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Old Mon Dec 19, 2005, 06:10pm
AtlUmpSteve AtlUmpSteve is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Woodstock, GA; Atlanta area
Posts: 2,822
In rec ball, I may well stop a game, as a senior official in my area, to turn a situation on the field into a "learning moment". That is to benefit the newer umpires with whom I am working, and the players and coaches, who also need to understand what the correct ruling is, and how and when to talk to an umpire who may have misapplied a rule.

In tournaments, championship play, high school, or college, that isn't going to happen. Just like I am not going to point out batting out of order, or an unreported sub, the coach has a responsibility to know what is going on, know the rules, and how and when to approach an umpire (what I taught him in a rec game, if he paid any attention). More than enough claim to know, and claim to know how we should do our job; it's their job, and they need to do it, or their team gets the result. Their problem, not ours.

If asked between innings, or after the game, I will certainly make sure my partner is corrected. And, I may be the one who is wrong, so I will most often look it up before commenting after a game. I find that is a great way to approach your partner; to look it up in my partner's presence, and when you are asked what you looking up, to indicate you thought the rule was different, and that you are looking it up to correct your misunderstanding. Depending on the situation or relationship, the correction or conversation may go through a third party, so that protocol is respected.

[Edited by AtlUmpSteve on Dec 20th, 2005 at 06:25 PM]
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