A First Time for Everything

[bob jenkins]

It is a HTBT, but one option is to "suspend" the game at that point, write the report and let the state (or conference, or league, or ...) decide whether to resume, or declare a double forfeit, or declare the team ahead the winner,

[jicecone]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

It is a HTBT, but one option is to "suspend" the game at that point, write the report and let the state (or conference, or league, or ...) decide whether to resume, or declare a double forfeit, or declare the team ahead the winner,

Bob's exactly right however, in this case (based upon the onfo mentioned), I
think you handled it quite nicely. Had fistacufs ensued, then you would have had to ej more bodies. Bottom line here , you did what you had to, to take control of the game and move on.

Thr rules give us plenty of leeway with penalties. Good officials, understand when to apply them. Good job.

[yawetag]

Originally Posted by jicecone

Thr rules give us plenty of leeway with penalties.

They do?

3-3-1q: A ... player ... shall not leave their positions or bench area for the purpose of fighting or physical confrontation.
PENALTY: The umpire shall eject the offender from the game.

3.1.1PP: R1 slides hard into F4. R1 and F4 begin pushing each other. F6 and the on-deck batter run to second base to break up the fight. RULING: All are ejected. Once F6 and the on-deck batter left their positions and advanced toward the fight, they were in violation of the rule.

I see no leeway in the penalty.

[dileonardoja]

Originally Posted by yawetag

They do?

3-3-1q: A ... player ... shall not leave their positions or bench area for the purpose of fighting or physical confrontation.
PENALTY: The umpire shall eject the offender from the game.

3.1.1PP: R1 slides hard into F4. R1 and F4 begin pushing each other. F6 and the on-deck batter run to second base to break up the fight. RULING: All are ejected. Once F6 and the on-deck batter left their positions and advanced toward the fight, they were in violation of the rule.

I see no leeway in the penalty.

Totally agree with Yawetag. No one has presented any rationale why the rule should be ignored. This is a high school game for crying out loud! You want to teach a lesson - eject everyone and let them both forfeit their respective next games. I am not a big fan of FED but sometimes their "special" rules make a lot of sense as in the FPSL (see Swisher break twins F4 leg) and as in this case.

[Rich]

I agree. If the players participated in a fight, they're all ejected. Let the state or other governing body sort it all out after the fact.

In a state where automatic suspensions follow, the teams that follow these teams on the schedule have a legitimate gripe when "by rule" ejections are not enforced.

[greymule]

Hold on . . .

. . . shall not leave their positions or bench area for the purpose of fighting or physical confrontation

. . . F6 and the on-deck batter run to second base to break up the fight

How does trying to stop the fight qualify as fighting or physical confrontation? Or else the first wording above should be recast to say "and advance toward the fight."

[jicecone]

Guaranteed, absoultely, as sure as my fingers pass over these keys to type I could attend each and every game you guys officiate and find some rule violation that you have overlooked, choose to ignor or just plan missed.

The op said "Neither me from behind the dirt circle nor my partner who had moved between the mound and home saw any other punches thrown or wrestling matches ensue, so we only had the two protagonists to dump"

So lets not get so technical for a job well done.

Your probably going to try and convince me next that every time you go over the speed limit you turn yourself in at the nearest local police station too.

The rules are there to cover most if not all scenarios of the game and establish a guideline and a level of fair play. The fact that discretion and judgement of the official is a big part of the rules, is and will alway be the leeway necessary to bring about fair play and game control. For this case I believe the officials did a good job.