Prepare to complain about those strict and mean umpires . . .
Oh, I don’t need this to complain!
Prepare to complain about those strict and mean umpires . . .
IMHO, I would rewrite the rule so umpire gives a signal to the pitcher at the 10 second mark she may begin her pitch whether the batter is in the box or not. Then it is still up to the pitcher to deliver a strike to earn the strikeout.
I’d have to assume if there was going to be a lawsuit in this case, then they’d go after the ”deep pockets,” such as USSSA, PFG, etc, if it were a tourney or the school district or township if the rec league uses such fields. I highly doubt they’d go after the umpire. This is also why travel teams and rec leagues carry insurance. However, I am not a lawyer, nor do I pretend to be one.Ok, so assuming that is right, how can umpires allow for some rec or travel ball tournament games to be played with the pitcher's circle looks like it has moon craters. Why isn't that considered a safety issue? Would an umpire be liable for allowing a game with unsafe conditions? Obviously tournament directors would also be liable but, in this society today where everyone sues everyone, would an umpire be liable if a pitcher got hurt during a game with major holes?
Interesting. While I know you were saying this with tongue firmly planted into your cheek as you wrote all that legal mumbo jumbo. LOL. I better catch up on the Law & Order episodes on TV to know if what you wrote will hold up in court.@Hillhouse . . . my opinion and the opinions of people who are trying to bully/manipulate you into doing what they want you to do may vary. I also am not a lawyer, did not play one on TV, and did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. My words and opinions are not necessarily the opinions of Discuss Fastpitch, any softball organization, or even any sane and rational person. My words are intended for entertainment purposes only. My words may not be rebroadcast or repurposed without the consent of Mid-Major League Baseketball. By continuing to read this post, you are agreeing to these terms, and YOU WIN NOTHING.
OK, now that those unpleasantries are out of the way . . .
Let me begin by saying that I believe at least 99% of those stories to be pretty much BS. They are provided by assignors and state directors who just want to push people around. A while back I embarked on a layman's journey of trying to find lawsuits against officials. I found very few, and almost none were for anything I have ever heard claimed (virtually all of them were related to the outcome of a game). If any lawyer or legal mind out there would like to help me, I would like to write a book on the subject.
Using NFHS as an example, here is the obligation of the umpire:
4-6 [Starting and Ending the Game] After the game starts (when the umpire calls “Play Ball”), the umpires are sole judges as to whether conditions, including grounds, are fit for play, and as to whether conditions are suitable for starting the second game of a scheduled doubleheader (two games between the same teams during the same day).
10-2-3(e) [The duties of the home plate umpire] call the game if conditions become unfit for play.
Here is going to be my defense . . . What training or guidance did NFHS (or my state association) provide me on determining field viability? Did I ignore that training?
You would need to prove negligence or recklessness on the part of the umpire to hold her/him responsible. You would need to prove the umpire was aware of the condition of the field and that the condition was not a "normal" circumstance of play. (I hate to say it, but IMO, the trench digging on a dirt field is a normal condition of play. It may be inconvenient if the pitcher cannot throw as they wish, but they still can pitch.)
Not saying that wouldn't happen, but if you are telling me the umpire is liable, I would say the coach who kept putting the kid back out there in a "dangerous" situation would be more liable.
For USA Softball, junior umpires should have paid $40, or their league paid $40 for them, and they are covered with insurance. If they aren't registered with USA Softball as umpires, some parents may be in for a very expensive surprise.I’d have to assume if there was going to be a lawsuit in this case, then they’d go after the ”deep pockets,” such as USSSA, PFG, etc, if it were a tourney or the school district or township if the rec league uses such fields. I highly doubt they’d go after the umpire. This is also why travel teams and rec leagues carry insurance. However, I am not a lawyer, nor do I pretend to be one.
ETA: What about rec leagues that use junior umpires (kids)? Are they going to be held liable too??
I have gone out on to Fields with my own shovel and jug of water to fill in outrageous problems and pack the dirt down firmer. One time the people that were running the tournament came out and asked me who told me to do that. And I said no one should have to tell you to do it you should be able to recognize it needs to be done. Then they asked me if I was on a schedule doing it for the parks Department. I said no I'm a person who came to watch softball and saw there was a problem on the field. They replied you mean you just came out here on your own?!We're headed up to some notoriously bad fields this weekend. Pitcher's mounds are horrible and one of our aces got hurt on these fields last year.
Question:
Can we have the pitchers stand on the very edge of the pitcher's plate? Anything we'd get in trouble for if we simply move so far over they land on more stable and flat dirt?
If the fields are as bad as we remember, we may forfeit some pool games. Hate to do it, but...
I completely understand. I've played in games/tournaments where some rules had to be modified in order to get the game completed, i.e. pitching from the side of the rubber due to a trench having been dug that nobody fixed and rain creating an actual puddle in said trench. I would "assume" (yes, I know what assume means) that the umpires wouldn't care as long as both teams are ok with it. And/or getting the tournament director's blessing.We're headed up to some notoriously bad fields this weekend. Pitcher's mounds are horrible and one of our aces got hurt on these fields last year.
Question:
Can we have the pitchers stand on the very edge of the pitcher's plate? Anything we'd get in trouble for if we simply move so far over they land on more stable and flat dirt?
If the fields are as bad as we remember, we may forfeit some pool games. Hate to do it, but...