Pre-season Indoor Dome Softball Orientation & Social Night
This is an open invitation to Indoor registering players or friends who are just curious about dome ball and may want to take a look see. Maybe watch a free game and check out our comfy turf. Sometime this is called Fun night.
There is
no cost for the program and everyone gets a chance to have a few turns at bat and
to field the ball.
Orientation Night for 2012 - time and dates, to be announced
Major League Sportsplex
641 Danforth Rd., Scarborough, ON M1K 1G1
Click on the quick map link for a clearer picture http://quikmaps.com/show/181377
Please contact Wayne Crowley by return e-mail or call 416 518-0542 if you plan to attend.
Bring your friends and watch the softball games.
Purpose
To introduce new people to the playing condition of our indoor ball league and to eliminate first game surprises as to the conditions we play under; the travel of the ball, the game rules and quirks in tracking the ball off the roof or walls. This practice night will prepare you to do your best from the first game onwards.
For those who have played before, as well as a new season refresher, it is a good social fun night of batting & fielding practice and a chance to meet the new people.
Playing Conditions
& Environment
There are several factors that come into play that makes the indoor game far different than the summer games. The outfield is narrower; this is both an advantage and a disadvantage. The lighting is different and the ball jumps off the bat and turf faster than normal.
At the dome we have walls, ceiling, light stands and some netting to deal with. At times you have to learn how to track the ball somewhat differently. Balls hit off the ceiling, walls or rigging are live and fair or foul depends on where they land. Of course, tracking recherché balls requires some mental adjustments, but if caught in fair territory off the ceiling, it is an out!
What to wear
Most players wear their regular softball shoes and this dome has some of the best turf around. Running shoes are an option. If you are a spectator in the dome a jacket is needed to keep warm. However, once you stat to play and run, you will be down to a T-shirt in no time at all. In fact, it is a wonderful playing temperature for our game. (Sure beats the August heat wave.)
Dome Orientation Training
Format
The playing group is divided in half. One takes the field & the other bats. We will have a minimum of 3 innings (more if the time permits).
The inning haft is over when the batting side has gone through the complete order once. This way each player gets to bat every inning and the defence get to makes the maximum number of plays each time they take the field.
Other than this quirk, you play offense & defence as you normally would. The exception is – 3 out does not end the inning. What we have done here is to eliminate the inning change over drag and turned that time into concentrated play time.
Please don’t confuse this exercise with the way indoor ball is normally played. At the real game we use the real softball rules, plus a few of our own.
Dome guidelines for conduct