dug-out etiquette

[Rajun Cajun]

Can't find any rules on this, no local ball park rules, or nations rules that i can find.

we play nations 13U travel ball.

our team huddled up near the third base foul line outside the fence waiting for prior game to end.

noticed opposing team forming in gallery area on first base side also waiting for prior game to end.

at game end, our kids went onto field, and put their gear in the dugout after other team emptied out.

Observed the opponets team and fans move from first to third base side and "claim" this dugout as if they had landed on the moon and stuck a flag in in and claimed it for king and country.

Our coach explained that we only came here because you guys wer over there. and we're not moving now that we've settled into the dugout and gotten unpacked.

had to listen to their fans drop F bombs all over the place becasue they didn't like moving into other dugout.

Baseball USA in Houston TX has no rules on this, Nations doesn't either.

Seeding is not mentiond other than for home/away on chamionship brackets.

Any info.....................

BTW, 13U Hornets from San Antonio. My 6 year old got to hear his first F word thanks to you guys. If you guys just got out of prison I totally understand, but really...........your sportsmanship was totally unacceptable and it was a poor example for all to see. On the other hand, I thought your team played exceptionally well, was well coached, and the kids conducted themselves as gentlemen. Moms/dads, you could learn from your kids.

[bbrages]

Were you home or away?

Home team takes 1b side in our league, as in the majority of MLB parks. But there are a number of deviants who do it the "wrong way" in the majors.

It can make a difference with the shade. As a fan, I'll sit in "enemy territory" if it means getting out of the sun. Have to watch my tongue, though, ha ha...

[DerekD]

That's pretty much how it's done here. When one team is aleady there, the other teams always goes to the other side. The parents and fans just follow the team wherever they go and stay on that side. I'm not sure what prompted that other team to move over. Sun vs. shade maybe?

On VERY rare occasion, I've seen tournament rules that specify the home team's dugout, which is done by listing in pool play, then by seeding in eliminations.

[songtitle]

If the other coach meant to get under your skin... it worked. :clowning:

[Bulldog19]

In a "neutral site" situation, just go to a dugout! When one team is clearly the visitors and one team clearly the home team, then yes the home team gets their dugout of choice. But if you are playing at a location that is neither "yours" or "theirs" then it really shouldn't be that big of a deal..

[tg643]

In tournament ball pool play you don't know which is the home team until the coin flip just before the start of the game. From having been through this with two kids I've never seen the dugouts be an issue. It's first come, first serve. When you see equipment near a dugout you know it's been claimed. Once in elimination play higher seed always had first choice.

[Jake Patterson]

Caj,
Someone should have been home and away and one side should have been assigned home and away.

In the exact situation I am uncertain if I would have moved either... If there are no assigned sides and you are already there then tough nuggies.

[Rajun Cajun]

I did suggest to tournament director that there needs to be something in place to designate. This is just one of those neutral site ball parks as is the case with all tournament/travel ball.

Never seen this before in over 8 years of tournament ball though.

Normally when a team picks their side, they stay put and don't change their mind.

The other issue is the blatant disrespect and profanity in the stands when they didn't get their way. we played some pretty rough inner city people who are used to bullying people around and getting their way.

They did lose in the finals though. Maybe it was Carma............

[Mur5]

Were you home or away?

Home team takes 1b side in our league, as in the majority of MLB parks. But there are a number of deviants who do it the "wrong way" in the majors.

It can make a difference with the shade. As a fan, I'll sit in "enemy territory" if it means getting out of the sun. Have to watch my tongue, though, ha ha...

Had a similar problem my first year coaching T-ball. The park I coach at designates the third base side as "Home", just as the Dodgers and Angels do (I'm in LA County). Fights over dugouts were always parents fighting over shade. After a little research I found that originally all the MLB teams east of the Mississippi used the first base side as Home, teams west of the Mississippi used the third base side. Eventually though, with new ball parks being built, they started to fade from that tradition. Now it's basically up to the owner/architect to decide what side he wants the home dugout on.

[tg643]

Had a similar problem my first year coaching T-ball. The park I coach at designates the third base side as "Home", just as the Dodgers and Angels do (I'm in LA County). Fights over dugouts were always parents fighting over shade. After a little research I found that originally all the MLB teams east of the Mississippi used the first base side as Home, teams west of the Mississippi used the third base side. Eventually though, with new ball parks being built, they started to fade from that tradition. Now it's basically up to the owner/architect to decide what side he wants the home dugout on.

With tee ball tell the parents to all sit together in the shade and get along.

[michhood622]

Rajun,

Well with my wife I would not say it was the 1st time mt 8yr old heard the F word, but playing the Hornets in the championship he got to see a parent from their team get tossed for using foul language.

[Ursa Major]

With tee ball tell the parents to all sit together in the shade and get along.

Good luck with that. More likely to find Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell huddling to sing "Kumbayah" together. Best parent bonding occurs in 13-14 y/o ball, as they usually know each other and the results of the games are less important than getting the kids ready for HS ball.

But, this dugout selection process is sufficiently universal that there's no excuse for tournament directors to fail to take the simple step of putting on the web site or information sheet: "Last named team for each game is the home team and takes the 3rd base dugout." (Or whatever.) Problem solved.

[Roothog66]

Whenever we travel to Phoenix and play at the Big League Dreams Park, we don't have this problem. All of the parents sit in the restaurant and watch the game in A/C with a beer!