SEC Baseball Rules for Inclement Weather

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Inclement Weather. The inclement weather policy is as follows:
1. If a game is suspended on Friday or Saturday, the game shall be completed from the point of interruption on the following
day prior to the regularly scheduled game. In the event the regularly scheduled game is to be televised, the continued game
may be played afterward.
2. If a suspended game is resumed on Saturday, it shall be nine innings followed by the regularly-scheduled Saturday nineinning
game.
3. If a suspended game is resumed on Sunday, the regularly scheduled game shall be seven innings.
4. If a suspended game is unable to be completed because of inclement weather and has reached official game status (five
innings or more per NCAA Rule 5.6), it will be declared a game.
5. Once a suspended game is resumed, the game will be complete if one team has a lead of 10 or more runs after seven innings
of play (NCAA Rule 5.8).
6. If weather prevents playing both the Friday and Saturday games, or if the Saturday game does not begin because of rain,
there shall be two seven-inning games on Sunday. If a Friday game is suspended and no games are played on Saturday, the
suspended game shall be resumed on Sunday, followed by a seven-inning game.
7. In the event of rain on Friday or Saturday, no game may start after 10 p.m. local time or resume after midnight local time.
8. In the event of a rain-delay prior to the beginning of play on Sunday, the game must begin at least two hours and thirty
minutes prior to the visiting team’s scheduled departure time from the field, but no later than 4 p.m. local time to avoid a rain
out of the game. (See Departure Time of this section.)
If the game begins and is delayed, it must resume by 6 p.m. local time to avoid a rain out of the game.
In all instances, departure time takes priority. A team may not stay over until Monday to begin or complete a game or series.
In the event the visiting team is not scheduled to leave the host city until Monday and there are no prior travel limitations for
the game’s umpires that would dictate departure to enact these deadlines, with Conference approval, it would be permissible
to waive the 4 p.m. deadline for the start of a game and a 6 p.m. deadline for the resumption of the game.
9. If weather forecasts on Friday or Saturday morning call for a high occurrence of inclement weather on Sunday, the home
team with approval of the visiting team may request permission from the Conference office to play a doubleheader on
Saturday. Approval of a prospective Saturday doubleheader would be given no earlier than Saturday morning and shall be
limited to circumstances where there is a high likelihood that weather will not permit a game to be played on the final day of
the series. This does not apply for possible inclement weather on Friday or Saturday of a weekend series.
10. The umpire-in-chief has sole authority to suspend, postpone or cancel the game if conditions become unfit for play.
11. Each member institution shall be responsible for having the capability to determine when lightning strikes are within
specified distances from the competition site. When lightning is detected within 10 miles of the competition site, home team
game management shall utilize the public address system to inform those in attendance that inclement weather including
lightning is within 10 miles and that should patrons vacate the facility for safe shelter, they will be allowed to re-enter with a
ticket stub. When lightning is detected within six (6) miles of the competition site, the competition shall be suspended.
Competition may be resumed when lightning is no longer within the six-mile range.

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