On what basis do you say that " if he does not call timeout, timeout is implied" ? I have never seen this in any manual.

I haven't seen it in a baseball book, but ASA softball 10-4-B:

"The plate umpire will call time when they leave [sic] the umpires [sic] position to brush the plate or to perform other duties not directly connected with the calling of plays."

As I remember, there's a case play or test question in which the PU steps to the side to show and state the count, and the runner on 1B breaks for 2B. The ruling is that the umpire's leaving his regular position to perform duties created a time out, and the runner has to go back.

In baseball, I think that the calling of time out to perform duties may be a habit that stems from doing a lot of one-man games. For example, many of the rec games around here are one-man, and if you don't have a BU to watch things, you tend to protect yourself with time outs. These habits can carry over unnecessarily when there's a partner.

I know that this has been true in college softball, where the experienced umps often remind their partners (many of whom also do one-man rec games) not to call time out unnecessarily. I was doing it, too. A few years ago, my partner asked me between innings, "You do a lot of one-man games, don't you?" When I said that I did, he said, "Don't call time out every time you turn your back. I'll cover the runners. At this level, they know the rules."

Nobody called timeout
 

In full agreement when time is properly called and play is suspended.

Do you suspend play to whisk off the plate, and allow the R(s) to visit BC, and then wait for them to return to their bases?

Do you suspend play to grab more baseballs from the batboy, and allow the R(s) to visit BC, and then wait for them to return to their bases?

Do you allow the offense w/ a "free pass" to visit whenever play is suspended for any other valid reason, under FED 5-1-1 and FED 5-2-1.

Do I have a protest situation if I allow a free visit and not charge either team with a conference?

OC now want to protest. You sent his runner back during live play. Is this a judgment call?


Coaches don't call time out.

No need for a rule citation, let's just use common sense.

From my rookie year. R3, and I go to scrap off the plate. With my back dutifully turned to the pitcher I bend down and get an @ss full of baseball and R3 sliding right in front of my face.

Calmly call time boys. It takes a whole seven seconds to take care of business. Just get your partners attention (and the pitcher), and get on with it. Not a big deal here fellows.

I had the plate tonight and thought about this post.

Come on guys. I have the runner slide in. I take my brush out as I wait for things to calm down. I move into position with my brush out and my hand up for time. I bend over, quickly use a few strokes to clean the plate. I move back into position, point and we're going again.

Takes no more time than if I didn't call time. I mean, really. Sheesh.

I choose to do it. I don't plan to go pro. It saves me potential grief. I'm good with it.

Rita

The time "wasted", according to some, is the time to put the ball in play, which would be less than the time to dust off the plate, which if needs it needs doing anyway.

The answer to all your questions is No. I would not allow the base runner to vacate his base to go talk to a coach. I would not allow a couch to vacate dugout to talk to his defense. The only time these acts may accur is during a charged conference (3-4).

Conferences are not allowed when ball is dead per 5-1-1, 5-1-2, or 5-1-3.
Conferences are not allowed when time is called per 5-2-1a-d,f. (I purposely omitted "e" for a reason).

5-1-2e states that "time" is called... when a player or coach requests "Time"and is granted by an umpire for a substitution, conference with the pitcher or for a similar cause.

Confences are not allowed if time is for the substitution. Conferences are only allowed when time is granted for that specific purpose.

Rule 3-4 addresses charges conferences. 3-4-1 reiterated what is said in 5-2-1e. First, time must be requested for a conference but allows a substitute or other attendant to make the request in addition to coach or player.

3-4-5 allows the other team to have a conference also (not charged) but they must be ready when the requesting teams' conference ends.

Coaches do not call time out? Agreed. They may only request time out. Umpires grant time.

I will throw my hat in bobby's "Do not call time" group. There is really no need. By doing so this could deprive the offense of stealing a base or the defense of picking someone off that's sleeping.

To me, it's as bad as an umpire holding up a hand just cause the batter isn't ready. All that time, we're potentially missing out on a play on a runner at a base.

If I need to stop a pitcher from pitching too quickly, I'll do it, but I won't hold time out just so a batter can dig in. The pitcher should know to wait until the batter is ready, as doing anything else is unsportsmanlike.

I don't call time to dust the plate. Like I said above, I have a partner and I would be thrilled for him to get an out while I was cleaning the plate. Another out down, another out closer to beer.

Agreed. But, you (and I) work only HS varsity and above -- and a runner would be "stupid" to try to advance on this type of play.

Someone above posted something like "when I coached youth ball, we taught the runners to do this" -- at the 12U level, it's probably "good" offense to try to advance here.

so, the "right" answer might depend on the game being played.

The pitcher raises the baseball, and shakes it, the universal sign that he'd like a new one. You reach in your ball ball, and toss him a new one as the old one is tossed back to the catcher. R1 steals second as both balls in are midflight.

Do you allow it, or is time implied?

So.. interesting opinions on either side, most make sense on how they would handle things. Seems to me the biggest issues in this post are: is this in the rules, and does calling time lengthen the game.
I call time after a slide at home, ect, like most here, and also try to pick moments when it wont interrupt the flow of the game(hey, I like short games too).
But I also cover my butt in those situations w/runners on by just raising my hand prior to the 2 second whisk. If you do this right, the next batter hasnt arrived at the plate yet, and you havent added the "30-45 seconds" to the game. Then point to the pitcher to play at what would be the normal time w/ batter in the box.
In my area, we work w/many different officials, each with different skill levels....As PU, I'm not taking the chance of having my partner miss something that could be prevented, or causes a scene that takes maybe 5 minutes to clear up-get the HC off the field-partnerconference, ect....Yes, preventive umpiring, and my varsity games rarely go over 2 hrs....

Bob, as usual, has his finger on the pulse of umpiring. Regional and level differences likely account for the disagreements in this thread. In a HS varsity contest I personally would not call "Time" to clean the plate unless (1) it was completely covered, or (2) I was working solo (occasionally we have this around here due to weather-related issues, e.g. one nice day during the week and 4,000 baseball games scheduled that day).

Of course, the other solution to this issue not mentioned so far is: don't clean the plate, except between innings or after a slide covers it. That's my usual strategy.

No such thing as "implied time." If an umpire calls "Time," time is out, otherwise not.

In your sitch, I will always call "Time" before switching baseballs.

I can see it now, R2 and R3, R3 scores, ball goes back to the pitcher, PU turns around to dust the dish, and here comes now R3 and the pitcher with the ball...wow

The ball is dead!

Really? I quit calling time to clean the plate years ago! I see no reason to do so! My partner can handle the bases :rolleyes: for a few seconds without my assistance! ;) I consider guys that DO call time every time to be "Smitty's" because it seems that only a Smitty feels the need to kill the ball to do a bit of sweeping UNLESS he is working by himself. In that case, indeed, it would be very prudent to call time to clean the plate, although truthfully, I probably still wouldn't.

The play DOES stand. I have never seen anything anywhere that requires the umpire to call time to clean the plate. If the defense is not situation aware, that is not my problem.