 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Rainout" sports – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(September 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Rainout,washout,rain delay, andrain stopped play are terms regarding an outdoor event, generally asporting event, delayed or canceled due torain, or the threat of rain. It is not to be confused with a type ofout in baseball, though a baseball game can be rained out. Delays due to other forms ofweather are named "snow delay", "lightning delay", "thunderstorm delay", or "fog delay" (or generically "weather delay"), while there are many othereffects of weather on sport. Also, anight game can be delayed if thefloodlight system fails. Often spectators will be issued a ticket for a make up event, known as a "rain check".
Sports typically stopped due to the onset of rain includebaseball,golf,tennis, andcricket, where even slightly damp conditions in the latter three sports seriously affect playing quality and the players' safety. In the case of tennis, several venues (such as those ofWimbledon and theAustralian Open) have builtretractable roofs atop their existing courts and stadiums in the last decade to avert rain delays that could push a tournament further than the final date.
Association football generally plays on through rain, although matches can be abandoned if thepitch becomes severely waterlogged or there islightning in the area, with the latter case being more for the protection of spectators within the metal stands surrounding stadiums. InNCAA play, should lightning be detected by any pitch official, a minimum 30-minute delay and a potential "rainout" can be declared if the lightning continues for a considerable amount of time under the NCAA's all-sports policy regarding lightning.
InNorth America, the only one of the four major team sports to stop play due to rain is baseball, although football and soccer can be delayed if lightning is reported in the area. Individual sports such as golf, tennis and auto racing are also subject to rainouts, in the last case because a wet racetrack poses a risk ofhydroplaning for vehicles traveling at high speeds, the combination of which can be fatal.Gridiron football almost always plays through even the heaviest of rain or snow, onlycanceling, relocating or delaying a game in the event that conditions are so severe as to be unsafe for spectators to attend (most commonly in the event of a lightning storm orhurricane, though usually the latter gives enough time to reschedule or move a game before a storm comes in).Ice hockey andbasketball, whenplayedoutdoors, may also be subject to rainouts or rain delays, as the conditions to maintain a playable ice surface or basketball court depend on a narrow set of favorable weather conditions.
If there is severe rain during a match, it can become a point of controversy whether a match should be abandoned. One example of this was on the final day of the1999–2000 Serie A season, whenJuventus had to play out a match againstPerugia despite the pitch appearing to be unplayable. Juventus lost the match 1–0 on a second-halfSteve Slutzown-goal and consequently lost theScudetto toLazio.[1][2]
 | This sectionpossibly containsoriginal research. Pleaseimprove it byverifying the claims made and addinginline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed.(September 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Generally,Major League Baseball (MLB) teams will continue to play in light to moderate rain but will suspend play if it is raining heavily or if there is standing water on the field. Games can also be delayed or canceled for other forms of inclement weather, or if the field is found to be unfit for play. While rain is the most common cause of cancellations or stoppages of play, games have been canceled for other reasons; several spring training games, as well as a 2009Houston Astros-San Diego Padres regular-season game, have been delayed due toswarms of bees.[3][4]
Before a baseball game commences, unless it is the second game of adoubleheader, themanager of the home team is in charge of deciding whether the game should be delayed or canceled due to rain or other inclement weather (seeRule 3.10 of baseball's Official Rules). Once the home team manager hands his lineup card to theumpire shortly before the game is to begin, the umpiring crew chief has sole discretion to decide if a game should be delayed or canceled (see Rule 3.10 andRule 4.01 of the Official Rules). This also applies to the second game of a doubleheader. Umpires are required by rule to wait at least 75 minutes to see if conditions improve; this is referred to as arain delay and is not counted as part of the length of the game listed in thebox score. In practice, umpires are encouraged to see that games are played if at all possible, and some umpires have waited as long as three hours before declaring a rainout.
If a game is rained out before play begins, it is rescheduled for a later date. If it has already begun and rain falls to make the field unplayable OR lightning is detected within the radius, several scenarios are used to determine the need to resume play:
The scheduling of make up dates generally follow these guidelines:
Some teams have built stadiums with a roof to protect the field, either as adomed stadium or with aretractable roof. Despite this, theHouston Astros, who played at theHouston Astrodome for 35 years and currently play at the retractable roof-equippedDaikin Park, hada rainout at the Astrodome on June 15, 1976 due to intense flooding in theHouston area. The game, against thePittsburgh Pirates, was later made up atThree Rivers Stadium inPittsburgh despite the Astros still having a home series against the Pirates later that season.[7]
Although rare,snow delays have occurred in baseball. This is usually the case in the early parts of the season that, although always starts after thespringequinox, is still within the historically possible range for the snow season in the northern half of North America. In fact, the first ever game of theToronto Blue Jays in 1977, although not delayed, was affected by a minor snowstorm.[citation needed]
In April 2007,snow storms in northern Ohio caused theCleveland Indians to postpone theirhome opening series against theSeattle Mariners and forced the Indians to find a different location for their home series against theLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim.[8] MLB took advantage of the roof atMiller Park (home of theMilwaukee Brewers) and moved the Indians-Angels series toMilwaukee. All seats were sold for US$10 apiece (equivalent to $15 in 2024), and attendance was 52,496 for the three games.[9] The Indians-Mariners games were eventually made up at various points in the season, including one game atSafeco Field during their regularly-scheduled series inSeattle as part of adoubleheader in which the Indians were the designated home team for the first game.[citation needed]
Some auto racing series do not compete in rain or snow, especially series that race on pavedoval tracks. Rain and snow both severely diminish thetraction between theslick tires and the surface. Other series, especially those that race onroad courses such asFormula One and public roads as inrallying, use special treadedrain tires while the surface is wet but not in excessively heavy rain, snow, standing water, or lightning (which is an automatic cessation of racing because of pit crew, race marshals, and safety).Dirt track racing can be run in a light rain as the vehicles have treaded tires.Rallying can be held in rain or snow.
IndyCar andNASCAR do not compete on a wet or moist surface at most oval tracks, and do not compete at all during snowy conditions. They will not start an event unless the surface is dry. If the surface become wet during a race, the event is typically halted, and the cars are pulled off the track. Very light moisture may warrant only a temporary yellow caution period, while heavier rains or lightning usually require a red flag (stopped condition).
After the rain ceases, the sanctioning body will determine if the track surface can be dried within a reasonable time frame. The track is considered "lost" if rain thoroughly wets the surface, usually characterized by a dark look to the asphalt or concrete pavement. Track crews usejet dryers, which consist of modifiedjet engines, mounted upside down to allow the hot exhaust to pummel the surface. The hot exhaust acts to quickly evaporate the rainwater, and allow the surface to dry considerably quicker than normal conditions. Large scale wet-vacs are also sometimes used to supplement. While the rule primarily is enforced on ovals, on road courses, it will also be called if standing water (a safety hazard) becomes an issue according to drivers and the safety car officials.
Thesafety car driver will work with race stewards on the proper decision on a red flag when rain falls. In NASCAR, if the race start is delayed, officials may dispatch an experienced driver to run medium-speed laps around the circuit to evaluate the level of dryness. He then reports the results to his crew chief, who then relays his report to the officials.
In damp conditions, officials may elect to start a race under the Safety Car, especially if rain has ceased and the track is becoming dry. This represents an effort to get the race going without further delay, as well as employ the entire starting field of race cars to aid and speed up the drying process. In that situation, the green and yellow flags will be displayed at the starter's stand, indicating what is referred to as a "running yellow". These caution laps behind the Safety Car will count towards the distance. When the track is deemed fully dry, the safety car will leave the course, and the green flag will be displayed. This course of action was used at the1979 Daytona 500, whereby the first 20 laps were run under yellow on a damp, but rapidly drying course. The green came finally came out at the start of lap 21. If by case heavy rain were to return during a "running yellow", the officials may elect to red flag the race, and at their discretion, may elect to simply restart the race from scratch (ignoring the "running yellow" laps that had been logged) when conditions allow.
If rain does not subside, the sanctioning body has multiple options. Typically, the race is considered "official" if at least one lap beyond the halfway point of the advertised distance has been completed (similar to baseball). The official distance milestone can achieved while under caution behind the safety car. In fact, if rain begins to fall very near the halfway point, officials will typically keep the cars out on the track behind the safety car as long as possible in order to achieve the necessary distance to make the race official. Once the race is more than 1 lap beyond halfway, the race can be deemed complete, and a winner can be declared if necessary. In any case, the race will halted with the red flag, and the officials will usually make an effort to wait out the showers, and potentially resume the race.
In some cases, if the race has already gone beyond the halfway point (especially if it is very near the scheduled finish) when rain falls, and the weather forecast is for day-long rain, no attempt to complete remaining laps will be made. If a heavy downpour occurs very near the end of the race, the officials may use their authority to wave the checkered flag at that instant, and end the race immediately (this occurred at the1975 Indianapolis 500). If the event is halted before the halfway point, the resumption of the race can be postponed to later in the day, to the nighttime (if the track has lights), or to the following day (such as during the1997 Indianapolis 500 and the2020 Daytona 500).
INDYCAR and NASCAR both will use rain tires if they are at a road course. If the rain is severe enough where standing water, visibility becomes an issue, or if lightning is detected within a 12 km radius of the circuit, the race will be stopped. At the 2014 Honda Indy Toronto Race 1, INDYCAR attempted to wave green and yellow together to start the race under the Safety Car. After numerous incidents, INDYCAR decided to abandon the race and wiped the slate clean for Sunday with two races. They also stopped the2018 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama before the halfway limit was reached because of heavy rain, and completed the race the next day. INDYCAR also has cancelled qualifying at a circuit because of lightning, primarily as a safety issue with electronics, radio communications, teams on pit lane, race marshals, and spectators.
Starting in 2023, NASCAR will use rain tires on the lower-banked oval tracks such as Phoenix (where the title race has been held since 2020) and Martinsville (which was the site of the first oval race ran on rain tires, this happened in the Truck Series race, though it was still stopped for good after 124 of 200 scheduled laps completed).[10][11]
The code in USAC, NASCAR, and IndyCar states if fewer than half the laps or time are completed or if the race is unable to start, the event is resumed on a later date, usually the next day. With the introduction of lights at numerous oval tracks, the time frame for resuming a rain delayed race on the same day has been largely expanded. Some races stopped during the day for rain have seen the track dried, and the race completed later in the evening on the same day. Since the 2017 season, all NASCAR national series utilize a format in which races are divided into three or four stages, with a competition caution after each; a race is considered official following the conclusion of the second stage, which is typically positioned around two quarters of the scheduled distance.
Most road racing (except in the United States) does not use the 50 percent rule. In the FIA Code, if severe rain forces the race to be interrupted, the regulations state if less than two green flag laps (no virtual safety car or safety car laps) were completed, the race is canceled and will not be made up. Once a race is on its fourth green flag lap, the race is official. Depending on the series, either half points or a sliding scale will be used for points if the race is terminated early.
The1976 Indianapolis 500 was the shortest Indianapolis 500 in history, one lap past official status, with 102 laps completed and 255 miles (410 km) of 500 miles (800 km).[12]
The1976 Japanese Grand Prix was delayed because of rain. When the race eventually started, championship leaderNiki Lauda pulled out because of the dangerous conditions, allowingJames Hunt to score enough points to win the championship.
The MotoGP2008 Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix was drastically affected byHurricane Ike. The 250cc (now 600cc Moto2) class race was cancelled because of heavy rains, while earlier in the days the races in the 125cc (now 250cc Moto3) and MotoGP classes were curtailed because of weather.
The2009 Petit Le Mans inBraselton, Georgia, was an example of a rainout under the FIA Code, where only three completed laps are needed for an official race and less than half the race (184 of 394 laps). The red flag waved after 184 laps at the 4:52 point of the race. In endurance racing, the clock does not stop for red flags. IMSA waited until 8 PM to declare the race official. While the race was thirteen laps under the official threshold (500 miles), the clock had passed the five-hour mark when the race was called at 8 PM.[13]
The2012 Daytona 500 was postponed by rain for the first time in history, as it was postponed 30 hours from 1 PM Sunday to 7 PM Monday.[14]
The2019 Japanese Grand Prix saw the qualifying session moved to the race day morning due toTyphoon Hagibis, a first in Formula One history. Parts of the track infrastructure were disassembled and then reassembled for race day because they were not expected to withstand the storm.[15][16] Though the typhoon had passed, high winds continued during the qualifying session and caused several crashes within minutes of the session start.[17]
Cricket matches are not played when the weather would make it "dangerous or unreasonable for play to take place". Rain is by far the most common such weather event.[18]
In first-class or test matches, playing times can be extended to allow for lost time to be made up but no changes are made to either team's scores. Any time that cannot be made up is lost.
In limited-overs cricket, rain during the match can leave teams facing an unequal number of overs or can cause the team batting first to lose overs after their innings has begun. In these cases, the number of runs accredited to either one or both teams may be revised. A common method to recalculate the number of runs accredited to either team is theDuckworth–Lewis-Stern method (DLS).[19]
In event of a rain delay, most television broadcasters run alternate programming (also known as "rain delayfiller"), in place of the scheduled game or event. Depending on event, the alternate programming takes many forms, such as a movie, a rerun of a television program, interviews and analysis, highlights of the last event, or even another game or for networks such asESPN andFox Sports 1, "whiparound" coverage of other games from otherregional sports networks (Fox Sports 1 also maintains a regularly scheduled program,MLB Whiparound). The delay continues until the weather is cleared up enough to resume the game, or if it comes to a point where it is not practical to resume it; in this case, it would become a "rain out".
In some cases, if the rain delay is in danger of interfering with the network's schedule that would follow after the game, they would often transfer coverage of the game to another station or channel or show it later on viatape delay, depending on the organizational policy. For instance, with Sunday afternoonNASCAR events and Saturday nightNHL games, a race on a broadcast network such asFox orNBC would be moved to an alternate cable network such asFox Sports 1 orNBCSN if the delay runs several hours, to allow those networks to present their prime time entertainment schedules (or, in NBC's case, its late night showSaturday Night Live, which has been protected from sports-related delays sincean incident with the XFL in 2001), or later in NASCAR's season with NBC, allows contingency asNBC Sunday Night Football takesfull contractual precedence over NASCAR events.
The2011 NHL Winter Classic was scheduled to take place at 1 PMESTNew Year's Day, but ended up delayed to 8 PM EST due to unusually warm weather in the Pittsburgh area, with rain impacting the game. Because the game was then moved toprime time, the game ended up having theunintended result of bringing in higher ratings forNBC in the United States, giving the NHL the highest ratings for a regular-season game since 1975.[20] Despite this, subsequent Winter Classics remain played in the early afternoon hours, as the game is purposefully scheduled at that time to avoid theCollege Football Playoffbowl games, mainly theRose Bowl Game andSugar Bowl most years. TheNHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe games which were played in February 2021 were likewise delayed from their original daytime starts on NBC to late night on NBCSN unexpectedly, due to bright sunshine affecting the quality of the ice surface along the shoreline ofLake Tahoe.[21]
2.7.1 It is solely for the umpires together to decide whether either conditions of ground, weather or light or exceptional circumstances mean that it would be dangerous or unreasonable for play to take place.