Lightning Policy
In the event of rain or potential rain, the convenor of each division is responsible for deciding if the games in their division will be rained out or not. Once they have decided the Oakville Little League Website ( www.ollb.org ) will be updated no later than 4:30 pm and the umpire scheduler will be informed. If time permits, the same message will be posted on the Oakville Umpires Website (www.ollumpire.com). The Oakville Little League website is the official site in determining whether games have been canceled as the umpire scheduler may not be available to update the ollumpire.com site.
Unless you hear or see to the contrary, always assume the game is on and go to the park. If you show up at the park and no one is there or the game is called off before it starts, you and your partner will get paid just for showing up.
If you arrive at the park and you do not think it is safe to play on, then you and your partner along with the two coaches will decide if there will be a game that night. Remember to keep the safety of the players in mind. Once a game has started it is your responsibility as the umpire to decide if a game should be called due to weather, darkness, etc. don’t forget that you run the game not the coach. If you do think something is not safe, than call the game. We will stand behind your decision 100%
Guideline for Lightning and Thunder
At all times the safety of fans, parents, coaches, players, and umpires on the field should be foremost in any decisions made. In keeping with Little League International's guide on maintaining a safe playing environment, and at the same time trying to minimize the need to reschedule games which in the past were ended due to a brief storm passing through the area, we are modifying our approach to situations where thunder and / or lightning are observed.
The objective of this approach is to ensure that 30 minutes have passed after the last occurrence of lightning or thunder. This is the time generally accepted as necessary to allow a thunder storm to clear the area and allow safe resumption of play.
The following examples illustrate how to apply the 30 minute delay. Once the game starts, only 1 delay is permitted. Note that lightning can be a series of consecutive strikes within a short period. The last seen lightning strike or related thunder roll heard by the umpires will be used to start the 30 minute delay.
| Occurrence | Assessment | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - a) Lightning / Thunder at 5:50 p.m | Prior to official start time |
Delay start of game by 30 minutes |
New Start time 6:20 pm |
|
1 - b) Additional Lightning / thunder at 6:00 p.m. |
Prior to official start time |
Additional Delay of 30 minutes | New Start time 6:30 pm |
|
1 - c) Additional Lightning / Thunder at 6:55 pm after Official Start-time |
After official start time & not within 30 minutes of “last inning” | Additional Delay of 30 minutes | Game resumes at 7:25 pm. No further delays allowed |
| 2 - Lightning / Thunder at 6:45 p.m. |
After official start time & not within 30 minutes of “last inning” |
Delay game for 30 minutes | Game resumes at 7:15 pm. No further delays allowed |
| 3 - Lightning / Thunder at 7:45 pm |
After official start time and within 30 minutes of “last inning” |
Teams to leave, game ends. | Coaches to advise convenor for decision re game status |
Umpires will normally consult with the coaches and the decisions of the umpires will be final and are not subject to protest.