Rainout Policy

Weather is capricious here in Northern California; we've all experienced a drenching downpour in our own backyard while it was bone dry only a mile away. Baseball fields are a scarce resource; it's rare to see an LA-MV field that isn't being used for a practice or a game, whether by our league, a different league, or even a completely different sport. Rescheduling a game for 24 families is a logistical nightmare, especially in divisions where the coaches need to be mindful of pitching innings.

Cooper Under Water It is for these reasons that we have the following rainout policy:

Unless you have heard otherwise from your coach or a league official, always show up at the field on time and ready to play.
For Shetland and Pinto Divsions (ages 5-8) the decision to play will be agreed upon by the respective head coaches. The coaches are encouraged to make this decision on the field at game time.
For Mustang, Bronco, Pony, Colt, and Palomino Divisions (ages 9-19), the decision to play will be made by the umpires on the field at game time.
In extraordinary circumstances, the Vice President of Operations may close the fields at the recommendation of the Fields Director. The city or school district that owns the fields may also decide to close the fields. This will be announced in E-mails to the coaches and on the web site.

The primary factors to use when deciding whether to proceed with a game or practice are safety and the risk of damage to the fields:

Safety: Wet surfaces become slippery, even with cleats. A wet baseball is hard to throw accurately and hard to catch. A wet bat can slip out of player's hands. Rain in the player's eyes can obscure vision. All of these can result in injuries.
Field Conditions: 24 kids in cleats can do serious damage to a waterlogged field, in some cases requiring heavy equipment brought in to effect repairs. Our Fields Director and the maintenance teams from the schools and cities perform inspections and will close the fields if they are determined to be unplayable. Coaches should use their own common sense to determine whether a field is playable or not.