Game Delays for Weather - Baseball vs. Football Question

[LDG]

Can anyone explain why baseball games get called for rain but football games continue in downpours, snowstorms, etc.? I'm having an ongoing "discussion" with some friends and I'd like to hear your opinions (or the rules) on this subject.

[Soriambi]

I think that one major reason is because if it's pouring in a baseball game, it's especially dangerous for the players on the field, as the ball would likely be slippery, making it more likely that the pitcher's going to be extremely wild. In football, while slipping, etc, are obviously risks, if the QB's throw doesn't go where he wanted it to go it's going to be incomplete, not at some guy's head at 93 mph. I think it's just that the things you need to do in baseball (grip and throw a ball, grip and swing a bat) would be much tougher to do in rain than, say, running with a football.

Also, more importantly, there's no good time to "make up" games in football. They play once a week, and everything's on such a set schedule with practices, etc, that it would be a disaster if a game were postponed.

As for the rules, they'll stop NFL games if there's really bad lightning nearby (I was actually at a game where it happened), but other than that they pretty much play through anything.

[LDG]

Thanks, Kevin.

My friends are trying to say, in part, that football games go on despite the weather because the players are just tougher and can play with more injuries (kind of a he-man approach), and that baseball requires less athleticism and more finely tuned skills so the weather would impact them more.

There's even been discussion about how baseball fans leave their seats before football fans in bad weather!

I'm not sure I buy it. Why would a QB be any less important in a low visibility game (or be more succeptible to being crushed by an offensive guy he didn't see coming)? Would the argument be that the game can go on because he can just hand it off to someone and still make a play?

[Soriambi]

I think the main reason is the scheduling thing. They can't put off the game for another week because it's very difficult for a team to recover after any game, much less after playing two games in the course of a few days. It would also cause issues with the NFL's TV deals, etc.

As for the danger thing, I was saying that it'd be virtually impossible for a pitcher to stand there and throw strikes in a torrential downpour, and a fastball at someone's head could be very dangerous.

In other words, I think that the reason that the NFL plays is because of the scheduling, and the reason that MLB doesn't play is because of the danger and because pitching becomes nearly impossible if it's raining really hard. So I kind of agree with the statement that, "baseball requires less athleticism and more finely tuned skills so the weather would impact them more." Whether baseball players have less athleticism depends on how you're defining athleticism, but I definitely think that baseball players need more finely tuned skills that are impacted more greatly by the weather.

I don't think it has anything to do with toughness, though.

[LDG]

I think the main reason is the scheduling thing. They can't put off the game for another week because it's very difficult for a team to recover after any game, much less after playing two games in the course of a few days. It would also cause issues with the NFL's TV deals, etc.
So the tough guy football players need a week to recover in between games, but baseball players can play for 4 or 5 days in a row. :P (Just warming myself up for my friends!)

As for the danger thing, I was saying that it'd be virtually impossible for a pitcher to stand there and throw strikes in a torrential downpour, and a fastball at someone's head could be very dangerous.

OK, good point; football players are outfitted to play hard, baseball players are outfitted with the least amount of armor to provide the most amount of protection under good conditions.

In other words, I think that the reason that the NFL plays is because of the scheduling.

How is scheduling 16 games/season more difficult than scheduling 162? Are the NFL TV deals that much different than MLB? (Sorry, you can probably tell I'm not big into football, so my apologies for what might be dumb questions...)

[aeromac76]

I think it has to do with the sport itself, not so much the athletes.

Baseball requires touch and feel, far more so than football does.
Imagine pitchers and fielders trying to chuck a soaked ball around, it would make a mockery of the game. Not to mention injuries.
Also, hitters would not be able to really see too well, a steady drizzle is one thing, a horrendous downpour would make it impossible to even recognize baseball as being baseball.

Football does not require the split second reactions that hitting a baseball does. The offense knows where it is going and the defense just reacts. Sure throwing the ball is tougher on bad weather, but there is something about a charm to a bad weather football game, a game of attrition. Who can run the ball more, who can win the filed position battle, who can improvise there game plans..
It actually can make football more beautiful and suspenseful when the game is played in bad conditions.

[Donnybaseball72]

It has nothing to do with rescheduling. They have moved Dolphins games because of predicted hurricanes in the past. It's just part of football to play within the natural elements. High school, college, pros, they are play regardless of snow or rain. Like someone said earlier lighting will delay a game for safety purposes but only a hurricane will cause a game to be rescheduled.

[RhodyYanksFan]

I think it has to do with the sport itself, not so much the athletes.

Baseball requires touch and feel, far more so than football does.
Imagine pitchers and fielders trying to chuck a soaked ball around, it would make a mockery of the game. Not to mention injuries.
Also, hitters would not be able to really see too well, a steady drizzle is one thing, a horrendous downpour would make it impossible to even recognize baseball as being baseball.

Football does not require the split second reactions that hitting a baseball does. The offense knows where it is going and the defense just reacts. Sure throwing the ball is tougher on bad weather, but there is something about a charm to a bad weather football game, a game of attrition. Who can run the ball more, who can win the filed position battle, who can improvise there game plans..

It actually can make football more beautiful and suspenseful when the game is
played in bad conditions.

Did you like the 3-0 Pitt/Miami game last month?