Parent Interference about the Rules

[Hit by the Pitch]

I am the parent.

2 rules things happened in the game yesterday.

Situation 1:

Runner on 3rd, batter walks. 3rd base coach wants her to keep going to 2nd. Batter-runner stops on 1st then jumps off the base 10 feet or so and stops. PU calls the batter-runner out. Everyone on our Team is yelling, What!, what did she do?. Other Team is cheering. I am yelling she is not in the circle. PU looked and sure enough the P was walking back into the circle and said never mind she is safe. Might have been the 1st time I have yelled this year, certainly the first time towards an umpire. I am not sure it was appropriate.

Situation 2:

The game went to extra innings; I can never remember us having an extra-inning game, with the time limit it is almost impossible. We have a 4 inning pitching limit. The 2 HCs decided that the rule was since the game was going into extra innings the 4 inning pitching limit no longer applied or was extended to include additional 4 innings. I still have not figured out what they decided the rule was but both Teams’ put a P out for a 5th inning. I was not worried about the safety of either player so I did not say anything during the game and decide not to correct the HC next time I see them. I still do not know what either of them was thinking.

Any comments or suggestions on either on these or in general about a parent becoming involved in a game?

 

[wichita]

I am the parent.

2 rules things happened in the game yesterday.

Situation 1:

Runner on 3rd, batter walks. 3rd base coach wants her to keep going to 2nd. Batter-runner stops on 1st then jumps off the base 10 feet or so and stops. PU calls the batter-runner out. Everyone on our Team is yelling, What!, what did she do?. Other Team is cheering. I am yelling she is not in the circle. PU looked and sure enough the P was walking back into the circle and said never mind she is safe. Might have been the 1st time I have yelled this year, certainly the first time towards an umpire. I am not sure it was appropriate.

Situation 2:

The game went to extra innings; I can never remember us having an extra-inning game, with the time limit it is almost impossible. We have a 4 inning pitching limit. The 2 HCs decided that the rule was since the game was going into extra innings the 4 inning pitching limit no longer applied or was extended to include additional 4 innings. I still have not figured out what they decided the rule was but both Teams’ put a P out for a 5th inning. I was not worried about the safety of either player so I did not say anything during the game and decide not to correct the HC next time I see them. I still do not know what either of them was thinking.

Any comments or suggestions on either on these or in general about a parent becoming involved in a game?

Situation 1:
Call on field was correct look back rule is not in effect until pitcher has ball back in circle.

Situation :
Need more INFO what Rule set are you playing under? never heard of a 4 inning pitching limit unless it is a Rec. league and they have set a local rule.

 

[Hit by the Pitch]

Yes, the umpire made the right call after I yelled at them

Yes, it is Rec. Local Rule so the umpire is out of the picture. The coaches need to know the rules and not make them up as they go along.

 

[David Carter]

In situation 1 you are between a rock and hard place if you don't yell right away the ump could just say she was in circle, by yelling out the correct information to help jar his memory about the correct rule it helped make sure the call was the right one. In this situation I would probably instinctively do the same thing, then if the ump realizes it and makes the right call that's great but if he sticks with the bad call you just have to remember your are just a fan and let it go.

In situation 2, I have actually for whatever dumb reason done this same thing, agree with the other coach to do something slightly different than the agreed upon local rules...it actually worked against me, but I never thought twice about it I was the one that agreed to it so I owned it. In the future just remind all teams that they should stick to the rules agreed upon ahead of time.

 

[MTR]

I am the parent.

2 rules things happened in the game yesterday.

Situation 1:

Runner on 3rd, batter walks. 3rd base coach wants her to keep going to 2nd. Batter-runner stops on 1st then jumps off the base 10 feet or so and stops. PU calls the batter-runner out. Everyone on our Team is yelling, What!, what did she do?. Other Team is cheering. I am yelling she is not in the circle. PU looked and sure enough the P was walking back into the circle and said never mind she is safe. Might have been the 1st time I have yelled this year, certainly the first time towards an umpire. I am not sure it was appropriate.

Since I'm not a fan of the LBR, I am confident I would have made sure the LBR was in effect prior to making any call. As the umpire, I would not have cared, don't hear the fans. I would suggest instead of yelling at the umpire, you make sure the coach knows what you know because that is someone I will hear and listen

Situation 2:

The game went to extra innings; I can never remember us having an extra-inning game, with the time limit it is almost impossible. We have a 4 inning pitching limit. The 2 HCs decided that the rule was since the game was going into extra innings the 4 inning pitching limit no longer applied or was extended to include additional 4 innings. I still have not figured out what they decided the rule was but both Teams’ put a P out for a 5th inning. I was not worried about the safety of either player so I did not say anything during the game and decide not to correct the HC next time I see them. I still do not know what either of them was thinking.

Any comments or suggestions on either on these or in general about a parent becoming involved in a game?

Local rules are just that, local and only involves the league. What would the alternative had been, just ending the game?

 

[sluggers]

It is understandable for newbie parents to get excited and try to get involved in the game. In the future, try to refrain from interjecting yourself.

You are trying to help your child grow up. Part of that is letting them experience things without your involvement. It is difficult to do at any age, especially at the younger ages.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I sit far enough away from the field that nobody knows what I am yelling.

 

[CoogansBluff]

It is understandable for newbie parents to get excited and try to get involved in the game. In the future, try to refrain from interjecting yourself.

You are trying to help your child grow up. Part of that is letting them experience things without your involvement. It is difficult to do at any age, especially at the younger ages.

I agree w/ Sluggers. ...

And aside from the ''role of the parents'' angle, it's also an issue of how the game should be played. People outside the fences are not a part of what takes place inside the fences (the game itself) except to cheer or support. So even if I'm just a fan who has no children or no rooting interest, I have no business assisting the umpires or coaches. Fans should have no bearing on the outcome or course of the game.

 

[Hit by the Pitch]

Local rules are just that, local and only involves the league. What would the alternative had been, just ending the game?

A tie would have been fine with me but no the game would have continued. Both Teams had some pitchers available that did not reach their inning limit.

 

[cmspock]

I am the parent.


Situation 2:

The game went to extra innings; I can never remember us having an extra-inning game, with the time limit it is almost impossible. We have a 4 inning pitching limit. The 2 HCs decided that the rule was since the game was going into extra innings the 4 inning pitching limit no longer applied or was extended to include additional 4 innings. I still have not figured out what they decided the rule was but both Teams’ put a P out for a 5th inning. I was not worried about the safety of either player so I did not say anything during the game and decide not to correct the HC next time I see them. I still do not know what either of them was thinking.

Any comments or suggestions on either on these or in general about a parent becoming involved in a game?

Debated answering this one since I was one of the coaches on the field who made the decision to pitch the girls 5 innings. This is my first year at 12u and I remember a league rule last year (in 10U) where if the game went longer than 7 innings, the pitchers could pitch an additional inning. I told the other HC and the umpire that I thought that was the rule here because we questioning the 4 inning pitching rule. We both agreed to put "our best" out there and let the outcome be what it was. After your DD's team had taken the field in the 8th inning (but before the 1st batter came up), we double checked the rules and determined that was not in the league rules at 12u and the pitchers should have only pitched 4 innings. I let your HC know. Your HC said to me, "If it's ok with you, let them play" and the ump said fine with him.

This was a friendly but really competitive game because all the girls on both teams knew each other. Maybe I should have gone with the weaker but fresher pitcher. Your team's best beat out my team's best unfortunately.

I have the league commissioner verifying what the rule is should another game ever go beyond 7 innings at the 12u level.