A mercy rule shall result in the conclusion of the game if: 1. After 2 ½, 3, 3 ½ or 4 complete innings of play if there is a difference of 15 or more runs. 2. After 4 ½, 5, 5 ½ or 6 complete innings of play if there is a difference of 7 or more runs.a. Complete innings must be played unless the team second at bat scores the required number of runs while at bat. When the team first at bat reaches the required number of runs in the top half of the inning, the team second at bat must have their opportunity to bat in the bottom half of the inning.Now here's a situation: The game has just finished the 4th inning; the Home Team leads by 6 runs. There is between 30 and 45 minutes left on the time clock. The Away Team comes to bat for the top of the 5th inning.This situation is not yet a mercy, so the game continues.Do we declare the 5th inning open?If we DO and the Away team fails to score enough runs to tie in the top half, the Home Team would win the game long before the time is up.If we do NOT, and the Away team fails to score a run in the top half of the inning, the Home team would need to score only one run in the bottom half to make the game a mercy. This could also end the game before the time is up.If we do NOT (another situation), the Away team can still score only 5 (or 4) runs in that inning because it is closed. Perhaps they accomplish this, taking a long time, and the Home team also takes a long time for their half of the inning. This could potentially surpass the time limit beyond which no new innings may begin. This would be unfair to the Away team, who started their comeback as they could have potentially taken the lead in the game if the inning was declared open.It seems unfair to declare an inning as open after the Away team has reached the run-per-inning limit, and letting them continue to bat.Thoughts? What should be done?Mark
Mercy Rules
I was wondering, with those age categories and divisions that have a final Open Inning, when is best to declare the last inning in respect to the game being close to being a mercy? The issue of not ending a game super early and being able to play for the full 90-105 minutes is also a factor in making this decision.The CMSA handbook defines the Mercy Rule (10.3, Softball Canada rule 5.6) as: