Controlling a game

[PeteBooth]

IMO, the Bread and Butter of Umpiring is Game Management or Controlling a game. It is also a catch 22 situation for an official.

I did not have the opportunity to attend PRO School where they do go over game management type situations. I have attended clinics but in most of those clnincs the majority of time was spent on rules / mechanics. You had to learn through experience how to control a game.

Also, in today's society it seems that most are looking for someone else to blame rather then be a "man" and admit their error. We have baseball players who took steroids saying they didn't know better etc. etc.

here's some examples of what I am talking about.

Some who post here are also basketball officials as well. One of the "hot topics" during last weeks games was the Foul at the end of the game committed by Odem of the Buckeyes. many said that should have been called a flagrant foul but it wasn't.

Let's also assume that the Foul was not Odem's 5th hence he would have still been in the game. The game went into OT and if a Xavier player had retaliated ie; Committed a hard foul against Odem in OT, the officials would have been chastized.

Another example was the Wichita St fiasco which resulted in a serious injury to the on deck batter. Some said it was Blues fault because he didn't enforce the on-deck batter rule and let's face it up unitl that incident how many umpires went by the LETTER OF THE LAW concerning that rule.

then there is the boxing referee who can't win. Either the fight was stopped too soon or he let the fight go too long and one of the fighters was injured.

Therefore, how do you control a game without being to Over officous.

One thing that has been discussed is this business of F4/F6 dancing, getting in the way of a runner BEFORE anything happens. Some say if we do not put a stop to it something will happen.

What factors do you use.

1. if there is bad blood between rival teams do you stress sportsmanship at the Plate Conference?

2. What do you do in the second game of a double Dip in which there were problems in game number 1.

3. Do you have a quicker "trigger finger" than normal if you hear trash talking chaterring back and forth, etc.?

4. if F1 throws a high pitch around the head area will you warn right there or simply EJ F1 so a riot doesn't break out.

I could go on and on but my question how do you control a game?

Pete Booth