[BayStateRef]

I have had two experiences with doing the "right" thing legally...and neither was much fun. I may not do this for fun, but it does get incredible to watch the reaction from coaches and parents when the professional official imposes safety over all other factors.

This summer, Babe Ruth level. The bases are the kind with a square peg that is inserted into a square "donut" in the ground. The bases were not sitting properly because the bottom of the hole was filled with dirt. I would not start the game until all three bases were safely on the dirt. The home coach started at third base -- and after five minutes of digging with the wrong tool (he did not know there was a "right" tool or where to find it), he starts complaining that it is not his job to do this -- he is just a volunteer coach and someone else -- the town, the high school, the baseball association -- should do it right. I tell him that it is the home team's responsibility and we are not playing if the field is not safe. A couple of minutes more of unsuccessful digging -- and he says a few magic words to me that earn him an ejection before his team takes the field. A mom comes stomping onto the field, grabs the proper tool that has suddenly emerged from the equipment shed, and digs all three bases clear. After the game, I got more than an earful from this mom and a couple of other parents. They truly did not care about safety. They just wanted to play.

My other incident was a few years back in basketball. Massachusetts required all players have full mouthguards for all games and scrimmages. During a varsity scrimmage, I was asked by two parents who I knew -- one a fellow official and the other the wife of a lawyer -- if I noticed that their team did not have mouthguards. I asked the coach about it...and he said he told the players they did not need them since it was "only" a scrimmage. I ended the scrimmage right then. My partner thought I was wrong. The coach of the other team...which had driven almost an hour (and which had mouthguards) thought I was wrong. (The instructions from the MIAA were absolutely clear...mouthguards are required in scrimmages. The mouthguard rule was eliminated this year after many complaints from players and coaches.)

None of us officiate to win popularity contests. But it is really amazing how little support and respect we get when we insist on safety.