Circles at home plate

[tibear]

Originally Posted by GarthB

You didn't pay anything to attend this clinic did you?

$50 Canadian or about $10 US. (Probably about $45 US)

There were alot of things taught that I had to "discuss".

He wanted an automatic double out call if R1 is either: hit by a batted ball or if R1 interferes with a defensive player making a play on a batted ball.

I added, "only if in your opinion, R1 deliberately got hit by the batted ball or deliberately interfered with the defensive player". He maintained his position until I asked him how he knew with 100% certainty what the defensive player was going to do with the ball and asked him to show me the double out call in the rulebook?

I'm starting my third year of umpiring, (many years of coaching before that) and its sad to see so many "senior" umpires who don't know the rules. The umpire classifications in Canada are ranked 1,2,3,4 and 5, with 1 the lowest and 5 being a international classified umpire.

I'm frustrated in the fact that I cannot be progress through to level 4 until I have at least 5 years of experience but have seen many level 4 umpires(which this clinician was) who don't know the rules.

Had a group of level 4 umpires try to tell me last year that a ball that bounces through the strike zone is a strike!! It wasn't until I pulled out the rule book and showed them the definition of a ball that they would believe me. (You should have seen their faces when someone dared to pull a rulebook on them!!!)