I have often wondered how their safeties actually equate into the scoring since their formula is a "secret."
I think you should have to announce safeties before you shoot so you can't luck out and then say it was a safety. I have seen that way too many times.
They subtract an inning per safety. So you play 20 innings total in your match and the score keeper marked 5 defensive shots,
your 20 innings goes to 15 innings. I understand it's not quite that simple, but that's basically how that part works.
Your APA Team Manual says you should let your opponent know when you intend to shoot a defensive shot. I have found that most
score keepers don't care anyway. It's very subjective. I'll be in a match and the score keeper will almost always ask, "was that a safe?"
and I'll always just tell them if you think is was just mark it down or where it says defensive shots, just write "yes".
I think part of the problem is that score keeping almost always falls to the newer players, they can't really identify a defensive shot.
I've played in matches where the score keeper marked every miss as a defensive shot and some where no defensive shots were marked.
Announcing a defensive shot to me is almost pointless, the score keeper will do what they do anyway. For me I always just play to win
and I play appropriate defensive shots when I need to. I can't control the score keeper. I've encountered too many people that don't really
know how keep score and have no real interest in learning, and far too many experienced players that whine about a sandbagger "so damn it,
they're gonna report you and get you moved up" and mark you 10 additional defensive shots, .....eh...... so what. Give your best effort and the
scoring and skill level will take care of itself.
You really can't control all the "Frank Burns" types that whine and are keeping score.
could have been a lot worse if I had not put one break and run on him. Whew !!
hen they attempt break and runs and fail. Gives me the opportunity to safety the crap out of them.
