One ump and leaving early

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Apr 20, 2015
961
93
Two issues here....

First of all, any FP softball above 8U should never be a single umpire. There is too much going on for one umpire to watch. Teams should refuse to play in leagues and/or tournaments that use only a single umpire. Yes, It could increase the cost to play, but it should produce a better game experience.

Second, one of the reasons there are more and more single umpire games (besides leagues and TDs trying to keep costs down) is the nationwide shortage of umpires. We need more people around the game to give umpiring a shot. We also need leagues, TDs, and coaches to support umpires and change the behaviors of fans and parents that discourage new umpires.
Ha ha....I wish. In the midwest we routinely get 1 umpire for very expensive 12u A travel ball....its insane. Our coaches do not teach my daughter to cheat but she is taught to push the envelope. Be aggressive and that she better not be late on that jump


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Jan 22, 2009
331
18
South Jersey
Two issues here....

First of all, any FP softball above 8U should never be a single umpire. There is too much going on for one umpire to watch. Teams should refuse to play in leagues and/or tournaments that use only a single umpire. Yes, It could increase the cost to play, but it should produce a better game experience.

Second, one of the reasons there are more and more single umpire games (besides leagues and TDs trying to keep costs down) is the nationwide shortage of umpires. We need more people around the game to give umpiring a shot. We also need leagues, TDs, and coaches to support umpires and change the behaviors of fans and parents that discourage new umpires.

As I coach I wish we could have had 2 umpires all of the time, in reality we still were getting 1 umpire up to some tournaments at 14U.

As a new umpire I wholeheartedly agree with your second point. I am in the process now of recruiting youth umpires for our in town league and I know some are scared to do it because of parent/coach behavior.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
My brother in law's DD umps some times. At 1st he went to her games to make sure no one abused her, she didn't need the help:)

He still goes occasionally just to watch.
 
Apr 20, 2018
4,581
113
SoCal
What quincy meant was basepath not baseline. First Baseman sets up intentionally in the runner's (on 1st) path to 2nd and not giving ground until pitcher has released the ball in order to stop would be cheater (leaving early). I love it.
 
Oct 3, 2011
3,478
113
Right Here For Now
Q...explain more please.

NM. I got it. To the OP, the problem isn't systemic. I say this simply because both umpires are responsible for seeing the pitcher. The HPU is responsible for watching the hands while the the FU is responsible for the feet in order to call an illegal pitch. What is systemic, is the failure to do so. Until the pitching regulations are changed for girls/women's SB to conform to the Men's side of things, you just have to hope that the FU catches an early start out of the corner of their eye. In the meantime, deal with it. A HPU has too much on his plate trying to watch whether the pitcher is legal, both hands and feet mind you and whether it's a ball or strike let alone leaving base early. 99% of the time, a single HPU won't IME..
 
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Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
My brother in law's DD umps some times. At 1st he went to her games to make sure no one abused her, she didn't need the help:)

He still goes occasionally just to watch.

I guess I can no longer say "Nobody comes to watch the umpires ump" when complaining about them.
 
Dec 10, 2015
845
63
Chautauqua County
"Most umpires track pitches the same way they did when they batted as players. That means they have acquired the dreaded malady of “tunnel vision.”

Tunnel vision occurs when an umpire looks down the tunnel to the pitcher’s release point with his or her eyes fixated ahead and allows the ball to pass through the tunnel while reading the pitch the same way they did as a batter. Batters must read pitches that way while attempting to hit the pitch. Umpires have the luxury of only having to call the pitch.

When an umpire has tunnel vision, he or she decides the status of the pitch by predetermined destination. That is where the umpire expects the ball to go based on his or her read from in front of the plate. The umpire should track the ball with his or her eyes all the way into the catcher’s glove before making a decision.

Tracking a pitch with the eyes takes practice and constant self-reminding. See the outside corner of the plate with both eyes and try to stay “on” the pitch to the end. That will help to see tails and breaks of the ball when it passes the plate. "

This from a referee feed. imo, no single ump can do this and watch for an early leave.
________________________________________
 
Jul 4, 2018
25
3
We play close to 100 games a year. Girls leave early constantly and it rarely gets called with 1,2, and even 3 umpires on the field. If your runner hasn't left as the ball leaves the pitchers hand she is late. It's not cheating if everyone is doing it lol. It takes skill to do it right and not get caught but we actually work on it, they are taught to leave early, not one runner was called out for leaving early last year.
 
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