There is a post currently in the rules forum about interference by the batter and it branched out into an umpire coaching a C on throwing down to 3B despite her worries of hitting the batter. I would like to ask the following question(s):
1) When, if ever, is it OK for an umpire to 'coach' one of YOUR players?
2) Does your answer to 1) depend on age/skill level of the teams?
3) Do/would you consider it coaching if, while the umpire is cleaning the plate, for instance, he tells C that she is not getting the corner pitch because of the way she is receiving the ball?
4) Would you consider it coaching if the BU told your runner that she is getting close to leaving early?
5) Do your answers change if the umpire is doing this with players from the other team?
There is a fine line between preventive umpiring and coaching, what an umpire may think of as preventing something from happening; telling a runner she is getting close to leaving early, or mentioning to a pitcher that she is getting close to an illegal pitch may be seen by a HC as inappropriate coaching of his players or the opponent. There is also a huge difference between these examples and telling a fielder that a runner missed a base or telling a pitcher that her mechanics are getting sloppy and that is why she is having trouble hitting her spots and "this" how to correct it.
1) When, if ever, is it OK for an umpire to 'coach' one of YOUR players?
2) Does your answer to 1) depend on age/skill level of the teams?
3) Do/would you consider it coaching if, while the umpire is cleaning the plate, for instance, he tells C that she is not getting the corner pitch because of the way she is receiving the ball?
4) Would you consider it coaching if the BU told your runner that she is getting close to leaving early?
5) Do your answers change if the umpire is doing this with players from the other team?
There is a fine line between preventive umpiring and coaching, what an umpire may think of as preventing something from happening; telling a runner she is getting close to leaving early, or mentioning to a pitcher that she is getting close to an illegal pitch may be seen by a HC as inappropriate coaching of his players or the opponent. There is also a huge difference between these examples and telling a fielder that a runner missed a base or telling a pitcher that her mechanics are getting sloppy and that is why she is having trouble hitting her spots and "this" how to correct it.