From NCCA softball umpire manual, but applicable to any umpire in this situation
http://www1.ncaa.org/membership/cham...PreviewState=0
Quote:
Fair only matters when you are faced with fixing a situation not covered by the rules. For instance:
If the ball lands on line, the umpire calls “foul ball,” the coach questions the call and the umpire agrees that the ball landed on the line. This is a misinterpretation of a rule and it must be corrected, i.e. changed to a fair ball. But nobody ran the bases or fielded the ball so what are you going to do? Bring all umpires together, decide where you think the runners would have gotten if the fielder had played the ball, place the runners and resume the game. Try to be fair to both teams but realize neither will be happy.
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The bad call affects the participants of the game. Coaches actually prefer an umpire to stick with one call, good or bad. Others are more optimistic toward the future. Focus and good judgement are necessary when standing by a missed call is no healthier than overturning one.