[Jim Porter]

First of all, I want to preface my remarks by saying that it has been my experience that this level of baseball tends to be the worst in regards to difficulties with coaches. The coaches tend not to have the experience of a high school coach, they see themselves at a higher level than they truly are, and think it's their jobs to yell and complain at the umpires.

That being said, it behooves the umpire to show very early that he's in control. You failed in your first confrontation. A balk call is not something up for discussion. At worst, you can explain, "No step before the throw," or whatever, and that should be it. When he hollered about appealing, it was your chance to take control. Instead, your partner did it -- and not with very much authority. That little incident showed how much you guys would tolerate, and set the stage for the rest of the day.

Don't mistake me, I wouldn't have ejected the coach for the balk exchange, but I would have made it clear that I judged a balk, it was my call, there would be no further discussion, and he needed to leave the field immediately.

If you had handled the first confrontation with authority, the other, "flare-ups," likely would've been far lesser in scale -- or at the very least it would've taken a look or a few words from you to regain control. You and your partner were clearly not in control.

Proof positive of your lack of control was the coach who entered the field during live play. All he got for his serious breach of conduct was a finger pointing him back into his box. That allowed him to continue his whining. I never would've tolerated that. If I didn't eject him for entering the field like that, I definitely would've made it clear that such behavior wouldn't be tolerated in any way, shape, or form. When he continued his yelling I would've dumped him right there and then.

Approaching the belly-aching base coach was also a big mistake. Never approach a coach who is belly-aching. Instead, step around to the front of home plate and take control from there. You are in charge of the field, and you need to act like it. Confronting him physically made you look out-of-control.

As has been pointed out, never ask a question like that. Instead, issue commands. "There will be no arguing balls and strikes!" Once again, you are in control of the field. You need to act like it.

Coaches at this level are going to challenge you eventually. They want to control you. Don't let them. Establish your authority and control early and often.