The Rule
The weather is unpredictable, even in Southern California. You must familiarize yourself with the Halted Game rule – the plate umpire shall declare a halted game if play must be temporarily suspended with the intent that it will be continued at some later time or date. Use of the halted game rule may be decided at the pregame meeting, by conference ruling or by tournament policy.
o Non-conference games – ask the coaches at the pre-game meeting – using it?
o Tournament games – before the tournament starts check with the assignor to see if it will be used.
o Conference games – check the conference rules posted in Arbiter.
Here are the pertinent rules:
o Conferences have the option to use the Halted Game rule
o It is used when the game must be stopped but the intent that it will be completed at a later time or date
o During the regular season, if a game is both halted and regulation, regulation will take precedence assuming the reasonable efforts make to complete the game have failed
o A regulation game shall be 7 innings unless the umpire declares the the game called, forfeited, or halted.
o A regulation game is one which has completed 5 or more innings (exception: home team has scored more runs at the end of it fourth inning than the visiting team has scored in its five offensive half-innings
Umpire procedures for a Halted Game
We should be prepared for a Halted Game situation any time we take the field. It is strongly recommended that the plate umpire keep a small card in his/her lineup holder for recording the details at the time the Halted Game is declared. Here is an example:
Name of Person completing form: Cell phone:
Date: Site: Home: Score
Inn: T___ B___ Visitor Score:
Team at bat: Outs:
Batter: Count: B___ Strikes___
Base runners (#) 1st : 2nd: 3rd :
Attach the lineup cards to this form and ensure that it is sent to the assigner, who should arrange for them to be sent to the plate umpire assigned to the game if there is an attempt to complete it.
Halted Game is completed at a later time
• Every effort should be made to continue the game with the plate umpire’s original lineup cards.
• Before the restart of a halted game, the plate umpire shall conduct a pregame meeting to verify the lineup information remains correct.
• Play must resume at the exact point at which it was suspended.
• The lineups and batting orders of both teams must be exactly the same and any player who played or was announced as a substitute before the game was suspended, must be in the lineup when play resumes or be ineligible for the remainder of the game.
Halted Game cannot be completed at a later time
• If the halted game did not qualify for a regulation game at the time it was halted, it shall be declared a No Game if all reasonable efforts made to complete the game have failed.
• If the halted game has completed 5 or more innings (or 4 1/2 with home team ahead) and cannot be completed at a later time or date, it is considered a regulation game.
