A better way to handle?

[Bfair]

Originally posted by Gold_Spark
First of all . . . if an umpire makes a call. He should never ask for help afterwards. If he was able to see the play good enough and make a call under his own judgement, that is the end of the story.

In my (brief) experience in umpiring, this has happened to me more than once. And yes Ryan . . . I normally dilly-dally around the subject or just plainly agree with my base umpire. I've NEVER disagreed with him and I never will. Because like you and I have calculated . . . the only reason an umpire asks for help after he makes a call is because he is feeling pressure from the coach.

Now if he asks me in front of the coaches after the game or something . . . that's a different story. I'm pretty outspoken. If he really wants to know my opinion . . . I'll tell him. Just never on the field.

To all umpires. If you make a call. Stand firm with your ruling. If you're out of position to make a call . . . ask for help. Those are your options.

I find this recommendation to be pure crapola-----
------especially from one who brandishes his "brief" experience as an umpire.

While it's not good mechanics to have to reverse a call, reversing a call is generally done after obtaining information from your partner(s) after you have made an obviously poor call. All sets of rules, in one way or another, puts greater importance on getting the call right vs. protecting your perceived dignity---which is usually perceived by coaches as arrogance. There are factors beyond "feeling pressure from the coach" why a call should be reversed. How about---you blew it, and you know it as well as everyone else in the ballpark. I will agree, however, that if you saw the play and are certain of the call, you should not seek your partner's help merely to appease a complaining coach.

While not all wrong decisions can be reversed, living with an obviously poor decision that could be corrected does not have to occur---especially because somebody with "brief" experience advocates it as the proper thing to do. Gold Spark, those who make the rules disagree with you. You might wish to read them a little closer.

If you have legitimate reason to believe you have blown a call, and you are uncertain of your original call (but you were forced to make that decision due to the play circumstances), getting additional information from a partner may help you get the call correct if the play situation allows for that. Better to correct a call and get it right than look like and be a horse's a$$ by standing by an obviously wrong decision.

Gold Spark, I find your advice extemely poor and highlight it for that reason. Hopefully, the more experience you gain the better your initial calls will be, and the need to gain additional help and reverse a call will be minimized. Perhaps you've achieved that already.


Just my opinion,

Freix