The Ethics of Softball. Your Input.

riseball said:

It is more than just IP''s. You either call the zone that Tim wants or you do not work games in Gainesville. Sometimes to be sure you will turn what everyone knows is clearly a foul ball into a home run. SEC umpires are as unbiased as any found in WWE.

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After watching many college football games, I can tell you that they aren't any different in that sport.

riseball said:

It is more than just IP''s. You either call the zone that Tim wants or you do not work games in Gainesville. Sometimes to be sure you will turn what everyone knows is clearly a foul ball into a home run. SEC umpires are as unbiased as any found in WWE.

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After watching many college football games, I can tell you that they aren't any different in that sport.

sluggers said:

The SEC softball coaches did not want Barnhill called for IPs...so, they didn't complain about it. I have no idea why.

By the time the playoffs came around, everyone looked the other way.

The conference hires the umpires...and if the college coaches want rules to be ignored, they can get the rules ignored. If an ump calls too many IPs, then that ump will be effectively blackballed.

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I'm not sure why you single out the SEC? Pitchers have been pitching illegally with zero enforcement at all levels of the game, whether it's 8u, TB, HS, D1-3, NPF for at least a decade. IMO, the coaches don't point it out because their own pitchers are probably pitching illegally too and the umpires don't call it because if they started calling every infraction, it would have devasting effects to the game of fastpitch. This will not be resolved until significant changes are made to the pitching rules that make enforcement possible.

Rocketech1 said:

... the umpires don't call it because if they started calling every infraction, it would have devasting effects to the game of fastpitch.

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This is one of the biggest falsehoods in the game. Kind of like saying you can't go fishing because you can't catch every fish. It is based on the flawed premise that any enforcement of the rules will have zero effect on future actions. Several thousand years of human history tells us that is simply not the case. Along our southern border illegal crossings/arrests are down significantly just due to the threat of enforcement. How fast do people drive through towns that have the reputation of being a speed trap? I have heard football and basketball referees state that they call anything and everything in the opening minute of the game to set the tone and let everyone know who is in charge. The list goes on. You do not need to call every infraction. Just enough to send the message and affect behavior.

Another popular myth is that enforcement of the current pitching rule is not possible. Yet we have many umpires at all levels claiming that they have been directed not to call it. Which one is it? How can they be directed not call something they cannot see in the first place? You cannot have it both ways. Again, no reasons just excuses and a transparent agenda to dumb down the game to benefit the skippies.

My experience has been that calling an illegal pitch almost always puts an end to further illegal pitches.

My other experience is that when you call one, a coach is most likely going to go crazy and scream, "She's never been called for that before!".

Had an unusual experience last weekend. Called an IP on a pitcher on her second pitch of the game. Explained why it was called. Coach just calmly said, "Thank you", for the explanation, talked to his pitcher and...she didn't pitch illegally the rest of the game.

Our leaque never calls it. I wish they would let them get away with it the 1st half of the season and just Issue a warning or have a quiet word with coach.

2nd half call it.

Something like that anyways.

Curious what people think about this. We had this happen at a game we played recently. Ball was hit to RF. The RF threw the ball to first and got the batter out be easily 4 or 5 feet. No question, the batter was out. Wasn't even close. The first base coach gave the nice try high five and the batter began trotted back to the dugout. At that point the umpire then throws up a "safe" sign. Not sure why he took so long, but he did. So the coach told the runner to get back on first. Would you say that the first base coach was "unethical" or at least "unsportsmanlike" and should have sent his runner back to the dugout on a play where she was clearly out?

I am taking the base.

If you start using your judgement in place of umpires I am out sure where it would start or end. Balls and Strikes?

Sometimes it goes for us, sometimes against us.

If it is a rules conversation I will support opposing coach if I think they are right even if it against us but that is a different thing.

My experience has been that calling an illegal pitch almost always puts an end to further illegal pitches.

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Bingo!
I'm no Umpire but that it what I have seen as well.

So the coach told the runner to get back on first. Would you say that the first base coach was "unethical" or at least "unsportsmanlike"

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Unless the umpires are kids/volunteers who are learning the craft, you always go with the Ump's call.

U16, LL Playoff game- I had an ump once call a BR out who was two steps past 1B when the throw reached 1B. and he was right there.
on the bright side, this call fired up the crowd and the team who proceeded to play like never before and win the game.