[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by EsqUmp

WRONG ANALYSIS: Obviously only the ones who get caught get the ticket. But that doesn't mean that everyone who gets caught gets a ticket. Use some common sense and exercise some discretion. Thirty years ago I would agree with this, but not today. If a cop is going to go through the trouble of pulling you over, at least in my part of the world, you are going to get a ticket.

No one likes an official who goes out on the field looking to teach everyone just how smart he is when it comes to the rules. Normally, it is that official who is universally disliked.

If you read this thread, you will note that we are talking about the rule and it was clearly stated that no one is suggesting an umpire go looking for trouble.

There is a reason there are rules in place and many of the softball organizations are very specific with their rules unlike some other sports that are vague in their rules and quite often reliant upon interpretations.

[rant]

The only problem with people determining intent and using discretion instead of following the rules is that the teams never know what type of game they are going to get. I see and hear this all the time. If you read team-oriented boards, it is a common complaint that this umpire/UIC said this or did that one weekend and they got something completely different the next. On at least two occasions in the past six years I have witnessed coaches being ejected at an 18U National and a 16U National simply because there were conflicting rulings by local umpires and then they hit the Nationals where the umpires apply the real rules.

No matter who was right or wrong, it is the umpire and, in this case, ASA that are going to look bad and suffer the loss of integrity and not just in the mind of that one coach.

Same thing with equipment. I saw the majority of 4 of 24 teams, and a few from each of a fair amount of other teams have to go to a couple sporting goods stores in PA to get legal facemask for batting helmets because they were told by their local associations that as long as the had a facemask to protect the batter's face, they really didn't have to have the NOCSAE approval stamp.

I do not disagree with your belief that discretion at some level, or preventive umpiring if you prefer, is important at times, but where you draw that line can be problematic. And if you turn a blind eye to an obvious violation once, do you let it go a second, third or fourth time?

Remember, the question was on procedure and what happens when there is a violation. The pitcher is given a specific procedure to follow. Yes, there is a purpose for it, but every pitcher is expected to follow that procedure every time. What happens in your world when you fail to follow specific procedures? In my world, we either lose business or our offer is disqualified from consideration.

Again, I don't think umpires should go looking for problems. And I don't have a problem if when an umpire sees something that may be questionable saying something to the coach. That doesn't mean that should be the standard instead of the exception.

[/rant]

Happy New Year