Acceptable?
It really depends on the level of play, sometimes even the league. I find that at the higher levels, coaches and players know how to stick the needle in without a lot of pain. Statements like "bring it down a quarter inch, and you'll be zero'd in" or "throw it right there again" and other comments like that will generally get me to giggle more than be irritated. That is their way of saying they disagreed with the call without making it personal and without attacking the umpire. To me, that is acceptable, as long as it stays friendly. You will find that coaches in the lower levels haven't learned this type of concealed communication.
In Little League, majors and below, make the hitters swing. Be consistent, throughout the entire game, and call what you see. Don't discuss strike zones with coaches, even at the plate meeting. Our association makes it very clear, "Gentlemen: Balls, strikes, safes, outs, fair and foul are all judgement calls and we won't be discussing those today." In minors and below, I give a warning. In majors and above, direct comments or discussions about balls and strikes result in ejections without any warning, aside from our plate meeting.
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