Runner Interference

[GI Tom]

Whenever I'm asked about a rule I will always tell the coach I will be happy to go over it with him after the game, etc. but now is not the time to be discussing it. I will answer other questions most of the time depending on the coach's manner in which he is inquiring. Yellers and screamers and foot stompers get the least responses every time, period.

Humorous story about asking about the rules:

Last year during a 12U TB tourney, I'm BU. R1 on 1B plows directly into F4 making a play on a ground ball. I immediately call dead ball for RI and ring the runner out. HC comes out all worked up that I don't know the rule and starts with "My girl has a RIGHT to that basepath" and asking "Do you know the rule!?!". I explain to him that I have RI, and R1 is out as she must allow the fielder to make the play. He continues on asking me if I know the rule, so I ask him back if he knows the rule. He says he does and I have it wrong. I encourage him to read the book describing RI as soon as possible. He settles down and walks back to dugout. No more incidents with him that game. The above happens on Saturday.

On Sunday, I've got his team again and I'm BU again. This time, his team is on defense. I can't remember exactly what happened but I roll one of his girls for OBS on a runner. He comes out again with his arms flapping and all worked up, and this next part I remember very clearly what he says:

"OK Blue, I checked the rulebook yesterday and you were right about that interference, but you are DEFINITELY wrong about this one!"

It took all I had not to burst out laughing right there.

 

[David Carter]

Whenever I'm asked about a rule I will always tell the coach I will be happy to go over it with him after the game, etc. but now is not the time to be discussing it. I will answer other questions most of the time depending on the coach's manner in which he is inquiring. Yellers and screamers and foot stompers get the least responses every time, period.

Humorous story about asking about the rules:

Last year during a 12U TB tourney, I'm BU. R1 on 1B plows directly into F4 making a play on a ground ball. I immediately call dead ball for RI and ring the runner out. HC comes out all worked up that I don't know the rule and starts with "My girl has a RIGHT to that basepath" and asking "Do you know the rule!?!". I explain to him that I have RI, and R1 is out as she must allow the fielder to make the play. He continues on asking me if I know the rule, so I ask him back if he knows the rule. He says he does and I have it wrong. I encourage him to read the book describing RI as soon as possible. He settles down and walks back to dugout. No more incidents with him that game. The above happens on Saturday.

On Sunday, I've got his team again and I'm BU again. This time, his team is on defense. I can't remember exactly what happened but I roll one of his girls for OBS on a runner. He comes out again with his arms flapping and all worked up, and this next part I remember very clearly what he says:

"OK Blue, I checked the rulebook yesterday and you were right about that interference, but you are DEFINITELY wrong about this one!"

It took all I had not to burst out laughing right there.

but given the exact scenario you described and having nothing called and the conversation goes...

Coach: so what exactly is the rule because I must not understand it correctly

Ump: there is no call she is safe

Coach: but as my fielder attempted to make a play on the ball the runner hit her

Ump: the runner is allowed to run to the base the fielder got in her way I am calling her safe

Coach: the rule clearly states that my fielder has a right to make a play on the ball without being interfered with by the runner

Ump: I am calling her safe

Coach: Thank you (again no protest league...not to mention this was game 1 of a double header with same blues up next)

Ump: No problem

There is simply no recourse, beside chatting up the UIC next time I see him, but of course he is always defensive about his umpires and in the end even though it is clear they don't know the rule...it was his judgement that there was no interference although given his standard not sure you could ever call interference.

Again my gripe is not with the umpire blowing a call, I have great empathy since I was an umpire for 3 years, it is not knowing the rule that just really gets under my skin, even he he had simply said (although he was less than 10 ft away) I did not see any interference I could accept that.

 

[GI Tom]

but given the exact scenario you described and having nothing called and the conversation goes...

Coach: so what exactly is the rule because I must not understand it correctly

Ump: there is no call she is safe

Coach: but as my fielder attempted to make a play on the ball the runner hit her

Ump: the runner is allowed to run to the base the fielder got in her way I am calling her safe

Coach: the rule clearly states that my fielder has a right to make a play on the ball without being interfered with by the runner

Ump: I am calling her safe

Coach: Thank you (again no protest league...not to mention this was game 1 of a double header with same blues up next)

Ump: No problem

There is simply no recourse, beside chatting up the UIC next time I see him, but of course he is always defensive about his umpires and in the end even though it is clear they don't know the rule...it was his judgement that there was no interference although given his standard not sure you could ever call interference.

Again my gripe is not with the umpire blowing a call, I have great empathy since I was an umpire for 3 years, it is not knowing the rule that just really gets under my skin, even he he had simply said (although he was less than 10 ft away) I did not see any interference I could accept that.

David, not sure what your trying to get at, as if you called for 3 years, you certainly should have met many different kinds of umpires as your partners. As you should already know, sometimes you can just have bad umpires and sometimes you can have good umpires that just have a bad day. There is always going to be an official who doesn't know a rule, or who on a given day potentially applies a rule incorrectly. Asking for a universal answer on how to handle it is like asking for a universal answer on how to defend against a bunt. There are so many scenerios that can happen in both cases, there's no one right answer. It will always be considering whatever the circumstances are at the time.

Not trying to be combative, just trying to understand what you're asking for. For me, I will never discuss rules on the field in the manner in which you are asking. I'm always willing to explain what I saw and what I have. I will offer to discuss them off the field however as I mentioned or at least point them in the right direction to find the answer. Whether they take me up on the offer is up to them.

 

[MTR]

I know you think asking the umpire to tell you the rule is some kind of insult but to each his own. My point is simply I like being in the dugout with my team during a game so if you start out the conversation with "in my judgement" why am I even going to stand there and argue ...this is not my first rodeo...arguing that you don't like the umpires judgement is the fastest way to the parking lot and who said anything about misquoting an umpire maybe you have had bad experiences with that; but if you know the rule and are applying it correctly what are you worried about. If in the first 15 seconds of our conversation I can ascertain you don't know the rule then what you saw is completely irrelevant since you don't know how to apply what you saw correctly to the rules of the game.

if you can in a sentence or two properly explain what you saw and how you are applying the rule correctly then I will grant you the "what is the rule" question is not required but it just seems like in our league your chances are just a little better than 50/50 of getting a clear, concise or correct interpretation of a ruling.

I have never considered it an insult being asked about a play by a coach, judgment or otherwise. Questioning my mechanics may be another story, that that isnt' the discussion. As I noted, if you want to discuss a play, that is fine. I am NOT citing specific rules simply because often, one rule doesn't cover it all. If you have been umpiring and have been to the appropriate clinics, you should know that most rules do not stand alone and are quite reliant on rules in another part of the book. And as you also know, umpires do not memorize the rules.

An example and this happened away from the field. A coach from an Ohio team was ejected from their first game in an ASA national at a remote field. He "demanded" the umpire eject a pitcher because she had a thin leather string on her wrist of her non-throwing hand. When the umpire tried to explain why he wasn't going to eject the pitcher, the coach went off and wouldn't let the umpire finish telling him that there was no rule forbidding it and he, the umpire, did not consider the strand of leather dangerous.

The coach just strutted around screaming and wanting to now why they were not using ASA rules in and ASA National and threatened the umpire to complain to the UIC. The umpire frustrated with this guy, told him he could go see the UIC immediately instead of waiting after the game.

When this guy ended up at the main complex, he went right to the UIC and started ranting about this umpire who refused to eject a player because she was wearing a leather band. When the UIC began explaining that ASA left the determination of the wearing of jewelry up to the discretion.......it stopped right there as this alleged coach started prancing around the center of the complex screaming, and I mean screaming at the top of his lungs that, "WE AREN'T PLAYING ASA, WE ARE PLAYING UMPIRE DISCRETION RULES TODAY". I just walked away. The TD asked me if she could throw this "asshole" out of the tournament? I told here she was the TD, she could do anything she wanted.

Point of the story is that when asked to explain a rule, that isn't always what the coach is looking for. When discussing a play, the umpire should listen to what the coach as to say then offer a calm and succinct explanation of what you saw and why you made the call you did.

Just because YOU may not be that way, getting into rule-specific discussions during a game is not a good idea. Just because I do know the rules and tell the coach doesn't mean he is going to agree and walk away.

As you see on these boards, there is a lot of misconception and no matter how many times a rule or interpretation is cited, there is still the continuous attempt to "what if" and TWP around the rule, sometimes to the point of attacking the poster.

Been doing this for quite a while and have ran the gauntlet when it comes to dealing with coaches, players and other umpires. It is what it is and learning from experience, I have not had an argument on the field on over a decade. Plenty discussions, but I will not argue with anyone on the field, just not worth it for the umpire or coach.

BTW, I never use "in my judgment" as anything, but a true and honest response to a direct question.

 

[Greenmonsters]

This board gets umpiring-related posts covering the gamut from 8U through NCAA. It's apparent that there are both umpires and coaches that don't know the applicable rule sets, particularly at the younger levels.