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Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,044
113
Agreed. In a tournament we didn’t get a clear interference call and I called time and asked the field ump. She said there was no contact and my SS checked up giving up the base path. So I told the SS to go after the ball and make contact if needed. Umpire then told me she would eject me if that happened. So being the calm quiet person I am, I asked then what is she supposed to do? You just said no interference because there was no contact, but you will eject me if there is contact? It didn’t end well but I went and sat on my bucket...


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It's never a good idea to publicly tell a player to intentionally make contact with another. However, I do tell baserunners to gently "bump" fielders just standing in the way. I also tell fielders to go after the ball regardless of where the runner might be, and what happens, happens. I'll do either during practice or in the dugout, but not within earshot of an umpire. This umpire's argument clearly indicates that she didn't understand the rules, and that's a legitimate foundation for further discussion. I probably go talk to the Home plate umpire to argue for the correct rule application. If the game is important enough and the call really matters, I ask for the UIC. In any event, I have a chat with the UIC after the game.
 

Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,044
113
Just finished a 12u rec game. Batter hit a slow weak ground ball to SS. SS fielded it and made a bad throw into the dirt to the home base side of 1st. 1st baseman went after the ball falling over onto her hands and knees in the process with her legs/butt blocking the baseline and upper body into foul territory. She didn't catch the ball, but did knock it down. She was able to pick up the ball and reach back to tag the runner. To avoid the collision our runner checked up and ran back to the inbound side of the baseline. Because the runner hit the brakes and had to run around her, the 1B was able to get the out. The runner clearly checked up and had to deviate from the baseline before the 1B had the ball. Ump argued that the fielder had the right to go after the thrown ball and it wasn't obstruction. I thought that only applied to a batted ball? I don't want the encourage our players to intentionally run over another player at full speed, but is contact needed to get the obstruction call? The 1B was in a pretty compromising position and could have gotten hurt if our player ran across her legs or put a knee into the girls ribs going if she went over the top of her.

If I could go back and advise my relatively inexperienced 10/12U coaching self, I'd tell him to fully understand every rule before arriving at the ballpark, and know how to talk to umpires.

I know it's Rec, but nearly all of the umpires you see during the week at a Rec game are on the field during weekend tournaments. If they're older than teenagers, they've either played, been umpiring for awhile, had kids who played for a long time, or some combination. They should know the rules.

It also matters if there's one or two umpires on the field. If one umpire insists on being blind and/or ignorant, there's not much you can do. However, if one umpire is blatantly misapplying a rule, there's a chance that talking to the other in a calm, rational, and convincing way could possibly alter the outcome. If the situation wasn't correctly addressed, and I knew I was right, I'd provide some feedback to the UIC.
 
Aug 25, 2019
1,066
113
If I could go back and advise my relatively inexperienced 10/12U coaching self, I'd tell him to fully understand every rule before arriving at the ballpark, and know how to talk to umpires.

I know it's Rec, but nearly all of the umpires you see during the week at a Rec game are on the field during weekend tournaments. If they're older than teenagers, they've either played, been umpiring for awhile, had kids who played for a long time, or some combination. They should know the rules.

It also matters if there's one or two umpires on the field. If one umpire insists on being blind and/or ignorant, there's not much you can do. However, if one umpire is blatantly misapplying a rule, there's a chance that talking to the other in a calm, rational, and convincing way could possibly alter the outcome. If the situation wasn't correctly addressed, and I knew I was right, I'd provide some feedback to the UIC.
Right!....So many coaches do not know how to talk to umpires. The best coach I saw was an 18U coach. I was base umpire, and made a close play against his team at 3rd. He waited for the ball to return to pitcher, asked the plate umpire for time before exiting the dugout, and walked over to me to discuss the play (no yelling or antics involved)...I explained to him how I saw it and that I got it right. He said ok, thank you, and calmly walked back to dugout. I was impressed. the next inning or so I made another call against his team. Same situation, he came out calm and discussed the call, he asked if I could ask the plate umpire for help, even though I had it right again, I asked the umpire, who agreed with me. I advised the coach of the call, he again said ok, thank you, and walked back to the dugout. I was so impressed the way he handled those two calls, I wrote a note to the head of his organization about how he handled the situations. If only more coaches could be like that instead of yelling and looking for a fight.
 
Feb 13, 2021
880
93
MI
If only more coaches could be like that instead of yelling and looking for a fight.
I know many are going to say we as umpires are also looking for a fight. Perhaps some are, but when a coach comes out at us all jazzed up, as much as we try to do otherwise, sometimes our hackles get up as well. Come out calmly and most of us are more than willing to listen to what you have to say and then calmly explain what we saw and what rule covers the situation.
 
Jan 22, 2011
1,610
113
Agreed. In a tournament we didn’t get a clear interference call and I called time and asked the field ump. She said there was no contact and my SS checked up giving up the base path. So I told the SS to go after the ball and make contact if needed. Umpire then told me she would eject me if that happened. So being the calm quiet person I am, I asked then what is she supposed to do? You just said no interference because there was no contact, but you will eject me if there is contact? It didn’t end well but I went and sat on my bucket...


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What a shortstop my DD has played with does is she doesn't make contact, but gets close to the runner before yielding and verbalizes 'Hey!' to bring attention to the fact she was interfered with.
 
Jul 22, 2015
851
93
She said there was no contact and my SS checked up giving up the base path.
DD was playing 2nd when she came in to field a hit ball, runner on first was trucking down to 2nd, so DD pulled up (since she would of gotten flattened), and was unable to make the play.
These are almost always "had to be there" plays, but can also be complicated by the fact that you do often see fielders make the decision to field the ball behind the runner. It sounds like in both of those plays quoted that the fielder was coming in to make a play and pulled up at the last second to avoid being hit, which would be interference. But, if I'm an umpire and the fielder stops well back of the runner's path, breaks down into a fielding position, and makes a decision to field the ball there, then I don't have interference. If the fielder wants to field the ball in front of the runner or in the path of the runner, they definitely need to make it look like that is the case. Of course, that does run the risk of coming across an umpire who simply doesn't call the rule correctly.
 
Jul 1, 2019
19
3
It's never a good idea to publicly tell a player to intentionally make contact with another. However, I do tell baserunners to gently "bump" fielders just standing in the way. I also tell fielders to go after the ball regardless of where the runner might be, and what happens, happens. I'll do either during practice or in the dugout, but not within earshot of an umpire. This umpire's argument clearly indicates that she didn't understand the rules, and that's a legitimate foundation for further discussion. I probably go talk to the Home plate umpire to argue for the correct rule application. If the game is important enough and the call really matters, I ask for the UIC. In any event, I have a chat with the UIC after the game.

We were getting beat 15-0 in bracket play and the other coach was stealing and aggressively trying to score more. My comment was in part to highlight the stupidity of the umpires statement as well as point out to the other coach that someone is going to get hurt. You are going to win. We were playing a really good team and our #1 pitcher was hurt. But you are 100% right, my comment wasn’t said correctly or at the right time. If we would have gotten the out we would have ended the top half of the inning and likely gone 1-2-3 to finish the game by run rule in the bottom half. I was actually pretty calm, I just said it out loud.


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May 29, 2019
269
63
...he asked if I could ask the plate umpire for help, even though I had it right again, I asked the umpire, who agreed with me.
Kind of beside the original thread point, but if you are confident that you have the correct call, why do you for help? The one thing that really annoys me is the coaches that think everything should be "umpired by committee". I understand the "Blue, I think she pulled her foot and you couldn't see from your angle" argument. I have seen too many times a seemingly correct call from an ump, in perfect position 5 feet away, overturned by an ump 65 feet away because he was asking for help just to appease a coach.
 
Jul 2, 2013
381
43
I have seen too many times a seemingly correct call from an ump, in perfect position 5 feet away, overturned by an ump 65 feet away because he was asking for help just to appease a coach.

If the above happens then that isn't a very good umpire crew.

The HP ump shouldn't overrule the field ump on something unless the field ump tells the HP ump that he isn't sure or didn't see the play. Even then, he shouldn't change the call unless HP did see it and can make a better decision from his viewpoint.

Of course my opinion isn't worth much more than any other guy who hasn't umped anything over rec.
 

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