Calling pitches - by the parents?

[MTR]

I would say that a parent picking signs, seated about 12 ft from home plate, has 'directly involved themself with the game".

Tell you what, go find something to support your position and return and enlighten us.

I for one despise fields that allow fans to set up camp behind the backstop

As an umpire with 47 years experience, I couldn't care less where the spectators are located or what they have to say. I've got better and more important things to worry about than some idiots in the peanut gallery.

 

[fastpitchdad8]

Tell you what, go find something to support your position and return and enlighten us.



As an umpire with 47 years experience, I couldn't care less where the spectators are located or what they have to say. I've got better and more important things to worry about than some idiots in the peanut gallery.

coaches are concerned what's going on less than 20 ft behind home plate b/c they're trying to keep young girls focused on what they're doing. most young girls playing in softball tourneys don't have 47 yrs experience...they're a little easier distracted. that..IMO... supports my position. then again, i'm not an umpire, i don't know everything.


by the way...a little fiber in your diet may help the "coming off like a grouch every time you type" thing you have goin on ..

 

[Greenmonsters]

Just curious, how many participating in this thread have ever read the rule book?

 

[JAD]

I have seen base coaches and parents calling out catcher position, and last year in the WCWS I heard 3rd base coaches calling out "change up" if they could identify it by the pitchers grip. Some people call it "bush league", but your pitcher and catcher need to learn from it and learn not to "tip" their pitch or position in the future.

 

[fastpitchdad8]

Just curious, how many participating in this thread have ever read the rule book?

there's rules to play by and rules to live by. unfortunately, there's no book for the latter or there would'nt be nearly as many ******** in the world. I don't mean you or anyone on this board...I'm referring to a a person that would stand behind a backstop at a youth softball game and pick signs.


I bet nearly all of us have seen an umpire talk to/show a pitcher what she's doing wrong on an IP instead of just calling IP all day long in the younger age groups. I have'nt read every page of any rule book but that's IMO the right thing to do. I would classify that as something that would be in the rules to live by book and i assume there's nothing about that in the ASA rulebook. Yet it happens.

If some idiot is calling locations to the batter from behind the backstop especially in the younger age groups then IMO, the Umpire should put a stop to it. I don't where you all play/ umpire youth tourneys but most of the one's we're playing don't have a TD standing watching every game

 

[Greenmonsters]

Here are a few suggestions for other things that we could make the umpires responsible for. Hey buddy, that's your 2nd and last hot dog of the day. One more and I'll write you up and report you to your primary care physician. Hey lady, your kid is out of here if they don't stop throwing rocks at the porta-john. Excuse me third baseperson, this is a big hitter and you're an inexperienced fielder, put on a mask or go sit in the dugout.

 

[NVfishing]

I've seen girls on second peering around the pitcher and telling the batter what's being called.

 

[Lozza]

So where's the line drawn? Parents calling out encouragement or advice to kids have to stop as its involving themselves in the game?

I think it's disgusting and poor sportsmanship but its not the umpires job to stop it, unless its in the ground rules.

 

[ms244]

I was at a tournament yesterday so I stopped an UIC between games. I explained him the scenario and this is what he told me.

"I have no problem with players on the field, players in the dugout and coaches calling out catcher positions, pitch calls etc during the game of play. I do have a problem with parents/non coaches off the diamond calling plays that effect the game in play. Sure we umpires here the parent complain about a blown call, but that doesn't change the game, that is after the play is over. When a parent intentionally tries to help their team by calling plays this is out of bounds."

He also explained that he has asked a parent to leave the backstop area because they were using flash photography and that was distracting to the pitcher. I never thought of that issue before but that makes sense. I'm sure that flash strobes is not in the rule book either, but the umpire chose to enforce his discretion of the rules of fair play.

I then asked him what he normally does when this happens. He explained that first a coach must approach him and notify him that is going on because most of the time he won't notice it. After he is notified of the issue he will warn the parents and coaching staff of the team in question. If he hears the situation occurring again he will then ask that parent to leave the diamond. The coach is responsible for the actions of their parents. Like I stated in one of my earlier posts, I have seen several parents asked to leave the diamond because of their conduct (never me BTW) and every parent knows that there is conduct they must follow to stay at the diamonds.


Is this in the rule book? I don't know. I know that it was mentioned during the SEC semi-final game on ESPN. Now that is NCAA and not ASA but it seems logical that the same rule would apply here.

I'm not someone that has 47 years of experience, but I know what is common sense and what the UIC told me at the tourney we were at yesterday.

 

[cuzmail]

Exactly what rule would you like the umpire to use to address it?

The same rule they rely on when they ask the coaches to control their fans?
The rule they use to quiet the fans when they don't like the parents/fans comments on thier calls at the plate?

They want the fans controlled under certain situations that bother them, so why can't they request a change in action from the fans on other issues? While I do think that the parent giving away pitch location was silly, I have had them threaten to throw me out of the park if I sent someone behind the backstop to see what zone they were calling. So somehow they feel they have some control over the people outside the fences.