[Tru_in_Blu]

We held a Fall Ball USA tournament this past weekend for 16U teams.

My last game Sunday afternoon resulted in my first ever game protested by a coach.

Top of the first inning, R1 on 2B, 2 outs. B4 hit a squirrelly little ground ball to the pitcher's right. F1 fielded it and threw to F3, but the throw was down by the BR's feet. Between F3 reaching for the ball and B4 trying to get to 1B, there was a collision and both players went down. The ball caromed off the players to the fence. As B4 tried to get up to go to 2B, she was OBS by F3 trying to chase down the loose ball.

At that point I called OBS. R1 rounded third and headed for home when she saw the ball go to the fence.

Once B4 got up, she started to go to 2B with the coach yelling at her to "Go! Go! Go!" By this time F3 had retrieved the ball and started back toward the infield. B4 thought better of trying to go to 2B and instead headed back to 1B. Now it was a race to see who'd get there first.

I had come inside once the ball got past F3 and had taken a couple of steps toward 2B when B4 initially thought about going. Now I had to try to get closer to 1B for the play there.

Both players dove for the base. I clearly did not have the preferred 90-degree angle and was probably about 15' away from 1B when I called the runner safe.

By this time, R1 had scored. I called time out, and because I had the OBS call, announced that I had OBS on F3, but that B4 would remain at first base.

I thought we'd be good until the Defensive HC came out to tell me about a rule I didn't know about. According to him, once the runner had rounded first, she was committed to second base and could not return to first. And he wanted her to be called out. (We never did get into a discussion about the runner who scored, but that was in the back of my mind.)

I told the coach that his argument was incorrect. And he told me that he was 100% sure that he was right because he had seen it in the rules book. So we danced a bit more and he finally decided that he was going to protest the game.

We got the TD and UIC over to discuss it and they denied the protest. And we played on.

The top of the 6th inning was going to be the last inning (time limit - unless a tie happened). We entered the inning tied 6-6. The first batter hit a grounder to an infielder who made a low throw to F3 who trapped it but ended up with an inverted "snow cone" catch with the ball on the ground. I ruled safe. Visitors ended up scoring 2 runs and shut down the home team in the bottom of the 6th.

As we were walking out, my partner mentioned the play at first base. I said I was surprised the coach didn't come out to challenge. She said that one of his assistant coaches suggested that he do so, but he made some comment about how I was an idiot and wouldn't have changed it anyway.

So all good!

My only ever other "protest" wasn't official because it was regarding an out call on a LBR violation at third base. Coach said he wanted to protest and I told him he couldn't protest a judgment call. He refused to continue until speaking with the UIC.

Now with more years of experience, I might ask if he was refusing to continue the game, and if he said yes, declare it a forfeit. But that would be on a bad day. Wouldn't want to cheat the girls from playing because one of them had a dad who was an @$$h0!3 coach.