Quote:
Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve
I'm missing a huge part of this story.
JUCO game, played under NCAA rules; coach says "I protest"; you are supposed to go get a rule book then and resolve the question on the field, not make a rule interpretation to be addressed by filing a protest after the game. NCAA 7.2.5.1
So did that happen; and THEN he comes out later with the book again, or did you just skip that step? Because if you skipped it, it's YOUR fault it could be rehashed later. If you did address with a rule book immediately, then, yes, shut it down just like any other discussion innings later after a play or ruling.
There is absolutely no rule that says a rulebook on the field is an ejection (in fact, as noted above, you are expected to address any protest with a rulebook; so manage your game, as you did. If he is waving it to show you up, THAT is the ejection, not the book itself.
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We "resolved" the issue on the field with the book. The protest happened in the top of the 2nd, and we addressed it with both coaches at that time, although the home HC disagreed. For clarity, a BR was hit with a thrown ball from F2 while in fair territory and I ruled no interference. We ruled on the protest under NCAA 12.25.2: no interference with the fielder making a play, no interference with the fielder catching a thrown ball, and no intentional interference with a thrown ball. She was simply hit with the throw from behind. (I found out later that I could have denied the protest in its entirety under NCAA 7.2.2.9: "Whether or not there was interference or obstruction" is not protestable, but that's a whole different conversation since the coach insisted that the runner could not run to 1B in fair territory, and that's what he protested. It was kind of a CF from the beginning, and I don't mean Center Fielder.)
If the protesting coach does not accept the resolution, he's supposed to send the incident report to the conference just like the umpires have to do. NCAA 7.2.5.2
The head coach came out again with his book between the 3rd and 4th while the pitcher was throwing warmups. He didn't wave it, but he was pointing vigorously at whatever page he was on and really wanted to talk about the play again. I handled it as described above.