verbal interference ???

[JRutledge]

woolnojg,

There is a term I live by in all the sports I do, "call the obvious."

If you are calling things that are nit picky at best, then you are going to have many problems in officiating. You want everyone to understand what is being called if they understand what the rule states. Yes there is verbal obstruction and inteference in FED ball. But you better be sure that you are calling the game in a way that everyone is not wondering what was just called. You might have an infielder call "Back, back" to the cutoff man. You cannot just assume that he is talking to the runner. And if you are not sure, then I think it is best to pass. If you need to warn so you make it clear that it will not be tolerated. Then if they do it again and again, you might have something. But in my opinion, good umpires are not calling things that no one understands. Pitching the ball within 20 seconds is a rule, but I will be damned if I enforce it just because the ball has not been thrown in that time. Now if a pitcher is deliberately delaying the game, that is another story. But if he is up there trying to figure out signs, than that is another story all together.

Peace