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I don't umpire NCAA Baseball, so forgive me up front. But what is the purpose of this rule? Doesn't the umpire call Time and suspend play anytime a coach or player requests it? What is so magical about that third (or fourth) request? If this is a conference-limiting rule, then it should start by saying, "A coach or player requests Time for the purpose of a conference."
As it reads, it's fraught with mistakes. First, it's called "Time", not "timeout". And coaches and players request it, not call it. And, what; an umpire doesn't call Time and suspend play if it's the first or second request?
Maybe when the word "fourth" was in there, the NCAA meant to say that the umpire shouldn't call Time and suspend play when the team exceeds its allotted number of conferences. That would make more sense to me than changing the word "fourth" to "third".
What am I missing?
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"Let's face it. Umpiring is not an easy or happy way to make a living. In the abuse they suffer, and the pay they get for it, you see an imbalance that can only be explained by their need to stay close to a game they can't resist." -- Bob Uecker
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