How to "Call" a ball not caught

[HokieUmp]

Originally Posted by jwwashburn

You may be completely right about how you make that call. I have no problem with that.

My issue was with the attitude of: They are confused? Who cares.

What should we do, then? Hug them?

I don't care about their mental state, or whether they know what just happened or not. I care about them being safe or out.

[UmpTTS43]

Umpire responsibilities concerning infield catch/no catch has been an area I have been trying to get others to clearly define during pre game in our area. This is one area that seems to get forgotten or put aside when doing pre game in our area. Most guys know rotations, signals, outfield coverage, etc pretty well and do a rather quick pre game. I'm hoping that this will change, for the better, this next year. It's my own "point of emphasis" if you will.

That being said, if there is a call that is not my responsibility and my partner does not make it, I will say/do nothing until approached by my partner. If a cluster arises out of such a circumtance, we now have a learning experience that will reinforce the importance of a thorough pre game and knowing one's responsibilities.

From my experience, doing something wrong on the field, is the best way to cement it in your mind. Coaching and instruction gives us the tools to work with, but we must learn how to use those tools in game situations.