Quote:
Originally posted by PeteBooth
We are the BU and it's our call. The call also DOES NOT meet the criteria of Papa C's FAB 5 on when we can change so we now have to eat it .
What do we do now? How much wrath should we endure?
I do not know about you but IMO, it would be nice to just admit to a coach that we made a mistake and simply move on.
Presently, we have to employ all those tactics which Dodge a Bullet and then hear the sarcasm which accompanies most blown calls.
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Pete, whoever said you couldn't admit your mistakes? In another thread on this issue, I think the original thread, I posted a course of action that Moose SHOULD have taken, if he didn't want to flat out admit that he'd made a mistake but wanted instead to give the coach a clue that he knows he probably did. It included the way to handle the conversation with the coach, and went something like this:
Coach: "What did you see, Blue?"
Ump: "Skip, I saw an OUT. What did you see?"
Coach: "I saw ...blah, blah, blah ..."
Ump: "Well, Skip, if I had seen it your way I might have called it differently. The OUT stands. If you think I kicked the call I can't change it and I can't make it up. I'll try harder next time. Let's play ball."
Now, that is a way to AVOID actually admitting the mistake directly, but still telling the coach that you
might have made a mistake. There is a way you can do it much more directly, and still avoid any protest. It goes something like this:
Coach: "What did you see, Blue?"
Ump: "Skip, I thought I saw an OUT and that's what I called. I'm sorry - I've just flat out kicked that call, but I can't change it and I can't make it up. I'll bear down hard in an effort to get those right in future. Let's play ball."
Coach: "???????...er, well see that you do, ok?"
You have support in OBR 9.02(a) that says you simply cannot change a judgement decision LEGALLY, once it's made. If you get one wrong you can admit that with no fear of a protest because judgement decisions aren't protestable. As long as you aren't doing so regularly, coaches will accept that you are human and can kick the occasional call. They won't be HAPPY about a kicked call going against them, but there's nothing we can do about that, and they WILL respect you for being prepared to admit your mistake, apologise for it and get on with the job vowing to do better next time.
The important thing to note about the above dialogue admitting your error is that it gives the coach
no ammunition to protest a rule misapplication. You have NOT said you saw 'A' and still ruled 'B', contrary to a rule. You HAVE said that you got it wrong, but that's not sufficient cause for protesting a rule misapplication. The coach would have to establish that you KNEW that the conditions for ruling 'B' existed. Even Moose didn't KNOW that for sure, until he asked his partner.
What about umpire dignity? Well, admitting the occasional mistake to ONE COACH is more likely to enhance your dignity than destroy it. What kills umpire credibility is not only being wrong, but being bluffed into getting help when you shouldn't and then being forced to admit that error to the WHOLE ASSEMBLY by changing your call! There is a HUGE difference, in terms of your continuing credibility on judgement calls, between a quiet private admission and an open public humiliation.
Cheers,
[Edited by Warren Willson on Feb 27th, 2001 at 01:14 AM]