What to do when umpire makes his own rules?

[Pigskinguru34]

has Anyone actually felt gorilla gold grip enhancer?

It is like a pine tar rag and it gives any pitcher using it a better grip.

I do not see how any pitcher using it does not make the ball sticky to the touch.

So how can an umpire say an approved substance is illegal Is my question?

because here is my argument. If you accuse the pitcher of doctoring a ball with illegal substance shouldn’t they be tossed?

if the foreign substance is an approved drying agent how can it be deemed illegal and taken out of play?

 

[EdLovrich]

I am not saying that the use of GG is illegal, just as the use of rosin is not illegal, as a drying agent for the hand. But, if a P were to use the rosin bag on the ball, THAT would be illegal even though rosin itself is legal. Per the press release and the interpretation from NFHS, the P needs to wipe off, presumably to insure that no (noticeable?) transfer of product to the ball occurs. If the ball itself is getting sticky, I MIGHT have a foreign substance issue. This is pretty much a 'had to be there' situation as it depends on just how sticky the ball is getting.

 

[Comp]

This is an email I got directly from Wynn in November 2015 in response to a posting by gorilla gold claiming NFHS had endorsed their product. It says it is essentially the same as any other drying agent. It says nothing about a requirement to wipe the hand after use.

Richard,

The NFHS is not in the business of making endorsements for products; thus you will not find a press release from NHFS on a drying agent. Gorilla Gold is similar to other drying agents and should be treated as such. This means it may be used and may be kept in the pocket or on the mound for NFHS games.

Theresia D. Wynns

Director of Sports and Officials Education

National Federation of State High School Associations

Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

 

[EdLovrich]

If you accuse the pitcher of doctoring a ball with illegal substance shouldn’t they be tossed?

Yup.

 

[EdLovrich]

@Comp Seems there is a conflict as both quotes came from Wynns. Is there a more current ruling/guidance from NFHS?

 

[Comp]

Her own original statement contradicts itself. It says gorilla gold affects only the hand not the ball. So if that is true, why does the hand need to be wiped?

NFHS was never good about making their rulings available and we're next to impossible to find. A year or 2 ago they changed servers or something and now it seems no one can get to them anymore

Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

 

[EdLovrich]

Ok, I have found this:

SITUATION 3: (a) F1 has a powered rosin bag which she squeezes in her hand then places back on the ground prior to stepping on the pitcher’s plate. Once on the pitcher’s plate she goes directly to the ball without wiping the drying agent from her hand. (b) F1 takes a comparable drying agent (Gorilla Gold) from her pocket and wipes her hand on it several times, then places the towel back into her pocket. Once on the pitcher’s plate she goes directly to the ball without wiping her hand. (c) F1 touches the dirt infield with her hand then steps onto the pitcher’s plate and goes directly to the ball without wiping off her hand. (d) F1 picks up a hand full of dirt and rolls it around in her hand then drops the dirt and steps onto the pitcher’s plate and goes directly to the ball without wiping off her hand. (e) F1 picks up a handful of dirt and places it onto the ball rubbing the dirt into the ball. RULING: Legal in (a) and (b). The powered rosin and the comparable drying agent are permitted based on their ability to not transfer to the ball. Wiping these substances off the hand prior to touching the ball is not necessary. Legal in (c) and (d). Dirt is not considered a foreign substance. Therefore, it is not necessary to wipe off the hand before going to the ball. Illegal in (e). Rubbing dirt onto the ball is considered defacing the ball and is not permitted. (1-3-6, 6-2-2)

LINK: https://www.nfhs.org/sports-resource-content/softball-rules-interpretations/

So, no wipe required and GG is addressed by name. However, IF there is a transfer of substance to the ball, I MIGHT still have a foreign substance issue, since the bold and italics (added for emphasis) states they are permitted based on their ability to not transfer to the ball. Again, legal with no wipe as long as it isn't accumulating on the ball.

 

[marriard]

High school game - follow NFHS rules which approved gorilla grip for use in 2014. fourth inning opposing coach says pitcher is putting foreign substance on the ball by using gorilla tape. Umpire goes out takes gorilla grip from the pitcher. Umpire is told the NFHS has approved Gorilla Grip use and he says it is not legal and will not be allowed in play.

Discussion on this is lengthy. NFHS doesn't help much here by not being clear, but there you go.

coach asked the umpire to check the rules and he said no.

A mostly correct response by the umpire. I am more than willing to check with my partner and discuss our rule understanding before making a final call on the situation, but I am not bringing a rule book onto the field so we can have a big old argument about a bunch of grey areas and rule references on the field for 10 minutes.

He asked then if the umpire gets to make his own rules and umpire mode it known if he said another word he is ejected.

I am normally pretty good at deescalating situations which helps avoid coaches saying something VERY STUPID like this. I have Listened, consulted, discussed, relayed and explained my decision... if they keep talking, then at this point the discussion is ended with "Coach, I have made the decision, back to the dugout and lets resume play"

If at this point they still want to continue and they say something like the above, I am either giving them one more chance by repeating the above or if they are being aggressive about it, just go ahead and eject the coach. I don't make ultimatums - as others have said on this thread, when you do this, it better not be a bluff and you better follow through. Just for clarity; I have not ejected a coach in over 10 years and I have never ejected a coach in softball.

Once I have made a final, onfield decision, the coach has only one path if they want to continue.... protest procedure (see below)

so what is the appropriate thing to do in the situation since the umpire refuses to educate himself and check the rule book?

First - educate yourself on how the protest procedures work for the game/tournament/league you are at. Then use that. That is the appropriate action to take.

Also, understand that cracking open a rule book mid-game and 'educating' themselves is not something an umpire should do - it is maybe the one thing the umpire got right.

BTW: Whenever I encounter ANYTHING I am not 100% sure of, sometime after the game I will go research in-depth the situation so I know exactly what I should have called. I would say only roughly 20% of umpires I know do this - unsurprisingly they are normally the ones who are good at what they do. Afterward is the appropriate time to do this - just as you wouldn't stop the game to give a hitting lesson.

 

[schwabach]

I have always wondered why softballs don't get a mud rub like baseballs. Do any pitchers like a ball fresh out of the box?

 

[bmakj]

from what I have read, GG is not supposed to leave a residue on the hands. is it possible that the sticky balls are the result of additional "substance" being added to the product by the players/coaches?