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It is often difficult NOT to get excited when you know it's wrong. Mine happened in a 10U all star game. My runner ran behind the short stop (3-4 steps behind) who was playing in, a hit ball deflected off the shorts stop glove and hit my runner on the foot as she jumped to try and avoid the ball. the ball when out to the outfield as 3B was playing up also. The umpire called my runner out.
Well I started off with being nice.
Me: Just to make sure, what rule set are we playing under?
Umpire: ASA (I had to ask since he had a blank hat on)
Me: Are there any tournament rules about interference that weren't in this coaches handout?
Umpire: No
Me: Ok so how do you have my runner out?
Umpire: The ball hit her
Me: After it passed the short stop, did another fielder have a chance to get an out?
Umpire: NO
Me: Since this was a deflected ball do you feel my runner intentionally contacted that ball?
Umpire: NO
Me: Then how can she be out???
Umpire: Come on man anytime the ball hits a runner she's out.
Me: Sir that's not a correct statement
Umpire: Yes it is that's simple rules
At this point I took a deep breath and remembered there was a no protest rule at this tourney umpires had the final say on the field.
Me: Well sir this is your diamond and you have the final say, but PLEASE look that up when we get off the field cause your interpretation is wrong.
He had a few more words, I said the above when we were close to each other and only loud enough for us to hear it.
Later that day he came up and apologized to me, I told him it's ok it's just a learning experience.
Of course this is the same tourney that I yelled at my own fans for getting on an umpire. They were all over him, I said "HEY" and explained the rule and that the umpire was right, I also added that it's my job to talk to the umpire about his/her calls it's theirs to support their kids. After I said that I was a little nervous because I wasn't very nice when I said it....after the game one of the larger dads came up to me and said "Well you sure shut us up. I'm glad you did cause you are right we should be positive for our kids and you should argue with the umpires" Talk about breathing a sigh of relief when he said that!!
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