J/R Manual

[Rufus]

Hey guys, this is a great conversation and, as a coach (yes, one of "those"), I appreciate the diligence put into knowing the rules and situations by you all.

Is there any value to a coach have these manuals as well? I have read through, and have copies of, the NF and OBR rules books (don't need NCAA at the moment, this kids are only 11 and 9), but would getting these additional materials help? I guess what I'm asking is, do you know of coaches who get these manuals and do you think it is of use to them?

Thanks again.

[mbyron]

Talk to Rich Ives.

Certainly there's value, especially you encounter an umpire who doesn't know an applicable rule and his subsequent judgment might hurt your team.

[MajorDave]

Absolutely! I coached and regularly bought the rule books and took the NFHS umpiring test just to see what I knew/did not know. I coached from T-ball to Legion. Do you think that knowing a couple of rules might make you a better coach and make your players better too? Absolutely!

Go for it, when you quit coaching you might decide to put your money where your mouth is and become an umpire.

It is tougher than coaching, keeps you in the game and it is very rewarding both personally and in some ways financially.

My two cents. Your mileage may vary. (grin)

[johnnyg08]

I have the BRD in route...J/R probably later this fall. thanks for the tips fellas

[piaa_ump]

you wont regret it....

I buy one every year and donate the old one to a new umpire in my association.....

[canadaump6]

I'll add my thoughts into the mix.

The Jaksa/Roder manual is a good resource for interpreting grey areas of the rulebook, so long as everybody else is using it. Many of its interpretations differ from how most umpires would rule on plays. For example:

-J/R states that a runner can only be called out for interference outside the 45 foot running lane if a) He is hit with the throw or b) He causes the first baseman to misplay the throw from the catcher. If the catcher tries to throw the ball around the runner and this causes an overthrow, no interference is to be called. However, many people say that if the runner being outside the running lane causes the catcher to make a bad throw, this should be interpreted as interference.

-J/R states that batter interference on the catcher's throw to retire a stealing runner should be called when the batter makes extraordinary movement while inside the batter's box, regardless of intent. For example, swing carrying the batter over home plate but his feet do not leave the box. The official rules do not say anything about extraordinary or abnormal movement inside the batter's box.

-J/R states that on a missed fielding try, the fielder must essentially disappear or risk obstruction. On a missed attempt to glove a thrown ball however, the fielder does not have to immediately disappear.

-The J/R manual states that when the umpire puts the ball in play, all fielders (except for the catcher) must be in fair territory. After the umpire says "play" the fielders may go into foul territory. I have been told that this is not true- that all fielders must stay in fair territory after the umpire signals "play".

So basically, the J/R manual can be useful, but a lot of its material I find questionable, as outlined above. Unless everyone you work with uses it, I recommend taking its contents with a grain of salt.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

I recommend taking its contents with a grain of salt.

while I agree with that conclusion (and the conclusion applies to all non-official publications, including JEA and BRD), I think J/R is right on most of the items you mentioned.