Can they do this?

[umpire99]

I was calling a FED game last night where the coach of the defensive team requested time out and came to the mound to talk to his infielders. As he approached the mound, he threw a ball to his F5 who played catch with F6 as the coach talked with the pitcher on the mound. I told him he could not do that. He stopped without questioning me, but after the game, I decided to look this up to be sure. I cannot find anything anywhere that does not allow this. Any help?

[Interested Ump]

If there is a rule that prohibits, I am unaware of it. Personally, I am going to ask for the players to stop.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Interested Ump

If there is a rule that prohibits, I am unaware of it. Personally, I am going to ask for the players to stop.

Why ... who cares what they do during their allowed time? As long as no one's pitching to a catcher, and they don't delay the game any more than a normal conference would because of their actions, it's none of my business.

[Interested Ump]

I do, get over it. Go to work, I am. Do you?

[bob jenkins]

Specifically allowed in NCAA as long as both players are already in the game.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Interested Ump

I do, get over it. Go to work, I am. Do you?

You seem to be motivated to pick a fight with me... I'm not taking the bait.

Just wondering why it would bother you enough that you'd feel the need to make up rules to justify your need to prove that you're in charge.

It's a non issue, and not against the rules at all.

[UmpLarryJohnson]

its a issue when fit-yet-interested ump needs to stack uphis post count

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by umpire99

I cannot find anything anywhere that does not allow this. Any help?

Perhaps you couldn't find it because it isn't there.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by umpire99

I was calling a FED game last night where the coach of the defensive team requested time out and came to the mound to talk to his infielders. As he approached the mound, he threw a ball to his F5 who played catch with F6 as the coach talked with the pitcher on the mound. I told him he could not do that. He stopped without questioning me, but after the game, I decided to look this up to be sure. I cannot find anything anywhere that does not allow this. Any help?

Yes, they can do this as long as they do not delay the game.

There was a time that some FED clinicians tried to sell prohibiting it as a "safety" concern. One told me that there should only be one ball on the field. When I pointed out to him that we had no concern of such safety issues when the infielders warmed up at the beginning of each half inning, the response he could come up with was: "that's different, that's traditional."

Bottom line, it's legal. Only an OOO would try to stop it.

[Blue37]

Originally Posted by umpire99

I was calling a FED game last night where the coach of the defensive team requested time out and came to the mound to talk to his infielders. As he approached the mound, he threw a ball to his F5 who played catch with F6 as the coach talked with the pitcher on the mound. I told him he could not do that. He stopped without questioning me, but after the game, I decided to look this up to be sure. I cannot find anything anywhere that does not allow this. Any help?

From the FED 2006 Interpretations:
SITUATION 10: Coach of Team A requests and is granted time for a defensive charged conference. As he goes to the mound to talk with his pitcher, he tosses a ball to his third baseman and tells him to begin warming up with his shortstop in case he is needed to pitch. The coach leaves the mound without removing the pitcher. RULING: This is not allowed. A charged conference permits a coach or his non-playing representative to confer with a defensive player or players but does not permit any warm-up pitches by a player who is not the pitcher. (3-4-1)

[Interested Ump]

Originally Posted by Blue37

From the FED 2006 Interpretations:
SITUATION 10: Coach of Team A requests and is granted time for a defensive charged conference. As he goes to the mound to talk with his pitcher, he tosses a ball to his third baseman and tells him to begin warming up with his shortstop in case he is needed to pitch. The coach leaves the mound without removing the pitcher. RULING: This is not allowed. A charged conference permits a coach or his non-playing representative to confer with a defensive player or players but does not permit any warm-up pitches by a player who is not the pitcher. (3-4-1)

I wish they hadn't inserted the part about bold above in there.

[mcrowder]

Originally Posted by Interested Ump

I wish they hadn't inserted the part about bold above in there.

Why not ... the ruling was supposed to specifically address someone warming up as a pitcher ... not just two guys throwing a ball. If they hadn't inserted it, OOO's would use this ruling to apply to the OP, like you seem to want to.

If you're interested ... this ruling doesn't FIT.

[CO ump]

Originally Posted by mcrowder

Why not ... the ruling was supposed to specifically address someone warming up as a pitcher ... not just two guys throwing a ball. If they hadn't inserted it, OOO's would use this ruling to apply to the OP, like you seem to want to.

So what you're saying is a coach can beat this rule as long as he doesn't verbalize his intention.
If a coach brings out a ball for a specific player he probably has a specific reason.
I'm not an OOO but I would be inclined to stop it, or at the very least make it a very quick conference.

Similar but different sitch
As def. coach approaches mound for conference F6 yells to F1 and says"hey Joe, throw me the ball"
F6 and F5 play catch during conference with no apparent direction from coach, now I have nothing.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by CO ump

So what you're saying is a coach can beat this rule as long as he doesn't verbalize his intention.
If a coach brings out a ball for a specific player he probably has a specific reason.
I'm not an OOO but I would be inclined to stop it, or at the very least make it a very quick conference.

Let's change the situation (without starting a new thread)"

1. Let's say a pitching change is being made. Coach then tosses ball to F1 who throws "grounders" to F4, F5, and F6 who throw the ball back to F1.

Is this okay in your games?

2. Pitching change is not being made, just a conference. Again, coach then tosses ball to F1 who throws "grounders" to F4, F5, and F6 who throw the ball back to F1.

Is this okay in your games?

[BretMan]

This is another one of those funky FED rulings that opens a fresh can of worms.

If the coach doesn't verbally indicate that he's giving the kids the ball besause one of them "might be needed to pitch", then I guess you just have two guys throwing a ball around.

It takes two to toss it. Without some verbal indication, how do you know which kid is warming up and which is the surrogate catcher? Aren't they both essentially "warming up"?

Absent the verbal, "Here you go, Lefty. Start warming up to pitch", if no pitching change was made during the visit to the mound, how do you know if one of them was really warming up?

Suppose you let the two kids throw it around, but no pitching change is made at that time. Does this preclude bringing either of the two players in to pitch at some point later in the game?

If not, how would you retroactively go back and tell somebody not to do something they already did two innings ago that is clearly a violation?

Inquiring minds want to know!