Bust out the wacky costumes and clever team names: San Diego’s summertime tradition, the Over-the-Line (OTL) Tournament, is taking over Fiesta Island once again this weekend.
Hosted each July by the Old Mission Bay Athletic Club (OMBAC), the annual sporting and merrymaking event typically draws about 1,200 teams from around the world to Mission Bay to partake in OTL, a bat and ball sport first played in Mission Beach in the 1950s. The tournament marks its 64th anniversary this month.
The rules of OTL are simple: games last three or four innings, no one has to run bases, and the main goal is to hit the ball “over the line” about 55 feet in front of the batter.
Teams dress up in matching costumes and bring tents, chairs, beer, and funny signs to the beach for the carefree, daytime tournament under the San Diego sun.
Last weekend was the first of two weekends of OTL play. The tourney returns this Saturday and Sunday, with games starting at 7:30 a.m. sharp. The event culminates Sunday afternoon with the final game, the Men's Open Championship.
OTL is open to the public and typically brings a lot of spectators. There is no ticket or entrance fee to watch the games and enjoy the tournament, though organizers say several rules will be strictly enforced, including no bottles on the beach. Also, no bicycles, dogs, and kids are allowed at the tournament.
Parking for OTL will be available at three locations this year: the Linda Vista trolley stop parking lot on Friars Road, beneath the Morena Boulevard overpass; the Bonita Cove parking lot on West Mission Bay Drive, across from the Bahia Hotel; the parking lot on the north corner of Fiesta Island and East Mission Bay drives at the entrance to Fiesta Island.
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Organizers say a free shuttle will pick up OTL attendees from these lots and drop them off near the playing area at Fiesta Island starting at 6:30 a.m. Saturday. There is no shuttle service on Sunday; more info on shuttles can be found here.
