Overturn a judgement call

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Jun 22, 2008
3,767
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This is what i was thinking as well. The base ump signaled out, and changed it to safe. At that time the home plate ump stopped play and went and talked to the base ump. The base ump did not ask for any assistance. After they conferred, it was changed back to out. Like i mentioned in a previous post, the play happened on the backside of the base so he would not have had a better view of the play. In our discussions with the plate umpire, he continually said that it was a judgement call that couldnt be overturned. He never mentioned anything that he saw the call as differently. After the game we talked more about it and he compared it to balls and strikes and that once you call one you cant change it. I then asked about a play at the plate where the initial call is out, but then the ump noticed the ball was dropped. he told me i was trying to trick him. I chuckled at that

Under the umpire section of the rule book it also states no umpire shall seek to overturn the call of another umpire unless specifically asked for information on the play the other umpire may have. So, the plate umpire should not have interjected himself into the situation unless requested to do so by the calling umpire. Now, I have seen cases where it is a brand new umpire and the fellow umpire will go out and speak with their partner about how rules are applied, situations etc, but stating it was a judgement call and could not be changed would not be correct. Should a judgement call be changed? Probably not without some really clear additional information they may not have noticed but nothing forbids an umpire from changing their call.
 

Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,056
113
Scenario:

I am the first base coach so the play literally happened 3 feet in front of me. Ground ball in between 1st and 2nd. 2nd base fields it and it running to step on first. She stepped short and missed the base. Base ump calls her out. I said "she's not on the base" girl then puts her foot on the base, but the base ump saw it and signaled her safe. So the base ump changed her own call.

The play was never appealed by anyone to the home plate ump. He interjected and said we had to go with the out call as it is a judgement call and couldnt be changed.


My question has nothing to do with this play as to whether she was out or safe, but rather is this correct in that you cant correct a judgement call?

There's nothing wrong with an umpire immediately correcting their own call if they see evidence that they were wrong. I see it happen all the time. Recently, there was a play at the plate where the umpire signaled "out", but called "safe". He literally changed his mind in the middle of the call.
 

MTR

Jun 22, 2008
3,438
48
Stop and think about it what if you called out on the tag and then the ball comes out of her glove...do you not get to change the call because you call out first?

Absolutely not

There's nothing wrong with an umpire immediately correcting their own call if they see evidence that they were wrong. I see it happen all the time. Recently, there was a play at the plate where the umpire signaled "out", but called "safe". He literally changed his mind in the middle of the call.

No he didn't. He had a brain fart and I do not know of any umpire with a few years under his/her belt to which this hasn't happened :)
 

TMD

Feb 18, 2016
433
43
Modifying the OP scenario a bit, assume the BU did not reverse the initial "out" call. Could the 1B coach (or HC) have asked the PU if he would be willing to confer with the PU to see if he/she saw it differently?

One more mod - assume it wasn't a "foot not on the base" play, but rather a play where the runner beats the throw to 1B by a split second. She is legitimately safe in the eyes of the 1B coach, but the BU calls her out. Can the coach ask the BU to confer with the PU to see if the PU saw it differently?
 
Jun 22, 2008
3,767
113
Modifying the OP scenario a bit, assume the BU did not reverse the initial "out" call. Could the 1B coach (or HC) have asked the PU if he would be willing to confer with the PU to see if he/she saw it differently?

One more mod - assume it wasn't a "foot not on the base" play, but rather a play where the runner beats the throw to 1B by a split second. She is legitimately safe in the eyes of the 1B coach, but the BU calls her out. Can the coach ask the BU to confer with the PU to see if the PU saw it differently?

If you have questions about a play you must discuss it with the umpire who made the call. No, the other umpire should NEVER talk to a coach about a call another umpire has made. If you feel the umpire missed something you can ask them to confer with the other umpire. It is totally their decision if they choose to confer and it is their call to either keep or change depending on the information they get from the other umpire(s).

Your second situation, you are talking about questioning a judgement call. If you are questioning the call simply because you didnt like the result and there was no pulled foot, bobble ball etc no umpire should confer with other umpires simply because a coach doesnt like the call. What are you going to do if the base umpire judges the throw beat the runner, but the plate umpire judges differently? Flip a coin or draw straws? What if it is a 3 umpire system, 2 out of 3 votes gets the call?
 

TMD

Feb 18, 2016
433
43
Your second situation, you are talking about questioning a judgement call. If you are questioning the call simply because you didnt like the result and there was no pulled foot, bobble ball etc no umpire should confer with other umpires simply because a coach doesnt like the call. What are you going to do if the base umpire judges the throw beat the runner, but the plate umpire judges differently? Flip a coin or draw straws? What if it is a 3 umpire system, 2 out of 3 votes gets the call?

In this instance, it's not a question of not liking a call, but rather one where the 1B coach truly believes that the runner beat the throw by a step but the BU called her out. Is it ok to say to the BU "I think the runner beat the throw. Would you be willing to confer with the PU to see if he/she saw it differently?"

I guess my question is, other than balls and strikes, are there judgement calls that a coach is simply not allowed to ask the umpire making the call to confer with the other umpires?
 
Jun 22, 2008
3,767
113
In this instance, it's not a question of not liking a call, but rather one where the 1B coach truly believes that the runner beat the throw by a step but the BU called her out. Is it ok to say to the BU "I think the runner beat the throw. Would you be willing to confer with the PU to see if he/she saw it differently?"

I guess my question is, other than balls and strikes, are there judgement calls that a coach is simply not allowed to ask the umpire making the call to confer with the other umpires?

That is questioning a judgement call. The base umpire judged the ball beat the runner, the base coach felt otherwise. Again I ask, the base umpire judges the throw beat the runner, the plate umpire judges differently. Flip a coin? Draw straws? Why should one umpires judgement overrule another's? Suppose the call was the other way around, the umpire called the runner safe and the defensive coach felt the runner was out. Should the defensive coach be able to poll all the umpires fishing for an out call?

ASA 10-3-A
There will be no protest on any decision involving accuracy of judgement. No decision rendered by an umpire shall be reversed except when the umpire is convinced it is in violation of one of these rules. In case the manager, acting manager or caption of either team does seek a reversal of a decision based solely on a point of rules, the umpire whose decisions is in question, will, if in doubt, confer with the other umpire(s) before taking any action.......
 

MTR

Jun 22, 2008
3,438
48
In this instance, it's not a question of not liking a call, but rather one where the 1B coach truly believes that the runner beat the throw by a step but the BU called her out. Is it ok to say to the BU "I think the runner beat the throw. Would you be willing to confer with the PU to see if he/she saw it differently?"

I guess my question is, other than balls and strikes, are there judgement calls that a coach is simply not allowed to ask the umpire making the call to confer with the other umpires?

That is questioning the judgment and no umpire in his/her right mind would placate the coach
 

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