Player Ejection

[FPump]

You actually answered the question yourself. You play USSSA. The worst umpires in all organizations.
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A large majority of us who umpire during the summer tournament season also work games played under other sanctions, (ASA, NSF, PONY, Premier, LL, USSSA, etc.). So chances are pretty good that the umps in the red shirts ("the worst umpires in all organizations") who worked your last tournament, were wearing light blue and working a tournament another code the week before

A good umpire is a good umpire, a poor umpire is a poor umpire, no matter what organization he's working under or uniform he's wearing.

 

[SoCalASABlue]

We had a similar situation this past weekend where the other teams coach was calling for our player to be ejected.

Our runner was rounding third as the outfielder picke dup the ball.

Outfileder threw the ball to SS for cutoff, at that time the other teams catcher moved up about 2 feet in front of the plate and crouched a bit looking like she was ready to block.

Runner was over 1/2 way home by the time short stop threw the ball. Our runner didn't slide, instead she tucked her face down and put her forearms up in front of her (like you would to set a pick in basketball). the ball hit our runner in the back just before she plowed into the catcher. Sh touched home and was called safe.

Other coach went nuts calling for her to be ejected, our coach starts yelling it was a legal that our runner doesn't have to try and avoid contact. plate ump called in the field ump asked him if he saw anything malicious, he said no catcher was in baseline and throw led runner and fielder to contact.

I certainly would have ejected your runner. Contact is to be expected in softball. There is no excuse for a purposeful collision, regardless of whether the catcher was obstructing or not.

 

[mogsoftball]

by plowed I mean she did not try to avoid the catcher an did not slide. she stayed upright and kept running straight, as they collison began she did strech out with her hand to touch the base.

 

[BretMan]

Our player was ejected Friday for contact on the catcher when she was sliding home.

Right there's your problem. If your player had actually been sliding, this wouldn't be an issue.

As for your protest, it might fly. While the standard rules say the protest must be lodged before the next pitch, in a league setting there is often more flexibility. Leagues have leeway to interpret or enforce the rules as they see fit, no matter what the rule book says. Plus, once the league officials learn that you were attempting to protest, and the umpire said that you weren't allowed to, they may take that into consideration.

If that was the standard operating procedure, any umpire could bury any legitimate protest just by saying, "You're not allowed to protest". That can't be right. He had a duty and responsibility to accept your official protest, whether he thought it was valid of not. If I was a league official, I might be sympathetic to your case that you did protest, but the umpire just didn't do his job in properly recording it.

 

[Bulldogs Coach]

@ Bret man. I found out our League gives 72 hours to file a protest with the League for ruling not for judgement. So last night I filed a protest for the ruling that we should have to take an out for the ejected player. As far as me protesting to the umpire I made sure to use the words " I am protesting your ruling." That is when he shut me down and said take the out or forfeit. I will update everyone when I hear back on my protest.

 

[MaverickAH]

First thing I will say is that you announced your intentions of protesting at the game correctly. The standard procedure at that point would have been for the umpire to write down the details of the protest in your scorebook & sign it. Being that you had an official scorekeeper, the details & signature should have gone into that book. The player ejection is a judgment call & can not be protested. The ruling to not allow you to enter a legal sub into the ejected player's spot is something that can be protested. An umpire does not have the authority to deny your protest even if he thinks you're wrong.

Some leagues have their own procedure on handling protests. I know of one league that insists on immediate resolution at the point of the dispute. Other leagues have the sort of process that yours has.

If you had a legal sub to enter in the ejected player's spot, I don't see you losing your protest.

 

[SoCalASABlue]

by plowed I mean she did not try to avoid the catcher an did not slide. she stayed upright and kept running straight, as they collison began she did strech out with her hand to touch the base.

There is no requirement to slide in the rule book. There is a requirement to avoid collisions in the rule book. Since she did not try to avoid a collision (she has three feet to either side of the base path to do so), she gets ejected. If the runners do not know that, then that's a coaching error that needs to be corrected in practice. This is not MLB where catchers can get blasted with no consequences to the runner.

 

[Easton33]

There is no requirement to slide in the rule book. There is a requirement to avoid collisions in the rule book. Since she did not try to avoid a collision (she has three feet to either side of the base path to do so), she gets ejected. If the runners do not know that, then that's a coaching error that needs to be corrected in practice. This is not MLB where catchers can get blasted with no consequences to the runner.

I would like see you running full speed with someone coming up the line at you, make that 3' move left or right. The burden to avoid collision is on both players. She can't come up the line and block it without the ball. Have you ever ejected a defensive player because of collision? Yet, catchers BLOCK the plate givin runner no access to slide. Collisions will always happen unless defenders are taught to NOT block base or plate. Call both sides of it or stop calling it.

 

[Sweet Lou]

Without seeing the play I have no idea if the ump was right or wrong on the out/ejection rule. For sake of argument, I'm going to say he was right on both since it is a judgement call.

But as others have noted, if you had a sub - which you did, then his interpretation of auto out was dead wrong and protestable. Unless your league does not allow protests.

 

[Comp]

I would like see you running full speed with someone coming up the line at you, make that 3' move left or right. The burden to avoid collision is on both players. She can't come up the line and block it without the ball. Have you ever ejected a defensive player because of collision? Yet, catchers BLOCK the plate givin runner no access to slide. Collisions will always happen unless defenders are taught to NOT block base or plate. Call both sides of it or stop calling it.

And that is why there is an obstruction rule.