Quote:
Originally posted by DDonnelly19
I can see where this "malicious contact" rule in most youth leagues could cross the line between making someone else's "judgement call" and seeing a possible ejection.
Scenario: You're BU, and there's a collision at home. PU calls safe, judges that the runner's contact was not malicious, that he even attempted to avoid contact. From the field, you saw that the runner did move, but only to get a "cleaner shot" of F2, and did throw an elbow into him, so you toss him. Now by ejecting the runner you've essentially also reversed your partner's judgement call. Now judging intent/no intent is along the same lines as out/safe.
How should this situation be approached, where an "ejectable judgement" call is seen differently between two umpires?
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Bottom line, Dennis, is that you can't allow something like making intentional and malicious contact with another player go unpunished. It sends the message that such behaviour is okay as long as you get away with it, and that's wrong. In these circumstances I would be going to my partner and telling him what I saw. If
he didn't see it but
you did, then it's got to be up to you to take the action. Eject anyway. Your partner can't have been "overruled" if he didn't see the offense. If, OTOH, your partner DID see the offense but didn't think it warranted the ejection THEN you have defer to his judgement because of OBR 9.04(c), but I'd still make a report about what you both saw to your assignor and let him deal with it from there. If you're wrong the assignor will let you know, and if your partner is wrong then he's also the right guy to handle that too.
Cheers.