Umpires: Lineup card training?

[Westwind]

To all of our umpires and experienced coaches:

I’m trying to improve my understanding of lineup cards, allowable substitutions and creative ways to get players in and out of games. I am a former assistant coach that has been thrust into a head coaching spot. I still have the entire coaching staff coaching, including the former head coach. They totally know what they are doing and will help any way I ask but I need to learn this stuff inside and out, and I need to do it now not next year.

I have read articles on DP/Flex etc. that are aimed at coaches. It is not clicking like it should. I realized that if I understood how umpires are trained and what they do with lineup cards after I turn them in to document players in and out of the game I would probably understand it a lot better from the coaching side. (Side note: Marriard, your post in another thread about managing large rosters was very helpful and I have read it several times.)

Can you direct me to umpire training or articles so I can see lineup card training? Seems like that will shine a light on allowable substitutions and help both me and the umpires I’m working with.

Experienced coaches, if you have creative things you do in certain situations, I’d love to hear them. Thanks, ww

 

[CoachYodaD]

This may be a long post.

Most tournament umpires don't understand the substitution rules so they will tell you, let me know when you change the pitcher or catcher because they need it for courtesy runners.

To start with, there are different versions of line-ups that you should be aware of. This all depends on who you are playing for. USSSA allows 2 EP and a DP/Flex, so you could legally bat 12 and have three free substitutes because the line-up would never change. With USSSA you really never have to use the DP/Flex because of their EP rule.

High School is different. To understand DP/Flex, you need to understand substitutions in general. In high school, you may only bat 9. No matter what you have going on, you still only bat 9. When you substitute a player in the game, they go into the line-up for the person you are pulling out. They are now attached to that spot in the line-up. The person who left (the starter) is also attached to that spot. Meaning, they (stater and sub) may not bat anywhere else, nor go in for anyone else. Consider them married for the game.

Every player may reenter the game. Now, the wording is important. They may reenter. So a sub coming in is not a reenter, it is an enter. So you may pull the sub and still have an opportunity to reenter her. Has to be in the same line-up spot, but she may reenter. Think of it this way...Every player on your roster may be used twice in the line-up. Starters are the first use, and they may reenter, and subs can be used twice.

Now, DP/Flex. DP is the offensive position in the line-up. Flex is a defensive position, that gets listed in the 10th spot on a line-up card. Always the 10th spot. This is a defender who may be a weak batter. Need the glove, not the bat. The flex does not hit.

Both the DP and Flex are positions, so they follow the normal substituting rules. You can use them twice.
Now for the fun. A DP can go to any defensive position and it does not get charged a substitution because you are not changing the line-up or batting order. So, you can have both the DP and the Flex in defensive positions on the field at the same time, again, because, you have not changed the batting order or the line-up.

What I like to do is DP/Flex my pitchers. One will play first base the other in the circle. I can alternate games as to who hits and who flexes. I usually make my starting pitcher the flex. I can simple switch them at any time And I keep a strong bat in my line-up when one of them runs out of gas.

Hope this helps

 

[Comp]

"I can simple switch them at any time And I keep a strong bat in my line-up when one of them runs out of gas."

Not an accurate statement. You cant "switch" the dp and the flex. The DP can play defense for the flex, or the flex cant bat for the dp but they cannot simply switch positions. And, if one does play the position for the other, then you have the other player leaving the game and must use a reentry to come back into the game.

 

[mmeece]

I'm not sure exactly what you're looking for but some of the easiest mistakes are listing the flex someplace other than 10th (don't know why but I've seen it more than once) or listing the wrong player as pitcher. Verify your jersey numbers prior to the game as well. We've had circumstances where a player had different numbers for home vs. away or different colored jerseys.
As for strategy, situations, etc. If you just keep in mind that the DP can enter on defense without changing your lineup and that the DP and Flex can be on the field at the same time it really opens things up. I've always preferred to make my DP a pitcher if possible so that it's easier to have her available to warm up, enter the game, or come off the field without changing the batting order.

 

[marriard]

I have read articles on DP/Flex etc. that are aimed at coaches. It is not clicking like it should. I realized that if I understood how umpires are trained and what they do with lineup cards after I turn them in to document players in and out of the game I would probably understand it a lot better from the coaching side. (Side note: Marriard, your post in another thread about managing large rosters was very helpful and I have read it several times.)

Thanks

Can you direct me to umpire training or articles so I can see lineup card training? Seems like that will shine a light on allowable substitutions and help both me and the umpires I’m working with.

This is a few years old, but I think this may be what you are looking for:

https://sup.arbitersports.com/Groups/104484/Library/files/Lineup%20Card%20new%20final-2.pdf

This is not the only way, but it is a good way to track the things you are meant to on a lineup card. I do certain things very differently - but it is all tracking the same things in a way that I find works best for me with the variety of lineup cards I see.

I have developed habits where I track everything because it is expected for umpiring state high school finals and college. I do it on the bases as well, because it is good training but also because the more casual umpire doesn't and I like to be able to back them up.

 

[Westwind]

Thanks all! This really does help. Any other discussion would also be very welcome.

Do many coaches mark their lineup card like an umpire does? I actually think that could be pretty valuable.

 

[Crabby_Bob]

This is a few years old, but I think this may be what you are looking for:

https://sup.arbitersports.com/Groups/104484/Library/files/Lineup%20Card%20new%20final-2.pdf

This is not the only way, but it is a good way to track the things you are meant to on a lineup card. I do certain things very differently - but it is all tracking the same things in a way that I find works best for me with the variety of lineup cards I see.

I have developed habits where I track everything because it is expected for umpiring state high school finals and college. I do it on the bases as well, because it is good training but also because the more casual umpire doesn't and I like to be able to back them up.

The above link is good but it is for the college game, i.e, no courtesy runners and substitutes do not have re-entry rights.
A variation of line-up management for USA/NFHS can be found at http://cactusumpires.com/tutorials-information.html
Agree with tracking changes from the bases. I've been able to help my partner several times.

 

[CoachYodaD]

"I can simple switch them at any time And I keep a strong bat in my line-up when one of them runs out of gas."

Not an accurate statement. You cant "switch" the dp and the flex. The DP can play defense for the flex, or the flex cant bat for the dp but they cannot simply switch positions. And, if one does play the position for the other, then you have the other player leaving the game and must use a reentry to come back into the game.

On Defense, I can switch the DP and the Flex positions as much as I want without reentering. I can also have the DP and Flex on the field in two different defensive positions at the same time. The DP may play any defensive position on the field without having to burn a substitute. And this can happen as often as I want. The key is that I do not change the batting order.

There is one case where the batting order changes, and that is when I opt to remove the DP position from the game. When this happens, the flex moves to the DP spot in the line-up and our batting order goes from 10 to 9.

 

[Comp]

The dp can play any defensive position on the field except that being played by the flex without it being considered a substitution. The flex is a defensive only position and must be on the field defensively or they have left the game. So no, on defense you cannot switch the dp and flex any time you want. Yes, both can play defense at the same time, but the flex must be on the field.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[CoachYodaD]

The flex does not have to be on the field. You can even make this change at the plate conference. You know, when the umpire asks if there are any changes before he/she makes it official.

Example: Flex is listed in the tenth spot and is currently the pitcher. After the first pitch, the DP can be inserted into the defensive position at first base, first base can move to the pitcher position, flex comes to the bench. No charged substitutions.

Example: Flex is the current pitcher of record. DP warms up and comes in to relief. Flex is now on the bench. No charged substitutions.

Example: Flex is the current pitcher of record. Umpire is squeezing her hard. Coach calls time and brings DP into throw. Flex goes to the bench. First base makes three errors, Coach asks for time again and put Flex at first base. No charged substitutions.

You can make any defensive changes you like, moving players all over the field. Only thing needed to be reported is a batting order substitution, pitcher of record, and catcher for courtesy runners. You do not have to report that the second base person is now the left fielder. You should, but it is not required.

This is the great thing about the DP/Flex rule. It is a free body to enter any defensive position without it being charged a substitution. It is unfortunately, the most misunderstood rule as well.