12U, NFHS rules travel ball. Need opinion on whether to approach umpire.

[sylvesterx4]

We had an umpire (BU) that was constantly checking her phone throughout the game, which left her out of position multiple times. Should I have approached her during the game?

 

[flash277]

We had an umpire (BU) that was constantly checking her phone throughout the game, which left her out of position multiple times. Should I have approached her during the game?

I'd approach the plate.umpire and tell him/her, they are The ones who run the game.

 

[marriard]

We had an umpire (BU) that was constantly checking her phone throughout the game, which left her out of position multiple times. Should I have approached her during the game?

If you are at a tournament, you don't approach the umpires - you go find the UIC or the Tournament Director (or call them if they are not onsite). This is unacceptable to be doing this during game play and is HIGHLY questionable even between inning. Frankly it makes me furious and as an umpire if I saw my partner doing it would be ripping into them and reporting them to the UIC/TD myself.

If the UIC or TD don't do anything about it, then time to find new tournaments to play.

If there is no TD/UIC then, yes, I would likely say something to the other umpire... not officially, but something like "Hey blue, is that guy on his phone?"

 

[CoachJ5513]

I no longer use my phone to keep time in tournaments for appearance reasons... i bought a digital cook timer with a magnet i can stick on the fence
Preventative umpiring?

 

[radness]

Hmmm
If the BU was out of position think the PU would/should have noticed...
regardless of the phone?!

Guess thats up to wether or not those umpires chit chat about details.
Ask the umpires if they have to snap their fingers at eachother when working games.

 

[Strike2]

I no longer use my phone to keep time in tournaments for appearance reasons... i bought a digital cook timer with a magnet i can stick on the fence
Preventative umpiring?

I suppose if you attached the phone to the fence, that would negate any "appearance" issues, but yeah, most use the cook timer.

 

[kennykozman!!]

Don't assume the PU and BU work together or even have a friendship. Many times umpires are assigned spots with others they don't know especially at travel tourneys.

I would say something to the tourney director as a coach- something like I wish the BU would actually earn their money and get in position. I don't mind blown calls if the ump is hustling and on top of the game- are your umpires allowed to be on the phone during the games?

As an umpire that would be my last game with this BU. The shortage of umpires is getting worse.

 

[SoftballDadnWV]

I have seen this before with one particular umpire in the local association that tends to work games in our area. When he was not checking his phone he was griping to someone he knew that was seated near the fence...griping about not getting the good games in the tournament - he was not in it for the right reasons and totally clueless as to why he did not get the "good" games. If I was behind the plate and my partner was not paying attention, he would have heard it from me. I only had to say something one time to a partner for something similar, and miraculously, I never had to do another game with them LOL I don't think he liked being corrected.

 

[CoachJD]

We had an umpire (BU) that was constantly checking her phone throughout the game, which left her out of position multiple times. Should I have approached her during the game?

Are you sure she was "checking her phone"? Last year we had an umpire who had a clicker app on her phone. I knew what she was doing, but the parents didn't and a few were complaining about it (and when she blew a call, the complaining got worse even though the phone had nothing to do with the mistake).

 

[sylvesterx4]

Are you sure she was "checking her phone"? Last year we had an umpire who had a clicker app on her phone. I knew what she was doing, but the parents didn't and a few were complaining about it (and when she blew a call, the complaining got worse even though the phone had nothing to do with the mistake).

Definitely checking her phone. She would typically take it out after a play, between innings & between batters. Honestly, I wouldn't be upset about it, but she was out of position on some calls both against our team and for our team. In my first year coaching a 10u TB team, I had an umpire tell me before a game that she would be checking her phone throughout the game because her daughter was in labor and she was expecting a call that her first grandkid was born. We kind of chuckled a bit and said we didn't have a problem with it....