Why are some cancellations a game-time decision?

Game cancellations due to any type of weather situation (rain, hail, wind, snow, air quality, etc)are all handled the same way. If at 3:00pm (for weekday games) it is determined that fields will not be playable by game time then the games are cancelled. However, many times it is not clear at that time what the game-time conditions will be. The conversation then goes something like this: “If you think the game will likely be cancelled by rain (because rain is forecast) by the umpire at the field at 5:30pm (game start time), why don’t you just cancel the game in the morning and save everyone the drive?” The reason we don’t “pre-cancel” games is that forecasts are often not correct, and the game is played. If we pre-cancelled games every time there was a forecast for some chance of rain at game time, we would play very few games.

The other factor in game cancellations is that our city is spread out and the weather can vary greatly between a southeast and a northwest field. Therefore, we believe that coaches or umpires are best equipped to make the decision at the field as to the conditions to play the games. We want to play games if possible, rather than pre-cancelling and wishing later we had not. Certainly, with this strategy, it will occur from time to time that trips are made to the ball park and yet the game is not played. Unfortunately, that is the nature of dealing with nature.

Concerning “Air Quality” we use www.airnow.gov to follow the ozone index if there are fires in our area. If a game has not been cancelled and a family has a child who has respiratory issues, we encourage the parent(s) to make their own decision on what is best for their child.

The FCBC lightning policy is based on recommendations from the Nation Weather Service and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. While no policy can guarantee 100% against a lightning strike our policy has been created to minimize the risk to FCBC participants.

1. At multiple field complexes if one FCBC game stops play all will stop until the all clear signal is given by the umpires.
2. Once play is suspended all players, parents, coaches and umpires should leave the playing field and dugouts. Dugouts are not a safe shelter during a lighting storm.
3. A hard topped, rubber tired vehicle is the best sanctuary. Do not touch metal sides of vehicle.
4. If a vehicle is not available the bathrooms may be considered a shelter. Do not use plumbing fixtures during a storm.
5. Fifteen-Minute rule – Stay in the vehicle or structure until 15 minutes after the last sound of thunder. If additional thunder is heard teams will wait an additional 15 minutes. If subsequent sounds of thunder are heard after the second 15-minute wait the game will be cancelled.
6. If 30 minutes have passed and play cannot be resumed the game will be suspended or cancelled, league specific rules will apply to any makeup.

4/27/21 Today's Games are cancelled.

Weather Update Procedure:

Summer Updates for Competitive Games are posted by 3:00pm daily. After 3:00pm, decisions are made at the field.

Updates for Intermediate and Recreational Games are posted by 4:00pm daily. After 4:00pm, decisions are made at the field.