Time to Eliminate the Seat Belt Rule?

[deecee]

Originally Posted by Dad

In the real world, the vast majority of people just spazz out sometimes. The consequence is 2 FTs and the ball to the other team. I see no benefit to the game for telling the coach he has to sit. I do it, and I don't mind doing it, but I think it's rather pointless.

Agree. Glad NY State (or at least in my area) there is no seatbelt rule. The coach has already been punished. Sitting down doesn't change anything, especially future behavior.

[LRZ]

I don't know if it is the technical itself or the sitting down, but around here, things generally get much calmer and quieter after a [edited: first] T. The more tools I have for game management, the better.

I don't umpire school baseball, but didn't NFHS implement some kind of similar rule, restricting a warned coach to the dugout?

[Dad]

Originally Posted by LRZ

I don't know if it is the technical itself or the sitting down, but around here, things generally get much calmer and quieter after a T. The more tools I have for game management, the better.

I don't umpire school baseball, but didn't NFHS implement some kind of similar rule, restricting a warned coach to the dugout?

I thought your only option in baseball was to eject.

[LRZ]

Originally Posted by Dad

I thought your only option in baseball was to eject.

I think, in school ball, there is a 3-step process (warn, restrict, eject), but you can skip steps 1 and 2 for particularly egregious actions. But, again, I don't umpire NFHS, so I may have the procedures wrong.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Dad

I thought your only option in baseball was to eject.

Nope. Restriction to the dugout and a written warning for minor offenses. Pretty much required now for NFHS games unless the offense is considered major.

[BlueDevilRef]

Originally Posted by Rich

Nope. Restriction to the dugout and a written warning for minor offenses. Pretty much required now for NFHS games unless the offense is considered major.

I don't agree that putting a coach in the dugout is required before ejection. It's not a linear process where one must occur before the other. And while I do fast pitch softball, I work with a lot of guys who do both and have never heard of a written warning but maybe that is a state by state thing. I approach the dugout vs ejection thing just like basketball i.e. Answer questions, ignore comments, penalize unsporting behavior. I have used the dugout restriction a lot more recently but that I have attributed to working basketball and likening it to the first T.

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by BlueDevilRef

I don't agree that putting a coach in the dugout is required before ejection.

It is required in NFHS this year unless it is a major offense. Rule change.

[JeffM]

From time-to-time, a coach may think the benefits of getting a technical foul (motivated his players, hopes of getting some favorable calls from the officials) outweighs the cost of two free throw and, possibly, the ball. Adding the seatbelt penalty might deter coaches from "wanting a T"

[BlueDevilRef]

Originally Posted by SC Official

It is required in NFHS this year unless it is a major offense. Rule change.

Great. That is flipping ridiculous. Softball normally does same stuff but on a 3-4 year delay. Something to look forward to I suppose.

[jTheUmp]

NFHS baseball allows official warnings and/or restriction to the dugout in some situations (I won't list them all here), but as far as I'm aware that's not the case in other baseball rulesets.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by jTheUmp

NFHS baseball allows official warnings and/or restriction to the dugout in some situations (I won't list them all here), but as far as I'm aware that's not the case in other baseball rulesets.

NCAA also wants an "official warning" for many items before ejecting.