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Originally Posted by tribefan1952
I have wrestled with this call too much during the past 2 days & nights. The discussion on this board helped a lot. I'm starting to draw the following conclusion:
According to the NFHS rule book, I believe that the call was "technically" correct. He didn't move. He seemed to be prepared for the impact. It nailed him squarely on his upper arm or shoulder. No doubt about that. But he also didn't do anything to try to get hit (and he probably could not have avoided getting hit, even if he had dove (dived?) head first into the dirt). What has caused me so much consternation is that I directly affected the outcome of what had been a great game up to that point. Two good rival teams in a very well-played game. 2-1 game... deciding moment... bases loaded, the meat of their order batting, 2 outs, late in the game. In such a situation, maybe this is the kind of borderline call that should be ignored unless it's blatant. It's not one of those calls that always has to be made (like a close play at a base, or a close pitch... You have no choice but to make those calls.)
I don't know. That's they way I'm leaning. I'm interested in your views. Should the game situation ever affect borderline calls such as this one? In football & basketball, it appears (to me) that there are certain non-critical calls (especially infractions that didn't affect the outcome of the play) are sometimes ignored in certain game situations. Is this true? Is it appropriate?
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I try not to think about how a call will affect the game, tribefan. I think one sets oneself up for trouble if he or she considers the situation before making a call. Let me tell you what situation I was faced with a couple of weeks ago. 11/U F/P softball. It was the last inning and the score was 4 to 3. The home team was up with bases loaded and two outs. This game will determine who plays in the championship game the following week. The girl batting was my next-door neighbor for about 8 years. I watched her grow up. Her dad and I were her coaches in T-ball and coach-pitch. Now here she stands at the plate with perhaps the most important at bat of her life. The count went full. I hear her dad (who is also her coach) say "Protect the plate Emily". Here comes the pitch. A walk ties the game, a hit could win it, and a strike ends it. Emily did not swing at the pitch. It was close to being high and close to being outside but I judged it to be a strike. It was close enough that I could have sold the call either way. Emily turned to look at me and as I looked her in the eye I called out... Strike three!
Game over. And her Dad went right over to the other coach and said "Wow, what a game!
I don't ever let the situation determine my call. If I did that and the other team ends up winning I wouldn't like myself very much. Yeah, I could have called a ball and Emily's team may have won the game after that but would that have been the appropriate thing to have done as one who is to be impartial?