Weather Policy

Official baseball rules are in place regarding in-game procedures for dealing with severe weather. Field conditions are the responsibility of the Home Coach until the plate meeting. At the plate meeting, weather and field decisions transfer to the umpiring crew. BOMBA may utilize Executive, Convenors, and Mentors to assist umpires during in-game weather situations. All umpire decisions are final and are not debatable.

BOMBA follows Baseball Ontario’s policy regarding Thunderstorms. The Baseball Ontario policy is created in direct consultation with Environment Canada. There is no rule in Baseball Ontario that addresses lightning. The rule deals strictly with Thunder. The slogan “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors” is communicated to all umpires in training and to coaches at the annual coaches meeting. During a Thunder Delay, the playing field is to be cleared and all persons are to seek shelter in a vehicle or indoors. Parents need to be aware during inclement weather that they need to be nearby to potentially provide shelter for their kid(s) if a delay is called. Once a delay is called, a 30-minute waiting period starts and cannot be shortened. The 30-minute clock resets every time a new crack of Thunder is heard. Responsibility falls on the Head Coach(es) during practice times. After 30 minutes, players will have the opportunity to return to the field and warm up and then the game may resume.

Lightning Safety and Preparedness Fact Sheet