[greymule]

In rule interpretation, I'm thinking of plays in which my partner was so sure of himself that he would not listen to any entreaties from coaches to consult with the other ump (me). R1 returning to 1B after F6 catches line drive, F6 tries to double up R1 and throws ball into stands, BU gives R1 1B and 2B and refuses to check with PU because he's certain his award is correct. BU won't listen, so now the coaches, having tried proper channels, come to me.

PS. In that instance (years ago), BU's mistake was not excusable, but it was understandable. BU had done a lot of USSSA, and I think at one time they did award bases that way, at least for a certain period.

In cases of foul and fair, it seems to me that there are some "foul" calls that are not changeable, and some that are. Live balls where everybody stops at the call of "foul" pretty much have to be dead on the spot. But if B1 hits a liner off the fence two feet fair and pulls in with a double as PU calls it foul, to me that's different.

But it doesn't take much imagination to see where that will lead. What if PU calls an obviously fair ball foul, B1 pulls into 2B, and R1 gets thrown out at home? If the umps stick with the obviously incorrect call of "foul," they will take a lot of heat, but otherwise they leave themselves open to insoluble complications.

Guess we better get it right the first time.