[mcrowder]

True, Pete, but the coach is certainly allowed to ask us what we saw. If you give the answer you quoted above, then they should head back to the dugout. But if we (or our less experienced brethren) say something like, "Yes, I saw the contact, but the runner is allowed to do that if he's in the baseline", or worse (like one I actually did hear... from partner... "There's no interference because the runner was trying to avoid him and tripped and fell into the fielder - the contact was unintentional"), then the coach is certainly within his rights to protest.

I can understand that since you work at your craft and have a pretty solid rules knowledge, that it is probably a bit on the offensive side for a coach to ask you what you saw... but we must keep in mind that all of our fellows out there do not have a full understanding of ALL the rules, and if a coach comes out calmly to ask us what we saw, there's nothing wrong with telling him.

I agree that the field is NO PLACE for a rules clinic though. I also agree with "Show me the book and you're gone."