[DTQ_Blue]

After doing 2 HS playoff games this week, I found myself on the middle school field today. I went out there with a grin and bear it mindset and would up having a great time.

The game featured:

1. Twice the defense walked off the field with 2 outs and runners on base
2. 3 LBR violations, a couple more where LBR would have been called if F1 didn't cock her arm with ball in hand, though I doubt that the runners understood the significance of that
3. One play where there are 2 runners on 3B and the defense tags the wrong one
4. One play with 2 on base, where defenseive coach comes onto the field calling "time" to change her F1 after a walk, and BR is 1/3 way to first so I tell coach to wait, then F1 sees she's getting yanked and as BR is nearing 1B, drops the ball to the ground and starts toward the dugout while the coach walks toward the circle, I tell the coach, you don't have time and the offensive coaches finally figure out that they can tell their runners to take off
5. More uncalled IP's of the ticky tack variety than I could count.

But with all this crazyness going on, the girls played hard and the game was competitive enough to be entertaining. Though some of the players displayed some skill, most had little of that to offer, but everyone out there learned about the game of softball because I kept the game under control and applied the rules.

I made sure that I explained every call I made so the coaches (both sides) and parents could hear and understand them and some of the parents thanked me for the way I called the game.

The game gave me a chance to call some rules I haven't had to call forever and was great for the experience of handling crazy situations on the fly.

I'm thinking that it would probably be good to get a few of these games per year as an exercise in dealing with the unexpected. Even working our rec FP league doesn't give you this type of experience because the rec league girls are well enough coached and skilled that they don't usually blunder like this. Though the same can't be said for some of our middle schools, somehow this was a fun and positive game.