When Fields are Closed

To begin, it's important to note that SCLL does not own the fields it plays on. Instead, most games and practices are held on fields rented from Spotsylvania County. When the county decides to close its fields, SCLL must cancel any games or practices held on county fields. This decision is typically made during business hours and is based on existing field conditions from rain that has fallen in the past 72 hours. This means that the county will typically not close fields for forecasted storms or those arriving in the late afternoon leading up to game time.

Decisions to close county fields are shared with the league, which are then relayed to team managers and posted to our Facebook page. On occasion, the league may still hold events at parks in the City of Fredericksburg when county fields are closed.

Please note that when the county cancels its own Parks & Rec sports programs due to weather, that does not necessarily mean that SCLL games are canceled. Announcements for cancellations of league events will come from your team manager or the league Facebook page.

When the League Cancels Events

When fields are not closed by the county, as is often the case on weekends or after business hours, SCLL may decide to cancel its own events. This decision is typically made by the league president or a delegate on the board of directors when they determine that fields across the league are unplayable or radar maps show significant rain is imminent. The league uses input from team managers and board members across multiple fields and parts of the county when making this decision. In some cases, cancellations are made on a field by field basis. While we make every effort to communicate clearly and promptly, final decisions may be made close to game time. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

As with field closures from the county, decisions by the league to cancel events are relayed to team managers and posted to our Facebook page.

When it's a Game-Time Decision

When storms are scattered or arrive shortly before an event, decisions on whether to hold practice are left up to the team manager. For games, the managers of both teams must agree on the fitness of the playing field before the game starts. If they cannot agree, a league official will make the decision. For games with an umpire, once the plate conference begins, the decision to suspend play is made by the umpire. Although games may be played in rain, the league instructs its managers and umpires not to play when field conditions become unplayable, such as when standing water forms on more than 5% of the infield or if significant portions of the infield become muddy and slippery. The goal is to avoid safety risks for our players and unnecessary wear and tear on fields trusted in our care.

Although game-time decisions are inconvenient, they are often unavoidable given the unpredictable nature of weather and the large geographical area covered by our league. Different fields deteriorate at different rates when it rains, and sometimes it may be pouring in one part of the county while another part has full sun.

At SCLL, we encourage our team managers to make every effort to hold games and practices as scheduled. This means that team events should not be canceled based only on a weather forecast.

When Lightning Strikes

Finally, it's important to remember that play must stop when lightning is detected nearby, regardless of field conditions or precipitation. According to the SCLL Safety Plan, when lightning is seen or thunder is heard all participants must vacate the field and seek shelter in a nearby structure or vehicle. Play (or practice) may resume 30 minutes after the last lightning strike is seen or heard. Depending on the time and the potential for prolonged storms, the manager (or umpire) at the field may cancel the remainder of the event and send participants home.  Our full lightning and thunder policy can be viewed in both our Safety Plan and Local Rules located in our League Documents.