When did they change the balk rule?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by zm1283

I'm not going to judge Kevin because I've never seen him umpire. With that said, basketball is much the same way with technical fouls. I know guys who just will not T a coach because they think it will piss said coach off, they want to "keep him in the game", or some other excuse to justify not having to take care of business. It's just a foul, just like any other foul. It's also frustrating as the partner of the guy who won't take care of business because the coach thinks he can walk all over you as well, then you pop him and all of a sudden you're the bad guy because you had to do what your partner wouldn't.

In the last 2 months I called a technical on a head coach (basketball) and also ejected an assistant coach (baseball). Both varsity level.

The basketball technical came when a player fouled out and the coach refused to give me a sub. I started the clock, told the coach he couldn't have a time out until the player was replaced, and waited. He kept insisting he wanted a time out and refused to give me a sub. After waiting 20 seconds, I asked one more time and then issued the technical.

The baseball ejection came after I called a runner out for missing first base. It was the third out of the inning and took a run off the board. I headed to the outfield and the coach was yelling at me "you need to open your freaking eyes and watch the game." The first time I ignored the comment and walked a bit deeper into the outfield. The second time (louder), I decided I needed to put a stop to it, so I told the coach I heard him and I had heard enough (long distance, but I had actually closed the distance in a non-threatening way). The third time, he ejected himself. You can't fix stupid.

I do not understand how anyone who works a significant number of games does not have an ejection. Ejections find you -- it may only be one or two a year or it may be 2-3 years between them....or it may be three in a game like I had last year, but when a coach crosses that line I fail to do my job if I don't eject. And then others see me not doing my job and I get a reputation as someone who doesn't do his job and so on and so on....