Quote:
Originally posted by oppool
In the event of a forfeit, if teams wish to play a practice game, umpires are required to umpire.
This is big no no in our chapter and something you might want to check into. We are told not to umpire because if something would happen to a player or the umpire during the practice game ASA insurance will NOT cover you!!
My understanding
Don
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Don,
This is basically true and, once again, a problem within our litigious society, you're just asking for trouble. And it doesn't mean a thing if all the players agree to not hold the umpire responsible for any problems or injuries.
The moment a person hands an insurance card to a hospital, clinic, doctor's office asst. etc., the insurance company has every right to attempt to recover any expenses which may place the umpire in jeopardy. If the game is considered non-sanctioned, ASA's supplimental may or may not cover you, I'm not sure.
There is no positive side to working a pick-up game. I go through this about 3 times a season and just explain that they can do whatever they want, I just cannot be part of it. Every now and then I get a "don't you want the money?" with a smile on their face until I tell them I'll get paid without working the game.
Have I done it before? Yes. Will I do it now? No, too much to lose. And yes, I've had a team draw a couple of players from the other team only to whoop up on the team who won by forfeit only to report their "wins" to the league. Then the league calls me to straighten things out. Trust me, it isn't worth the problems.