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Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA
And I'm in a small state, yet the training has always been some of the best. You have one of three problems: the local associations take an easy road and do not train their umpires, the umpires opt to not take advantage of the training available or everyone is apathetic because they are not being hand-fed the information.
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I'm not denying that there are those umpires who simply want to read the rules, call a few games for some extra beer money, then call it a season. That's said without question. We have very good training in our area (state clinics are held only +/- 20 minutes from where I live and are open to all with a few extra bucks - $10, if I remember right), and we are fortunate to have good leadership here as well. And yes, there are many umpires who might attend one rules clinic and think, "that's all I need." Can they become good umpires? Maybe.
However, for those umpires who live a few hours away from the nearest clinic and only want to call a few local rec games, but call them right, those options are limited. The word about clinics may never reach them, and they are stuck with only the rulebook to serve as a guide. When I first started, I was never told anything about rules clinics, and as a result, I didn't REALLY start learning the rules up until the last 6 or 7 years. I thought I knew them, but reality was that I did not. I'll freely admit that.
The point I'm trying to drive home is: why is the rule book so difficult for many to follow? Why can't it clearly and concisely spell out what is required of the sport's participants? Is my memory hazy, or didn't the rules once actually spell out the
intent of the rule in a small grey box (or maybe I'm mixing up the old ASA rules from USSSA)?
Mike, I'm not trying to single you out here, but you have been fortunate enough to see an aspect of the rules that most umpires will take many years to acquire. Clinics are a great tool, but in my opinion, the first place an umpire starts when they first decide to put on the uniform is the book. Clinics, unfortunately, are often an after-thought. Being excessively wordy only serves to confuse the reader, thus putting the new umpire at a disadvantage. The rules are complicated, as evidenced by the many well-intentioned questions we post here.