A First Time for Everything

[scarolinablue]

Since I'm up filling out the online ejection form, figured I'd share the first I had tonight - first bench-clearer ever for me in my nine years.

Rivalry, conference game, always some tension in the air with these two teams, but no real issues heading into the 5th inning. Really, just a perfect storm happened - you've all seen the Pete Rose / Ray Fosse highlight - something kind of like that, though the runner wasn't horizontal like Pete, but did lead with the shoulder, so I've got malicious contact there. Then, the catcher rolls over the runner (they were still tangled up on the ground) and shoves him back down - BING! EJ #2, and here come the benches. I backed up and got out my card to begin writing down numbers.

To their credit, the coaching staffs for both teams did a good job keeping things from escalating into a full-blown melee. 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. The catcher's coach wanted to suggest his guy was totally innocent - hogwash.

Next half inning, a close play at first got a little chippy, so I hauled the coaches back out to home, they got the message, and we finished up the rest of the game without issue. No handshakes after the game tonight between the teams.

All in all, I think we handled it about as well as we could have - on the drive home I kept trying to think about how I might have been able to pre-empt it, but it really was just one of those things - the perfect storm. Just glad it didn't get worse than it did, and that it settled down after that. Both teams' coaches and AD's actually sought us out and thanked us after the game for handling it as best we could. Don't want to see that again, though.

[yawetag]

Originally Posted by scarolinablue

Then, the catcher rolls over the runner (they were still tangled up on the ground) and shoves him back down - BING! EJ #2, and here come the benches. I backed up and got out my card to begin writing down numbers.

To their credit, the coaching staffs for both teams did a good job keeping things from escalating into a full-blown melee. 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. The catcher's coach wanted to suggest his guy was totally innocent - hogwash.

I've never been involved with a bench-clearing fight myself, but doesn't 3-3-1q (and it's penalty) state we have to eject any player that leaves the bench in these situations? In fact, 3.3.1OO states "once [a player leaves] their positions and [advances] toward the fight, they were in violation of the rule."

[Rich]

Originally Posted by yawetag

I've never been involved with a bench-clearing fight myself, but doesn't 3-3-1q (and it's penalty) state we have to eject any player that leaves the bench in these situations? In fact, 3.3.1OO states "once [a player leaves] their positions and [advances] toward the fight, they were in violation of the rule."

Yup. Same as in basketball. Go on the court from the bench and you're going to be ejected.

[scarolinablue]

You know, before I made the OP, I had a paragraph in there about applying that rule. Game would have been over, as EVERYBODY was on the field, so everybody would have been ejected. That thought definitely ran through my mind, and we discussed it before bringing the coaches together immediately after the tussle.

For me and my partner last night, it just didn't seem like THAT would have been the proper course of action. Maybe by rule it would have been, but to me, calling the game at that point would have not been right. Maybe you HTBT, it just didn't fit.

[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.

[DG]

Originally Posted by scarolinablue

Rivalry, conference game, always some tension in the air with these two teams, but no real issues heading into the 5th inning. Really, just a perfect storm happened - you've all seen the Pete Rose / Ray Fosse highlight - something kind of like that, though the runner wasn't horizontal like Pete, but did lead with the shoulder, so I've got malicious contact there. Then, the catcher rolls over the runner (they were still tangled up on the ground) and shoves him back down - BING! EJ #2, and here come the benches. I backed up and got out my card to begin writing down numbers.

Please elaborate, what does "catcher rolls over the runner" mean exactly? I would be hard pressed to toss an F2 who just got malicous run over, unless he threw punches.