I (coach) cost us a game

[jazz10NE]

In our league you can bat the lineup and are allowed to courtesy run for pitch and catcher. The other team puts in a runner for the girl on 3rd saying she was the catcher. At the time I didn't say anything.

That girl scored and so did another player to put them up by 1 in the top half of the inning - time runs out we get to bat yet.

While we are getting ready to bat I notice the girl they ran for was not the catcher but 1st base.

I brought this to the attention of the umpire, they question the other coach and he admits he made a mistake. Now this is where I make my mistake. I figured it was past the point in time so I let the umpire know I would be protesting the game immediately following.

When I did protest to the UIC after the game i was told it was too late, and I should have requested the UIC come over that the time of discovery for an official ruling.

He then goes on to thank me for being polite about this and says his umpires will need to go home and read their books. I respond with ' me too'

Thanks for reading my venting - any insight would be appreciated.

 

[mad hornet]

Would they have scored anyway regardless of the courtesy runner? If so I would chalk it up as a lesson learned and forget about it. Focus on improved hitting and defense.

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

It doesn't matter if they would have scored regardless of the courtesy runner. You need to chalk it up as a lesson learned and let it go.

I have done this type of thing before, but only once because after eaach error I re-read the rule book.

 

[Dave D]

If this is the only thing you ever do that costs your team a game, count your blessings. I can look at probably a third to half of the games I've lost as a coach (it's a big number, too) and figure that something I've done--sending a runner, holding a runner, changing pitchers or not, setting a batting order, arguing a call, not arguing a call, or yes, even overlooking a substitution infraction--has conceivably cost my team the game. Heck, I guess it goes for every game I've ever lost as a coach. I don't notice it as much in blowouts, but the one or two run losses can always be traced to a fateful moment, at least in my eyes.

Hopefully, every coach and player on your team takes enough ownership of what's going on on the field and in the dugout to see that they play an important part in every win or loss, and to accept that if they had played better or worse, the outcome would likely have been different. With that said, softball, as we all know, is a game of mistakes. Whoever makes the fewest mistakes generally wins. All you can do as a coach is work hard to minimize yours, and help your players learn to minimize theirs--then forgive them (and yourself) for the ones that slip through.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Was the runner eligible to enter the game? And was the 1st baseman eligible to re-enter?

I am just trying to figure out what the UIC or trny director might have done.

 

[SBDadSanDiego]

I once cost my team a possible win , by helping one of our girls after she took a tumble rounding third.
I knew the rule well, but her fall looked a heck of a lot worse than it was, I was genuinely concerned with her well-being.
She jumped up (as my hand was on her shoulder) and finished her trip to the plate.
It would have tied the game, instead it ended it.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

She jumped up (as my hand was on her shoulder) and finished her trip to the plate.

And that was considered "aiding the runner?" I wouldn't have thought so.

 

[SBDadSanDiego]

And that was considered "aiding the runner?" I wouldn't have thought so.

He viewed it as me helping her to her feet.

 

[Mamma Coach]

as the parent of the player you were showing concern for.....
I would have been MUCH happier to see your concern ~ than scoring the run.

Good on ya, Coach!

 

[jazz10NE]

Amy,

Yes they were batting the lineup and used the last out as the courtesy runner, as is available in our league rules.

UIC said if I would have stopped the game and asked for ruling it - might have taken the run off the board.

Good part is we see them this week in a tournament. Our league game I played # 3 pitch and sat my top 4 other players - specifically so they wouldn't see us at full strength. I was proud of the girls that need work for playing so well that we tied after 5 innings at 6 all.