[Mike Walsh]

The "get it right" opinion seems to be leading, so I thought I'd weigh in on the other side.

In each of the 5 examples in the original post, his partner made rules interpretation errors that can be corrected. For the IFF, a runner who does not retouch after first touch by the fielder is subject to being out on appeal. If the umpire called the runner safe, there is time to get it right. It should start with a request for time by the coach. The interference calls and the foul/foul tip issue each result in a dead ball. At that time the coach should be asking for an explanation. The one-and-one award is also during a dead ball. The question comes down to process – how to get it right. The rules for all codes say we can never overrule our partner or offer help that is not asked for. The same rules provide for the right way to handle these cases. When the coach hears the explanation, he should explain to the umpire his understanding of the rule. If the umpire does not realize his mistake, the coach should protest the game. At that point, the umpire is supposed to call his partner in for a consultation. In each of the above scenarios, the guy who didn't make the call should have been asked. If he wasn’t because the coach didn’t know how to protest correctly, that’s not our problem.

To the coach who says, "You know that's wrong!" I would say, "You know who you need to talk to in order to make sure the call is right – go see the umpire who made the call!" If the coach doesn’t know his job, it’s no skin off my teeth. It does matter if the coaches don’t know the rules and accept your partner’s mistakes without question. But it only matters to them, not to us. In a discussion after the game, preferably over a cold one with fellow blues, I would defend my position by saying that I want the game called correctly, but I’m not the one out there that missed the opportunity to get it right. I want to help, but I will follow the rules in doing so.

As for the fair/foul changed call, I don’t see how that could be made right. Once he called foul it was dead and there is no way to know what would have happened. (If everyone ignored the call and played, that’s different.) The biggest difference in this play is it is a judgment call and the others were rules interpretations. No way to get this right after the fact.