[UmpJM]

Guys,

This is the second year I've taken the NCAA exam. I registered and took it last Sunday & got my score. I was curious about which questions I'd missed. So, today I went and checked the new NCAA test site to see what I'd missed and what the correct answers were.

There are two questions that I can't make sense of the answers on and wondered if any of the NCAA umpires here could shed some light.

Here are the questions.

R1, R3, no outs. B4 attempts to bunt but pops the ball up. R1 is stealing on the pitch. R3 is not stealing. The bunted ball is near home plate. As the catcher moves out to catch the pop up, the batter unintentionally bumps the catcher causing him to drop the pop up. The umpire believes the catcher would have had a chance to double-up R1 if he had not dropped the ball.
a. Since there was no intent by B4, the play stands.
b. Call B4 out, call R3 out and return R1 to first base.
c. Call the batter out and return all runners to the base they occupied at the TOP.
d. Call the batter out and call R1 out for the interference.

The NCAA site says "b" is the correct answer and cites 8-5e, 7-11f Penalty in the "explanation" for why "b" is correct.

I had answered "a" based on the following from the Exceptions listed in 7-11-f:

(4) If a batter/runner and a catcher fielding the ball make contact, no call shall be made unless either player attempts to alter the play.

The other one was:

R1 and R3, one out. R1 breaks early toward second base. The pitcher turns inside and throws to second in one motion. R1 is out on the throw as R1 slows down when he hears U3's call of "balk." U1 comes to U3 and asks, "What was the balk?" U1 is informed by the calling umpire that the balk is for throwing to an unoccupied base. U1 alerts the calling umpire that R1 had broken for second before the pitcher had started his inside move and prior to the pitcher's throw to second base.
a. This error in interpretation cannot be changed, the call will stand.
b. Change the call and give no explanation.
c. Change the call and return R1 to first base and R3 back to third and explain to the coach how the crew had misinterpreted the situation.
d. Tell your partner to mind his own business.

The NCAA test site gives "a" as the correct answer and cites "Appendix E" in the explanation.

Now I had actually read Appendix E. Given what Appendix E actually says, I answered "c". My thinking was that this situation is clearly a "rules misapplication" sitch rather than a "judgement" sitch. The vast majority of Appendix E deals with judgement calls and when it would or would not be appropriate for a calling umpire to get input from other members of the crew or a non-calling umpire to offer unsolicited input to the calling umpire. The only thing I found in Appendix E that touched on the test question was:

...however, if there is a misinterpretation of a rule, it should be brought to the attention of the umpire-in-chief.

And, of course, there is the whole first paragraph which emphasizes "getting the call right":

The first requisite of an umpire is to ultimately get all decisions correct. Umpire pride is important, but never as important as getting the play right. It is the philosophy of the NCAA that umpires always seek to get the call right. This may involve the reversal of a previously rendered decision. However, the correct decision—not the pride of any umpire—must prevail.

So, in this case, we've got a blatant rules misapplication which is easily correctable. But, the NCAA answer seems to suggest that even though it is an "error in interpretation" it CANNOT be changed. Presumably, the NCAA feels it is preferable to replay a game under protest than to just get it right at the time???

If any of you NCAA experienced umpires can shed some light, I'd appreciate it.

JM