Part 1 Test for All Coaches???

[gsf23]

Originally posted by bbump82
An official who doesn't know the rules will only have an affect on a few games, a coach is teaching the kids the wrong way to play the game day after day at every pratice. I feel that this is certainly more dangerous (to the kids) that it is if I didn't know about the balk/shoulder turn revision for next year. [/B]

Have to disagree a little on that one. An official who doesn't know the rules will have an effect on not only the games they do, but on all the games that those teams have afterward. I am sure we have all heard a coach or player say, "They let us do that last game!" or "They didn't make that call last time!" All those comments can be attributed to officials who either didn't know or didn't do their jobs.

Now, if I am teaching an illegal pickoff move because I don't know about the balk/shoulder turn revision, and in our first game, you as an umpire, never call a balk because you don't know the rule either, will I keep teaching the move?? Of course I will because you have told me that it is legal by not balking my pitcher.

If a coach is continually teaching kids things that are against the rules, (such as pick offs or the such, not dirty things) that kinda says something about the officials in that area. If the kids were getting called on it, they would probably quit teaching it that way.

[Edited by gsf23 on Oct 27th, 2004 at 05:17 PM]