Ball ON glove, not IN the glove still an out?

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May 29, 2015
3,731
113
Just my personal opinion ... there is no reason to charge anything. You just shut it down if it is obviously a tactic and not a legitimate issue.

“Coach, what is your question?”

If the answer starts with the word “I” then it probably isn’t legitimate. ;)

Seriously, a rule interpretation shouldn’t be an issue. If we give better training to umpires on how to handle these situations, then it should run smoothly. This includes how to diffuse a spurious protest and when to actually lodge an inquiry to the UIC. It should NOT be a power struggle between umpires and coaches.
 
Aug 1, 2019
195
43
South Carolina
UiC gets there, and as I'm about to ask him a simple question, he says, "Coach, I understand you want to protest a rule, is that right?" Not really, we just want to know if..." UIC politely cuts him off and says, "You'll have to lodge a protest, and there's a $100 fee to do so. If you're right, you'll get it back."
And that's when I would've jumped in and said, "Charlie, he's not protesting anything. I'm the one with a question about the DP/Flex rule in USSSA, and I'm coming to you for guidance. The DP can play defense for someone other than the Flex, right?"

Geez, some people just don't understand when to be authoritative and when to be accommodating.
 
Jun 7, 2019
170
43
And that's when I would've jumped in and said, "Charlie, he's not protesting anything. I'm the one with a question about the DP/Flex rule in USSSA, and I'm coming to you for guidance. The DP can play defense for someone other than the Flex, right?"

And, I should have! But this was our first year joining in on USSSA, the new "merger" of organizations was not going well, and I didn't know this UIC. So I shrugged my shoulders. I was sorry I handled it that way. Would'a, could'a, should'a.
 
Feb 3, 2016
502
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That's irrelevant to the fact that the rules are clear on what constitutes a proper and legal tag.

And knowing now what is and isn't a proper tag, if you did see an improper one on the potential game-tying run in the championship game, and the umpire rules an out to end the game in favor of the opposing team, you honestly wouldn't challenge it?
No and I knew what a proper tag was prior to this thread. I've challenged stuff before but not this exact issue. It just isn't worth the hassle (got my Hundy back last time :) USSSA). Chances of an overturn are like 11% prior to involving UIC. My job is to ensure my player's don't get tagged.


Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 
Feb 20, 2019
109
28
Read this thread a few weeks ago, then played in a tournament and had an incident. I was coaching 1B and the batter struck out. Catcher dropped the ball and I yelled run. Catcher picks up the ball and holds it in her throwing hand while tagging the batter with an empty glove. HP umpire calls batter out. I thought of this thread. I appealed to the field umpire but he directed me to the HP umpire because he didn't see the play. I discussed with the HP umpire and told him what I saw. HP umpire said he didn't see it. Meanwhile, I have 20 parents yelling that the batter is safe. Everyone saw what happened except the two people that needed to see it. I threw my hands up in the air and walked back to the 1B coach's box.
 
Apr 1, 2017
535
93
Everyone saw what happened except the two people that needed to see it. I threw my hands up in the air and walked back to the 1B coach's box.

I love reading all the rules type threads on this board. The discussions are great and it helps me learn things that I don't know. However, whenever I'm reading one, I think about if the exact same situation came up in a game and I tried to share my DFP knowledge... So many umps doing games that just don't know the rules.
 
Aug 1, 2019
195
43
South Carolina
ISo many umps doing games that just don't know the rules.
Believe me, they're just as much a problem for other umpires as they are for coaches. I can't count how many times I've made a call in a game that is in accordance with the rules, and the coach complains that the previous umpires didn't make that call. All I can say is, "Sorry, coach, but this is the way it should be called."

And as much as I hate to say it, I've made calls that, when I go back to review the books, I realize I was wrong. It's not so much because I didn't know the rule, but I applied the wrong one. A situation in high school play can be 180 degrees different in how it should be called in travel ball. Umpires just have to make rules study a regular chore.
 
Aug 25, 2019
1,066
113
As a new umpire, I will say that there are a lot of rules. I'm USSSA, and I've read the rulebook in full at least 5 times in the last 6 months. And I know there will be plays that come up that I will scratch my head about. Yes, I may have made the wrong call on a rule, but if I 'm not sure of myself, I'll go back later and look up the rule. For me, it's easier to remember a rule when I see it in play, then just reading about it in a rulebook.
 

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