[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by Bluefoot
I umpire mostly Men's Rec ASA SP games, where the rule is 3 warmup pitches or 1 minute, max, whichever comes first. None of the teams is ever aware of this rule, which I do enforce (so I'm not there all night).

During the pregame meeting, I ask what deviations the league has from the ASA SP rules. (no stealing, courtesy runners, HR-limit rules, etc.)

That's it, stop right there. This should be the end of the meeting.

After we've covered all of those, I make it clear that other than those deviations, the game will be played under the ASA rules, which includes that they get the 3 pitches or 1 minute, whichever comes first, for each half inning. I'm pretty sure that I am the only SP umpire in the area who enforces it, 'cause both teams always complain about it to me. ("other umps give us 5 each inning" or " isn't it 5 for the first inning, then 3 afterwards", etc.)

(Last year, a coach, who is my UIC for one board I work for, challenged me on the 3-pitch-only rule. He had his wife/scorekeepper look it up in the rule book, and apologized to me during the next inning.)

I also make a point of telling both teams "No thrown bats" (you'd be surprised how many times they forget and it still happens). In New Haven, CT a few years ago a fan with his face pressed up against the chain-link backstop was hit by the handle end of a bat, after the bat was thrown very hard, and happened to go right through the hole, and into the fan's skull, sending him into a coma. It was a very sad event and became a big lawsuit. Now, if you throw a bat, you're done for the season.

I also inform the SP teams to keep equipment off the field, and behind their bench, since this is something they are lax about also.

Some may think that these points are unnecesary to cover, but I consider it preventative umpiring.

Some, including myself, would call that a clinic as they have nothing to do with "ground rules."