It certainly is a judgement call!!
I'm not letting a HC come out and challenge this call based on a rules interp issue.
There is judgement as to when the foot was pulled or if it retouched.
If a good umpire is blocked from seeing the pulled foot or doesn't have the proper angle to see it he will ask for help before making the call. If he's new, there's no better way for him to learn than to take some heat.
If I'm in B and there's even a remote chance the foot was pulled I'll point to PU and yell "was the foot on?" wait for the affirmative and then ring it.
If I'm PU and the foot is 6" off, if my P don't ask I don't tell. More harm comes from sticking my nose in on this call when not asked than results from a blown call. IMHO

Butt in to his call.... no way!
 

I would never offer my partner help with his calls. If he needs help, he knows from our pregame that he can feel free to ask me. Besides, ever seen this:

From OBR-
9.02
(b) If there is reasonable doubt that any umpire’s decision may be in conflict with the rules, the manager may appeal the decision and ask that a correct ruling be made. Such appeal shall be made only to the umpire who made the protested decision.
(c) If a decision is appealed, the umpire making the decision may ask another umpire for information before making a final decision. No umpire shall criticize, seek to reverse or interfere with another umpire’s decision unless asked to do so by the umpire making it.

My emphasis...

Pretty clear IMO.

Not too many OBR games this time of year! ;)

You can read the whole spiel about getting the call right in NCAA games in the CCA mechanics book.

Also, it helps if you look at it as offering information to your partner that they may not have, you can see how that is a very reasonable thing to do in the spirit of getting the call right!

Also, offering this information does NOT require to umpire who made the call to actually change the call! So, it stays true to the concept that "No umpire shall criticize, seek to reverse or interfere with another umpire’s decision unless asked to do so by the umpire making it."

Is it information they don't have, or information they saw and judged differently than you did? It's a fine line.

Hmmm,
 

"While David's and Tim's advice is good for a majority of the plays at first. It is still acceptable to get help and change a call if you feel you need to even after an out call."

Rather than turn this into the standard eumpire.com pissing contest I will state the following:

Durham has developed a nice body of work. The work represents the "new age" concept of umpiring. While I disagree as strongly as possible with Durham's position I certainly support his right to state it.

Psst, don't go for help when you call a guy out! Period!
Regards,

Fair enough-

Frrom 2006 NCAA Baseball Rules (I don't have the 2007 yet, will get it at our association's meeting this weekend)

3-6-g
No umpire shall criticize or interfere with another umpire's decision unless asked by the one making it; if there is a misinterpretation of a rule, it should be brought to the attention of the umpire-in-chief.

So what rule is being misinterpreted here? BU failed to see the pulled foot... thats poor judgement or mechanics, not misinterpretation.

In the CCA Manual, in Section 5 they quote the above rule, and explain that "except in special situations, such as those outlined in the next section, the umpire making the call must be the one to seek assistance of a partner."

The special situations listed are:

1. Deciding if a homerun is fair or foul.
2. Deciding whether a batted ball left the playing field for a homerun or ground rule double.
3. Cases in which a foul tip is dropped or trapped by the catcher.
4. Cases in which a foul fly ball is caught or not caught.
5. Cases in which an umpire errs in judgment because he did not see a ball dropped or juggled after making a tag or force.
6. Spectator interference plays.
7. Balks called by an umpire who clearly did not realize the pitcher's foot was off the rubber.

I don't see pulled foot...

Unsolicited? That's the last day you'll work in my area.

If BU needs help or if coach convinces him/her to ask, the PU should tell BU what he/she saw, and it's then BU's call to keep or change.

But NEVER EVER EVER should an umpire offer unsolicited advice on a judgement call that belongs to the other umpire. Never. Ever.

If I go to my partner immediately after a play and tell him that he screwed the pooch, that is interfering with another umpire’s decision. No matter how you say it.... you're trying to insert yourself into his call.

No kidding. Otherwise forevermore those coaches will 'shop' for calls all day long....and the rest of the association will have to deal with it too.

"Go to your partner, blue!!"
"No, its my call, not his"
"But the umpires we had ____________ did it!"

The NCAA disagrees with you..... also being taught this way in the FED clinic I attended.

NCAA Softball Umpire Improvement Program
Umpire Manual
(Including - Instructions for NCAA Umpire Manual Updates – 2006)

SECTION 7
B — Going for Help
The first requisite of an umpire is to ultimately get all decisions correct. But who will judge that the final decision is, in fact, the correct one?

If a call is changed from what it was originally, a different faction will now disagree with the modified call. Because of this, it is paramount that umpires do everything possible to make the correct decision initially and not have to change a call.

To substantially raise the odds of making a correct decision umpires have only to do their
job–every game, every play, every pitch. What this means is:
• You must know where you want to go.
• You must hustle to get there ahead of the play.
• You must be set for the play.
• You must adjust if the play develops differently.
• You must hold your decision until the play is completely over.
• You must move to your next position whether the play goes there or not.

Constantly and continually using the proven techniques for umpires will put, the over-whelming majority of the time, the umpire in a position to see the play more accurately than anyone else on the field. It is the nature of the game that whatever call an umpire makes, someone will disagree with it. Don’t sell yourself short! If you have gotten close enough to the play, gotten a desirable angle, clearly seen the action, and lack no necessary information needed for a decision, then why would you even entertain the thought that one of your partners, who was certainly farther away, probably had a worse angle, and definitely wasn’t looking to make the call, could see the play better than you.

Umpires are not to seek help on plays on which they are 100 percent confident in their judgment and view of the play. Have the conviction to stay with a call that you believe was made properly.

Going for help should not destroy the credibility of umpires and negate the value of a multiple umpire system. Do not go for help to pacify a coach or to be a nice guy. This is a cop-out and is disrespectful of yourself, other umpires, the coach, and the game itself. There are times, both by rule and circumstance, that an umpire will need to seek help on a call.

Umpires must get help on the following:

• A misinterpretation of a rule.
• When asked by the catcher on a checked swing called a ball.
• On a pickoff attempt when asked by a coach.
• When two umpires make different calls on the same play.
Umpires are explicitly advised and strongly urged to seek help on the following:
• When they are missing, or could be missing, crucial information needed to make an accurate judgment.
• When they have doubt.
• When doubt is created.

If you are missing a piece of information necessary to making a call, go to your partner, unsolicited, prior to rendering any decision. Ask your partner what you need to know: “Did she have the bag?” “Was the ball dropped/bobbled?” Your partner will respond with a verbal answer to your question. You then follow with the final call and signal for the play. If doubt is created immediately after making your call, then, again unsolicited, go to your partner for the information you need. If, after making your call and playing action has ceased, you are asked to get some help and you have doubt, (e.g., a part of the play you did not see as clearly as you would have liked and could have missed a crucial element), then ask your partner for assistance.

Keep in mind that some calls cannot be reversed after playing action without creating larger problems like where to place runners and determining what would have happened had the call been different. If you, probably because of poor timing, make an immediately apparent incorrect call, promptly change the call to the correct one.

Any time you seek help from a partner, that partner must have been in a credible position to give you assistance with the call. The umpire whose call it was must be the one to seek help from a partner and has the ultimate decision of whether to change the call or not. Rarely is there a need for umpires to come together and confer. Unnecessary conferences among umpires delay the game and cast doubt on the crew. Most requests for assistance from a partner should be out in the open, direct, and concise - “Jane, was the ball on the ground?”

Only in the situations listed below, a partner who is 100 percent certain he/she has additional information unknown to the umpire making the call, should approach unsolicited and alert the other umpire to such information. This is an extremely rare circumstance, and the ultimate decision to change a call still rests with the calling umpire:

• Deciding if a home run is fair or foul.
• Deciding whether a batted ball left the playing field for a home run or ground-rule double.
• Cases where a foul tip is dropped or trapped by the catcher.
• Cases where a foul fly ball is caught or not caught.
• Cases when an umpire clearly errs in judgment because they did not see a dropped or juggled ball after making a tag or force.
• Spectator interference plays.

Psychology of Asking for Help
Many times coaches really do not expect a call to be changed. But if they can get an umpire to seek help, they have gotten the umpire to admit doubt. Though the call may not be changed, the coach has set a precedent and will expect the umpire to go for help on all future requests. Because you went for help for one coach, the other coach will feel justified in expecting the same treatment

This is the baseball board... Is it possible that the two games that are played under different rules are also officiated with different guidlines? I posted the CCA manual notes in a preceding post.

Hmmm,
 

Justme:

I have always respected your work (and still do) however there is a huge difference between baseball and softball.

Softball rules and interpretations are not connected, in any way, with baseball.

Regards,

Justme - even if that book applied to baseball (it doesn't), where in the long diatribe does it suggest that an umpire should butt into his partner's call on a pulled foot if he's not asked?

Right you are I posted the wrong thing...here's what I meant to post. I do not have a newer version since I no longer desire to work college ball. But the clinics I attended (NCAA level & higher and a FED clinic) taught it this way.


2005 NCAA Baseball Division 1 Championship
Game Officials Manual


6.11 Getting the call right

The first requisite of an umpire is to ultimately get all decisions correct. Umpire pride is important, but never as important as getting the play right. It is the philosophy of the NCAA that umpires always seek to get the call right. This may involve the reversal of a previously rendered decision. However, the correct decision – not the pride of any umpire – must prevail.

Following are general guidelines for this policy:
A) NCAA rule 3-6-f states “No umpire shall criticize or interfere with another umpire’s decision, unless asked by the one making it; however, if there is a misinterpretation of a rule, it should be brought to the attention of the umpire-in-chief.” Therefore, except in special situations such as those outlined in the next paragraph, the umpire making the call must be the one to seek assistance of a partner.
B) An umpire is urged to seek help when his view is blocked or positioning prevents him from seeing crucial elements of a play. An umpire is also encouraged to seek help in instances when he has any doubt and a partner has additional information that could lead to the proper ruling.
C) In the situations listed below, a partner who is 100% certain he has additional information unknown to the umpire making the call should approach unsolicited and alert the other umpire to such information. However, the ultimate decision to change a call rests with the calling umpire.
1) Deciding if a home run is fair or foul.
2) Deciding whether a batted ball left the playing field for a home run or ground rule double.
3) Cases where a foul tip is dropped or trapped by the catcher.
4) Cases where a foul fly ball is caught or not caught.
5) Cases when an umpire clearly errs in judgment because they did not see the ball dropped or juggled after making a tag or force.
6) Spectator interference plays.
7) Balks called by an umpire who clearly did not realize the pitcher’s foot was off the rubber.
D) Umpires are not to seek help on plays which they are 100% confident in their judgment and view of the play. Head coaches are not entitled to a second opinion when the calling umpire is certain his decision is correct. On the other hand, and contrary to past practice, umpires are not to “die with a call” in cases where a) the calling umpire is not 100% certain he is right; and b) another umpire has additional information which could lead to a proper ruling. Both NCAA philosophy and umpire integrity – consistent with NCAA rules – dictate that calls be reversed in this situation.
E) Skipped, tells how to conference.
F) Judgment calls, which have traditionally not been subject to reversal include: steal and other tag plays (except if the ball is dropped without the umpire’s knowledge as discussed above); force plays (when the ball is not dropped and foot is not pulled); balls and strikes (other than check swings). This practice shall continue. Also, some calls cannot be reversed without creating larger problems. An example is a “catch/no catch” with multiple runners.

I wasn't addressing a specific situation because I agree that the pulled foot is not mentioned. I was merely pointing out that in some situations current teaching says that it is okay for an umpire to approach unsoliciated to his partner.