mix up who we play. Extra innings don't happen too often, I don't find it an often issue. I honestly can't remember the last time we went into extras.

That and, I find the umpires rush us even harder now, because they figure they can get their games done faster and get out earlier, knowing they don't have to wait for new teams.
We usually roll right from one game into the next, unless the umpire needs a potty/smoke break. Getting done early isn't the worst thing in the world.
 

TheKid33

Star Player
My league has always done double headers where we play the same team back to back until the later part of a season. So for instance a 6 team league with 16 games, you play every team 3 times and one team 4 times. All back to backs until you get to the last 4 games you play the teams you’ve only played twice once each. There were a few years where they tried to switch it up, and some years there’s been 8-10-12 team leagues so it cuts down the same opponent double headers. I truly don’t mind either way.

What is annoying: in 2020 a new league director took over (and is the worst I’ve come across in any league). In 2021 he or whoever he put in charge of scheduling was a complete dunce. They would have it where both teams switch fields after a game, rather than have one team stay in the same dugout for both games of the doubleheader. Even a few times we would play the same team back to back and both teams go to a different field. Myself and the manager of the other teams just told everyone to stay at the fields they were scheduled for game 1 because it made no sense. The LD scolded the umpires for it the next week when they were informed of it. One of the managers tried hounding the league office to get the LD to find some common sense and whenever he would call the lady in the office would say the LD wasn’t around. It’s a guy in his late 20’s-early 30’s who is the ice hockey director and he cut softball down from 6 to 2 days a week, adding kickball and cornhole which also makes no sense bc it’s not like you need the ball field for cornhole.

Safe to say this league has gone down the gutter within the last 2 years. The “rec” league is now an 8 team league on Thursday night’s and 5 of the teams are tourney teams with C players and ****. I’ve had my team there for 11 years straight every spring, summer, fall. We are moving to a new city league in the summer. Sad stuff.

Last part was off topic but bare with me I’ve been needing to vent 😂
 

trippy1313

Starting Player
Nah, the last part was on topic. It is the result of the scheduling annoyance. That is pretty bad having both teams switch fields.

Why? A change of scenery? Lol
 

D-ROCK13

Well-Known Member
Sounds like someone is completely clueless about running a softball program, we've had a couple of these kind of LD's, unfortunately...
 

Redsfan

Well-Known Member
Just noticed yesterday on our schedule they have us playing on 2 different fields at the same time next Sunday. They fixed it last night but how do you miss that in the first place?
 

loxx0050

Member
I just remembered last year somehow the city scheduled a little league game at the same time as our softball league game on the same field.

One of the little league teams coach was wondering if we got the day wrong or field but men's softball had been playing on that field/night for 20+ years. Don't know who screwed that one up. Normally the little league plays/practices a day or two earlier on the field. We thought there were just running practice and would finish by the time our league game was supposed to start. That was until another little league team showed up and then they both started warming up for a game. Even our softball league ump was confused with the situation when he showed up.

We ended up driving to another nearby field in the same city still that didn't have anything scheduled according to the league director to play our games.

We also discovered the opposing team we played that night had another double booked game on the same field with said same little league team about a month later (after checking with their coaches). At least that gave the league enough time to get it resolved ahead of time.
 
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