Being Looked Upon as an OOJ

RKBUmp

OK. I read it as the batters were the ones making the comment. Rereading it was the parents being mouthy.

Dakota

I've never made an issue of the one-foot-in-the-box deal as a literal point to be made with players or coaches. I have always considered it (correctly, I think) as a game-management rule to keep things moving.

If a team likes to conduct these little walks halfway to 3rd coaching sessions between pitches, I will start with saying, "Let's go batter." That usually does the trick. After all, I don't really care about where they keep their feet, only that they don't waste time.

If that doesn't do the trick, I will get louder, "LET"S GO, BATTER"!

Rarely have I had to resort to anything more punitive, but the next step would be asking the coach if he wants TIME for a conference.

Frankly, I find the arm band multi-color signal encyclopedias everyone seems to be using these days to be much more of a time waster. I had a team yesterday that had a multiple page arm band, where the players would have to open the thing up to find the signal.

Had another team a week ago where the coach would relay the pitch signal to the catcher, the catcher would signal the pitcher, the pitcher would stare at her arm band for a few seconds, and then finally prepare to pitch. On the bright side, there were no quick pitches! 😀

And, both of these were 16 or 18 year olds!

But, jeez... how may nuances does a team need for softball signals?

RKBUmp

I've never made an issue of the one-foot-in-the-box deal as a literal point to be made with players or coaches. I have always considered it (correctly, I think) as a game-management rule to keep things moving.

While I agree and really dont care if the batter has a foot in the box or 2' outside of it, as long as they arent delaying the game what difference does it make? But, go to nationals and the UIC tells you the batter WILL keep a foot in the box you best make sure they do or your tournament grade will show the result.

Manny A

Dakota wrote
I've never made an issue of the one-foot-in-the-box deal as a literal point to be made with players or coaches. I have always considered it (correctly, I think) as a game-management rule to keep things moving.

I typically don't either. But again, it was a point of emphasis in the tournament which I felt compelled to mention during the plate conference.

If the girls stepped one or two steps out of the box, I wouldn't have said anything. But this team went a little above and beyond, and I reminded the coach. If he would have responded with, "No worries, Blue; I'll take care of it," no problem. But instead, he had to ask me if it was in the rules, and then told me his batters have ten seconds. Why do they have to be that way? 🙁

Rita C

Manny A wrote
I typically don't either. But again, it was a point of emphasis in the tournament which I felt compelled to mention during the plate conference.

If the girls stepped one or two steps out of the box, I wouldn't have said anything. But this team went a little above and beyond, and I reminded the coach. If he would have responded with, "No worries, Blue; I'll take care of it," no problem. But instead, he had to ask me if it was in the rules, and then told me his batters have ten seconds. Why do they have to be that way? 🙁

I'm glad it's not just me.

Rita

CecilOne

Rita C wrote
I'm glad it's not just me.

Rita

Are you sure?? All of the above is fiction! 😉 😛 😀 😀 😀

IRISHMAFIA

Manny A wrote
It started during the equipment check. Not one batting helmet had a chin strap, as required by ASA rules. When my partner and I pointed it out, we of course got the, "Well, the other umpires..." whine. Against our better judgment, we let it go and told them they needed to get chin straps for the next day's play.

That is not your call. The is up to the TD, not the umpire

A point of emphasis from the tourney staff was to ruthlessly enforce the rule requiring the batter to maintain one foot in the box. I had mentioned that to the coaches at the plate conference. Sure enough, the first batter for this team walked almost halfway up the third base line after a pitch to look for her coach's sign. I asked her to come back and keep a foot in the box. She did it again, and this time I addressed the coach:

That's were you start calling strikes for the rest of the game.

Why is there always one team that makes things that hard?

Because they don't really know how to play the game and they think they can get away with being asses away from home.

Once had a HS team and their parents that behaved so poorly on and off the field AT DISNEY they were asked to leave and never come back. Turns out the umpire was a friend of mine and gave me a heads up. I held a pre-game with the crew that had their first game back home. The PU warned them there will be no tolerance of........there was a list of about 6 things my friend noted and he covered them all. The coaches and captains stood there with their jaws dropped with a "how the **** did they know about that look" on their face. It was great!

Had the same thing at an Eastern National a few years back with a team from OH. TD couldn't wait to get rid of them.

BretMan

This past weekend I had to enforce, over and over, batters leaving the box, on-deck batters using the wrong circle, multiple on-deck batters being out of the dugout swinging bats all at once and pitchers stepping onto the plate with their hands already joined.

Every time, it was like no one had ever heard of that before... 😕

EsqUmp

"As the head coach, it is your responsibility to ensure that your players play by the rules, right coach?"

Dump the onus back on the coaches. Get them to work with you, rather than against you if possible.

CecilOne

IRISHMAFIA wrote
Quote:
Originally Posted by Manny A View Post
It started during the equipment check. Not one batting helmet had a chin strap, as required by ASA rules. When my partner and I pointed it out, we of course got the, "Well, the other umpires..." whine. Against our better judgment, we let it go and told them they needed to get chin straps for the next day's play.
..............................

That is not your call. The is up to the TD, not the umpire

Even when it is a book rule ?? 😕

Manny A

CecilOne wrote
Even when it is a book rule ?? :confused:

I think Irish's point is that it wasn't our call to tell the coach to go out and find chin straps for the next day.

But I believe it is our call to decide whether or not the current game gets played. We had eight or so batting helmets that were not in compliance with the rules. IMHO, we did have the authority to not play the game until the coach made those helmets compliant.

Now, if the TD got involved and said, "Play the game anyway," I guess that's within his/her purview. I'm curious if a TD would make that decision.

Crabby_Bob

Manny A wrote
I think Irish's point is that it wasn't our call to tell the coach to go out and find chin straps for the next day.

But I believe it is our call to decide whether or not the current game gets played. We had eight or so batting helmets that were not in compliance with the rules. IMHO, we did have the authority to not play the game until the coach made those helmets compliant.

Now, if the TD got involved and said, "Play the game anyway," I guess that's within his/her purview. I'm curious if a TD would make that decision.

Not any I've come across.

How many helmets did you have in compliance?

Manny A

Crabby_Bob wrote
Not any I've come across.

How many helmets did you have in compliance?

Not a one. All of their helmets were missing straps.

MD Longhorn

BretMan wrote
This past weekend I had to enforce, over and over, batters leaving the box, on-deck batters using the wrong circle, multiple on-deck batters being out of the dugout swinging bats all at once and pitchers stepping onto the plate with their hands already joined.

Every time, it was like no one had ever heard of that before... :confused:

This all stems from LRAMBF. They play all season under absurd rules and then are suddenly taken aback when asked to play real softball.

MD Longhorn

Manny A wrote
Not a one. All of their helmets were missing straps.

I think Irish was saying it's the TD's call to allow the team to play if they weren't in compliance. Not the umpires. "Sir, I cannot let your batters bat without chinstraps unless the TD tells me to waive that rule for you." And only one TD I know around here would have let them play (that one ... anything for a buck, ALWAYS sides with teams, came onto my field once and wouldn't leave and I was the one that got in trouble... I don't work there anymore.

CecilOne

MD Longhorn wrote
This all stems from LRAMBF. They play all season under absurd rules and then are suddenly taken aback when asked to play real softball.

Or is it lack of enforcement by the "regular season" umps. 🙄

MD Longhorn

CecilOne wrote
Or is it lack of enforcement by the "regular season" umps. :rolleyes:

Could be.

However, when I see some team trying to put their ODB's in the wrong circle, I know that team is coming from some place that has made up rules, and I'm anticipating something idiotic from that coach (or parents or both) at some point.

Manny A

MD Longhorn wrote
However, when I see some team trying to put their ODB's in the wrong circle, I know that team is coming from some place that has made up rules, and I'm anticipating something idiotic from that coach (or parents or both) at some point.

I've umpired in leagues, baseball mostly (can't recall ever seeing it in softball) where they have a local safety rule to keep the ODB behind the batter up to bat because there is very little room in foul territory. I don't have a problem with that.

But in this case, the ODB went to the wrong circle because she was a lefty. That obviously has nothing to do with safety.

MD Longhorn

Manny A wrote
I've umpired in leagues, baseball mostly (can't recall ever seeing it in softball) where they have a local safety rule to keep the ODB behind the batter up to bat because there is very little room in foul territory. I don't have a problem with that.

But in this case, the ODB went to the wrong circle because she was a lefty. That obviously has nothing to do with safety.

You never know what people think is "safety" related. 🙂

Rich

MD Longhorn wrote
Could be.

However, when I see some team trying to put their ODB's in the wrong circle, I know that team is coming from some place that has made up rules, and I'm anticipating something idiotic from that coach (or parents or both) at some point.

I have no problem with the on-deck batter being behind the hitter in youth sports. It's amazing, though, that this is a question I have to ask just about every game I'm coaching this year, though.