What do you allow?

[Pete in AZ]

Hey guys -

I worked a tournament over the past weekend and just got notified that a protest has been filed about one of my calls. I need some help.

This tourney was 18&U and we used pro rules. The only exception was a mercy rule. During the first game, the bench chatter was pretty rude. Most of these guys knew each other and played head games. They were constantly yelling "He's going." "Throw it." "Cut two." and other nonsense. At one point I told them to cool it and the coach told me to show him where they had to stop saying anything. I glared at him and said that I would show him after the game. A few innings later, they started yelling, "Swing" on every pitch when the other team was up. Now, I'll admit that I lost it and walked towards their bench. The coach came out and I told him to knock it off. He just smiled and said that his team was doing nothing wrong. I walked back knowing that I would eject the next person who did it. The first pitch was not even delivered when his bench erupted in "Swing!" The starting pitcher was standing at the opening and laughing. I pointed at him and ejected him and the coach. It was a bad scene and the others in the dugout let me have it. My partner came in and kept the others in the dugout. I walked back to my position and directed the coach and player to leave the park. Around here, they can't even stay in the parking lot behind the fields. The game resumes and his team needs another two innings to win. As I'm walking to my car, the coach I ran comes up to me with two other parents and tells me that I'm wrong. One is holding a rule book and the other is threatening me. The coach said that he will protest the ejection and that's where we are today. He was forced to miss today's game, but his team won and is in the championship next week. I'm assigned to the dish. If he wins the appeal he can come back. If it is upheld he can't even watch from the bleachers. I need help guys.