Sun and offbeat fun will the orders of the day at the 63rd annual World Championship Over-The-Line Tournament sponsored by the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club at Fiesta Island in July.
The tournament offering food, fun, sports and entertainment begins Saturday and Sunday, July 9 and 10, and concludes the following weekend, July 16 and 17. Hours both weekends are 7:30 a.m. to dusk.
This election year has something special at the Fiesta Island OTL tourney.
“One of the teams playing is a group of city councilmen – Chris Cate, Scott Sherman and Mark Kersey – said OMBAC spokesman Sonny Petersen. “We also have a team with a bunch of guys from the Louisville bat corporation.”
Petersen reminded OTL guests that dogs and other animals are not allowed. “It’s the no B’s rule,” Petersen said. “No bottles, bikes, babies or bowsers.”
Team attendance is down a little this year, 1,150, from last year’s total of 1,250 teams.
“We had an infusion of rain last year,” Pertersen noted. “That could be the reason.”
San Diego’s homegrown and bred sport, OTL is a modified form of beach baseball/softball. Games last three innings, there is no base-running and the primary objective is to hit the ball “over the line,” approximately 55 feet in front of the batter.
OTL team names are traditionally creative and good-natured, but can sometimes be quite colorful (frequently off-color), while often pertaining to current events. Players consist of men and women with ages ranging from 18 to 80.
Petersen talked about OTL’s origin.
“The way it got started was, way back when, some of the boys were waiting for a volleyball court,” Petersen said. “There were like six of them, not enough to field a regular baseball game, so they made up these (OTL) rules and played, and it caught on and they’ve played ever since.”
This year’s double elimination tournament features three-person teams from around the world competing for that championship ring, which is awarded to all 10 divisions (men and women, by age). Participant teams have come from as far away as Germany, Japan and Iceland to compete in this one-of-a-kind event.
Reserved parking is still available for both weekends of OTL although supply is limited. The “OMLot” is located within a short walking distance of the playing courts.
OMBAC also provides complimentary bus transportation (dubbed the “OmShuttle”) to and from the island during the first three days of OTL. They will run from Fiesta Island to the Sun Runner lot on SeaWorld Drive and from Fiesta Island to the Linda Vista trolley station. Traditional parking fills the island quite early and is usually closed to traffic by 10 a.m. For more info about reserved parking and bus transportation, visit ombac.org/over-the-line or email [email protected].
OMBAC is a nonprofit organization that focuses on amateur sports, youth athletics, and local charities. OTL is a major fundraising event. Benefactors from this and OMBAC’s other fundraisers and donations support UCSD Cancer Research, Jr. OTL Scholarships, Wounded Warrior Foundation, Huntington’s disease, Bikes for Kids, Jr. Lifeguard Foundation, Cancer Walk, Marine Family Christmas Fund, Alpha Project, Meals on Wheels, Hospice, Pacific Beach Youth Group, San Diego St. Patrick’s Day Parade, San Diego Blood Bank, OMBAC Rugby, OMBAC Lacrosse and OMBAC Water Polo. Over-The-Line tourney
When: 7:30 a.m. to dusk July 9-10 and July 16-17.
Where: Fiesta Island.
Info: www.ombac.org.
