Management of the Ballard Junior Football League said they will go as far as to sue the city of Seattle if a ruling that places time restrictions on their use of the Loyal Heights Playfield is not reversed.

League president Glen Quinton and vice president Marshall Airey are challenging a decision from the city's hearing examiner, Ann Watanabe, which requires an hour between football games scheduled at the playfield to reduce traffic impact on the residential neighborhood.

"If this is about parking, then fix the parking," said Quinton. "We want to fight it. If we have to sue the city of Seattle, we'll do that."

The ruling means that about 75 kids will likely have to be cut from the league next season, said Quinton, because referees will have to be paid an extra $70 an hour in between games. It would make it tougher to sell concessions, too, he said.

"We are a non-profit program that has a pretty slim budget already," said Quinton. "That's not going to be a plus for the neighborhood."

Seven games are played on a typical game day, and with the new restrictions, the games would go on until after midnight, said Airey. The field can't be used after 10 p.m.

The league has seven teams and has played four Saturdays at the Loyal Heights field each fall for the past 45 years. Teams practice there daily.

John Verduin, president of Ballard Little League Baseball, said he won't be able to host his league's annual tournament at Loyal Heights because there wouldn't' be enough time to play all six games. No games were played at the playfield last fall because artificial turf and new lights were being installed.

In 2005, neighbors opposed the city's plan to replace the grass with synthetic turf, part of a $2 million Pro Parks Levy project for improvements to the Loyal Heights Playfield. Residents who live nearby appealed the project to the city hearing examiner, who ordered a second traffic analysis.

A ruling was issued in May 2006 and the project was allowed to move forward. To ease traffic, the hearing examiner added the one-hour rule to apply to "high attendance events" like tournament games and fall football only at Loyal Heights.

It's noted in the ruling that the Parks Department opposed the recommendation due to "programmatic concerns."

Parks spokesperson Joelle Ligon said staff met with league officials in June this year to explain the new rule and issue a field-use permit, with a one-hour break in between each game. But on Sept. 8, the first home game of the season, Ballard Junior Football played back-to-back games - out of compliance with the ruling.

Airey and Quinton said they were never told the time constraints were going to be enforced until after the first game. Further, said Airey, a parks staff member showed up that day and told them that "everything was fine and to continue on as planned."

But parks quickly revoked the leagues' field-use permit and moved them to Soundview Playfield, a nearby field. Airey and Quinton said that field lacks one major necessity for fall football-lights.

"The league has been really dissatisfied with our decision to change the venue," said Ligon. "We would like to work with them to get them back at (Loyal Heights) as long as they comply with the field-use restrictions."

Some of the neighbors who appealed the project maintain they had no part in the one-hour rule that was issued by the hearing examiner. But at least one of the appellants has received harassing phone calls.

Ligon said the matter has been referred to the Seattle Police Department.

"We have an expectation that our field users will engage in good sportsmanship," she said. "I think that also includes being a good neighbor."

Quinton and Airey said they have communicated with parents and volunteers to remain "as courteous and non confrontational as possible."

"We try to be good neighbors," said Airey.

"We go out of our way and we always have," said Quinton.

Rebekah Schilperoort may be reached at 783.1244 or rebekahs@robinsonnews.com