More Questions To Rack Your Brain

[NIump50]

Originally Posted by gruberted

1. A kid during the inning calls timeout and crosses the foul line to go talk to his coach. Would this be considered a visit..

Yes

Originally Posted by gruberted

2. When a player is hit by the ball, is it an immediate dead ball and runners go back to their bases?.

Immediate dead ball if it's the batter or a runner. Play on if it's a fielder.

Originally Posted by gruberted

A coach problem.

I was wondering what you would do in this situation.

A coach has been complaining about the strike zone throughout the whole game. So one pitch is well off the plate and I call it a ball. He immediatly goes "call the game fair" so in return I say "that's enough coach". So he immediately walks toward me but his son holds him back (another coach on the team). I ignored him completely and continued the game in which he simmered down a tad..

The rules say that arguing a judgement call is unsportsmanlike conduct. Penalty-Ejection
If you're looking for a chance to eject him and appear reasonable doing it, he gave you a great opportunity when he implied you were an unfair umpire. See ya
If you decide even then to be a nice guy and just let him off with "that's enough coach" and then he starts toward you in an apparently confrontational tone. See ya

Originally Posted by gruberted

The next week I had the same exact coach still complaining about the strike zone throwing his arms in the air on where that pitch is and what is a strike, in which I said in the beginning of the game, strike zone is big have the kids swing the bats not many walks today. I called anything that was close but he was complaining about pitches that were hitting the plate and so on and so forth. So again I took off my mask and told him that was outside. He continued to complain to his other coaches. Where do you draw the line to toss this coach as I may have him again later this week..

If you decide to be really nice and let last weeks antics slide and this week he's trying to teach you the strike zone with sign language. See ya

But therein lies the problem, you were too nice. By letting last weeks antics go, you've empowered him to be even more animated this week.
It won't get better until you draw a line.
Do you want to allow constant complaining?
Threatening body language?
condescending animation?
Personally, none of the above is acceptable in my world.
There are ways to get your point across prior to ejection, but ejection gets the point accross fairly quickly.
Since you have set a fairly lenient standard in your first two games with this coach, i would suggest you make it very clear in pregame that you won't tolerate complaints about judgement calls, which includes balls and strikes. Then be prepared to act quickly.

Also, I suggest you never identify your strike zone,even when asked.
When i'm asked about my zone before the game I respond
When you see this (I show them my strike mechanic) it's a strike. If you don't see it it's a ball.

When they see you calling nose to the toes they'll know it's a big zone.

Originally Posted by gruberted

Finally, when coaches don't have the catchers ready or don't even use the speed up rule and they wait until the pitcher has thrown warm up pitches are you allowed to give a delay of game warning for the team. (This league is quite bad with no urgency to hussle, which I blame the coaches for, and the kids take one shin guard 5 minutes to put on. One of my fellow umpires issued a warning and said next time you will start with an out in your half inning. Is that correct?

I appreciate you reading my rambles, and look foward to responses.

1. You can never threaten starting with one out or implement such.
2. There's no penalty for a catcher taking longer than you want to get ready.
But the second he gets behind the plate you can begin play if their one minute is up.

[Rich Ives]

1. A kid during the inning calls timeout and crosses the foul line to go talk to his coach. Would this be considered a visit.

If it's the pitcher, yes.


If it's another player who then goes to the pitcher, yes.


Anything else, no.