How do you handle an umpire who disregards certain rules?

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

May 10, 2021
149
43
Actually it does impact the hitters. The pitch must begin with the hands coming together. It’s what keeps pitchers from quick pitching. It’s the essence of that rule.
Absolutely. It is a clearly written rule. Why does it matter? Quick pitching for sure.

I called a similar situation in a HS varsity game last year in May. Actually was pitcher getting on the rubber with hands together. This is illegal in NFHS. Coach says its never called. At some point the pitcher needs to learn the correct mechanics; it may be in 12U, JV Varsity, 16U showcase whatever its illegal and will be called at some point. Calling IPs only helps the pitcher grow. They made a pitching change and lost the game. I had them again 2 weeks later and guess what? The same pitcher got on the rubber separated every time and was ready for postseason.

For the good of the game the rules need to be enforced.

My DD plays lower level B and IP's are rarely called. Go to a showcase and everything is called. We might as well teach them the correct way.
 
Aug 6, 2013
392
63
No offense but that gives her no advantage whatsoever and since it doesn't impact your girls' hitting, I'm not sure why you even brought it up to the ump in the first place. Who cares.
I just don't get this line of thinking. Rules are rules.
 
Dec 15, 2018
809
93
CT
I fully agree that if the umpire sees a violation, they should call it.

All I'm saying is, if you approach me and ask me to confirm whether the warm-up pitches she's delivering are illegal, I will tell you "If I see something illegal, I will call it". If you ask me, "can you watch her, I don't think she's bringing her hands together", I will tell you "if I see something illegal, I will call it". What I'm not going to do is tell you that I see it in the warm up, and I'm going to call it (or weirdly, that I'm not going to call it). I'm not going to debate the rules, or go over a rule book with you. All you're getting is "if I see something illegal, I will call it."
 
Oct 10, 2018
305
63
Go to a showcase and everything is called. We might as well teach them the correct way.

Not to argue, just commenting. I've seen the exact opposite, I've seen more than one ump tell a coach who mentioned a pitcher was doing something illegal, it's just a showcase, if it were a tourney I'd call it. OTOH when DD was playing rec as a little girl the umps always called IP's so they would learn to pitch properly.
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
I’m a little surprised by the reaction of our umpires.

It is because you just made my job harder. And because the coach is doing it to try to create some advantage. If you REALLY want to have this discussion, pre-game plate meeting is the time to do it with both coaches present, instead of some side conversation hoping to get your team a call.

Everyone (or at least someone) will see any side discussion, probably overhear what it is about, or at least wonder what it was all about.

If I then call it, it is now 'because I was influenced/manipulated by the coach' - especially if it is a call that is rarely made - and every close call now is because I am favoring them or whatever.


----------------------------
On a separate but related topic, If they had any sense they would just simplify the rules so that if the pitcher, batter, catcher and umpire are all ready, then pitch away. I'll 'no pitch' anything that doesn't have all these anyway.
 
Last edited:
Jul 19, 2021
630
93
Actually it does impact the hitters. The pitch must begin with the hands coming together. It’s what keeps pitchers from quick pitching. It’s the essence of that rule.
But the OP didn't say she was quick pitching, therefore, it had zero effect on his hitters. We aren't talking about what COULD happen, we're talking about what DID happen. I agree that is the spirit of the rule but she didn't quick pitch them so again, who cares.
 
Jul 19, 2021
630
93
I just don't get this line of thinking. Rules are rules.
If a rule is in place to prevent a certain something from happening, and the rule is being violated but that "certain something", in this case quick pitching, is NOT happening, is it really a rule violation? No one is being impacted negatively.


"The rules" state the the strike zone is from the armpit/chest/letters to the knee and nowadays nothing gets called up there so are you going to approach the umpire before the game to show him the strike zone in rule book? There are all sorts of rules that never get called so my line of thinking is this. If you spend your time worrying about them while you're coaching, you're thinking about the wrong stuff. Hence my original message to the OP. Worry about the controllable. Your girls. Stop wasting time worrying about the uncontrollable. The umpires.
 
Aug 6, 2013
392
63
If a rule is in place to prevent a certain something from happening, and the rule is being violated but that "certain something", in this case quick pitching, is NOT happening, is it really a rule violation? No one is being impacted negatively.


"The rules" state the the strike zone is from the armpit/chest/letters to the knee and nowadays nothing gets called up there so are you going to approach the umpire before the game to show him the strike zone in rule book? There are all sorts of rules that never get called so my line of thinking is this. If you spend your time worrying about them while you're coaching, you're thinking about the wrong stuff. Hence my original message to the OP. Worry about the controllable. Your girls. Stop wasting time worrying about the uncontrollable. The umpires.
While I understand what you are saying your example of the strike zone is still a "judgement call" rule. An umpire sees what he sees based on his frame of reference. Coaches and parents and players see what they see based on their frame of reference. Ultimately the umps frame of reference is the only one that matters 🤷‍♀️ A pitcher clearly violating the rules by not coming together once on the rubber is not a judgement call. I mean - there are some who bring their hands close to the glove in front of the body but not quite together - yeah that's judgement - but a pitcher who doesn't at all is blatantly not following the rules and, I'm sorry, that needs to be enforced - or at least addressed. That's not a judgement call - that's a violation of a rule.

We all think there are rules we shouldn't need to follow because something "isn't" happening - until it does happen. My old job wouldn't let us into a certain section of the building without proper PPE including closed toe shoes. Not even to walk in the prescribed pathway where no equipment ever was to get to the closest bathroom to my desk. Seems silly but the rule is there IN CASE something does happen. We didn't get to just say - but it doesn't impact us since we are in the walkway away from everything. We had to follow the rule. Softball should be no different - we don't get to decide which rules to follow. Seems like a bad life lesson to me. Ultimately that's what we really want to teach with sports isn't it? How to be a better person? Letting the uncontrollables roll off is a good lesson too though and I would probably deal with it because going postal is also a bad life lesson, hahahaha. Sounds like the OP managed well after that bump.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,478
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top