Time Outs

Question
We play coach pitch 8 and under, and the opponent was at bat, after each pitch he would call time out and go talk to his batter, intentionally stalling the game, what is the rule on coaches asking for time out? Thank you,

Answer
Hi Jason,

Thank you for your question.  There is no mention of which organization your team plays for, so I'm not able to study one certain rule book that references your coach-pitch 8U question.   However, I can provide ASA and NFHS rulings on offensive conferences, and perhaps those will be useful to you.  

If your organization's rules are not able to limit an offensive base coach's offensive conferences, then I suggest that you implement a league rule that will do so.  What a DRAG, for EVERYONE, to have to sit through a half inning in which a base coach talks with her batter after every pitch!

ASA
Rule 5-7 CONFERENCES
A. Offensive Conference.  There shall be only one charged conference between a team representative(s) and the batter, another team representative, and/or runner(s) in an inning.  The umpire shall not permit any such conferences in excess of one in an inning.
EFFECT: Ejection of the manager or team representative who insists on another charged conference.

NFHS:
Rule 3-7 CHARGED CONFERENCES
2.  Each team, when on offense, may be granted not more than one charged conference per inning to permit the coach or any of that team's personnel to confer with base runners, the batter, the on-deck batter or other offensive team personnel.  The umpire shall deny any subsequent offensive team requests for charged conferences.  This offensive team charged conference rule coverage is effective when the ball first becomes live at the start of each half inning.  Time granted for an obviously incapacitated player shall not constitute a charged conference.

Scott Kelly