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kylejt - I doubt the umpire sent the kid back to second and then let the kid tag him on the way. I didn't read anywhere that the umpire told the kid to go back to second. I read that the coach did that. That out was the coaches fault and can not be protested, IMO.
All of the good little league umpires around here carry a rule book with them, as it says in our licensing organization's rules. I have seen many instances where the umpire will stop the game and point out the rule to the coach to settle the argument so he doesn't have to deal with it. To me, that's smart. It is a lot easier to stop the game for 5 minutes to get a parent off my back for good than have him ride my *** all day about a call he doesn't understand.
The fact that you do 5-6 games per week for free is great. I applaud you. But the simple fact, around this area anyway, is that parents do not know the rules enough to umpire. Most of the arguments I hear are due to the fact that the parents do not know the rules. I don't think I want a parent who doesn't know the rules umpiring for the kids. You would be hard pressed to find a parent who likes umpiring enough to study the rules and know them as well as a guy who is getting paid to do it. Pay gives him incentive to study and know the rules.
The parents actually agreed to give the town league umpires in this area a 5 dollar per game raise, because the ones we have do such a good job.
The managers should know the rules, but like field umpires, a lot are simply parents doing the best they can. Most, at least around here, do not even know what a rule book looks like. Most of the time, when a certified umpire such as myself does a town league game, he gets bombarded with rules questions that other town league coaches/umpires do not know.
Yes, he should protest to whatever sanctioning body he has.
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