OYO Reminders for Fall Ball Game Days
As we gear up for our 11th Annual Fall Ball Season, there are a handful of reminders to help improve your overall experience and increase the safety of those around you. Please read below for details about OYO house rules for the game season, time limit policies, Weatherline usage, no pets policy, parking guidelines, vehicle safety and more.
As always, thank you for choosing OYO as your place for baseball and softball this fall!
Which Dugout on Game Days?
With every team playing double-headers on Sundays (except Junior Rookie) and only 15 minutes between games, we encourage teams to clear out and get settled in to their dugouts quickly. As a result, when both teams are leaving a field, we encourage the visiting team to occupy the 1B dugout and the home team to occupy the 3B dugout. However, when one team remains on the field for the next game, they should retain their dugout regardless of their official assignment as home or visitors. This will help us have all teams ready to go when the next game is set to begin.
Fall Ball Rules | Time Limit Guidelines
OYO follows the NFHS Rules for baseball and softball. However, as with any program, there are some customized exceptions, too. Parents, players and coaches can access OYO’s “house rules” for baseball and softball online via OYO’s website.
During Fall Ball, all divisions will play a 1 hour, 45 minute game with a hard-stop rule in effect during the entire regular season. (During the tournament only, we finish the inning after the same time limit is reached.) The game clock begins immediately following the national anthem and is managed by OYO’s Advisors on Duty (AODs). When the time limit is reached, an announcement is made to suspend play immediately at which time players/teams will line-up for the customary post-game handshake before clearing dugouts and preparing for the next round of games.
When the Weather Is Questionable, Check the OYO Weatherline
At OYO, we have the official OYO Weatherline to communicate important cancellation information. The Weatherline is used exclusively for game days. The OYO Weatherline number is 317.767.5170. We use the weatherline to communicate cancellations for game days — and we do our best to update the Weatherline early on Sundays.
No Pets, Please
Everyone is anxious to come to the ballpark to take in the action, and sometimes this includes your favorite pets. OYO and the Lawrence Parks Department have specific policies regarding pets at Veterans Memorial Park. As signs around the park indicate, all pets are not permitted even if they are on a leash. We also have a variety of important park rules for your safety.
Parking Matters | Stay On the Pavement
When Sundays roll around at Veterans Memorial Park each fall, the greatest space saga returns — finding a permissible parking spot for your vehicle. This particularly becomes challenging as the 1 p.m. games conclude and the 3 p.m. games prepare to begin. We simply ask all families (and specifically drivers) to follow a few important guidelines when securing a parking space on Sundays.
- Simply never utilize two parking spots when one can do
- Drive through both parking lots (west lot, south lot) to seek out available parking spots
- Explore parking spaces in the lot adjacent to the vacant building opposite the west lot (formerly F.C. Pride parking lot)
- If all options don’t generate a parking spot, then cars may form one row only in the grass, immediately adjacent to the parking lot … cars must drive on the grass and never on the cart path
- Once the one row is complete, then we simply ask you wait for a parking space to open before parking your vehicle
Following these rules and guidelines can help minimize — and even eliminate — inconveniences for car owners, damages to OYO property and injuries to our young ballplayers and loyal fans running and walking throughout the ballpark.
Help Keep Your Vehicle (and Valuables) Safe at OYO
Please keep all valuables (such as phones, purses, electronics, equipment and other personal belongings) out of view and also keep your cars locked and secure at all times. If possible, take valuables with you or even leave them at home. We have had a long track record of safety in our ballpark through the cooperation of our families, and we hope this timely reminder will help reduce future incidents at Veterans Memorial Park.
Concession Stand Convenience | Plan Ahead on Sundays
We know our ballplayers and fans will enjoy the full-service concession stands we offer. We appreciate your patronage and support of our concession stand offerings. To minimize the delays and improve your overall experience, here are a few recommendations we offer all ballplayers and fans:
- Consider visiting the stands to buy a between-game snack or hot food item or a drink of their choice approximately 15 minutes before their game will conclude
- Consider purchasing items for yourself or family members 15 minutes after games end
- Players with treat tickets should be prepared to share with the staff what they want when they step up to the counter
These few basic tips will help the concession stand staff serve you more efficiently and ensure you get back to your game without missing much of the action at all. We hope these suggestions will improve the experience for everyone, and you will be able to better enjoy your time at Veterans Memorial Park each Sunday.