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Mon Sep 16, 2019, 12:26am
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What do you do
I had the following in a fall ball scrimmage today, 14U, USSSA rules. All of these are one umpire mechanics.
Situation 1: R1 at third, B2 receives ball 4, and takes off towards first. As she rounds first, the on deck batter comes into pick up the bat and as she turns she manages to hit me with the bat below the belt (obviously unintentional). Apparently the runner committed a LBR violation after rounding the base and then went to 2nd. Unfortunately at that point I was on all fours from being hit. Coach comes out asking me if I am going to call out the runner. How do you respond to this (BTW he asks this while I am still down from being cup checked, hard with a bat.) Situation 2: The field does not have a running lane marked. Later in the first game of the DH I have a batter hit a ball that goes about 2 feet in front of the plate. The catcher goes out and fields the ball and throws to first base. The problem is the runner is running about 2 feet inside fair territory about 20 feet from fist based then the throw hits her in the middle of the back. I call interference, the batter is out and R1 goes back to 3rd base. The coach comes over and wants an explanation. How do you explain to this rule to the coach? I told him my understanding of the rule, which he did not agree with, but accepted. (He then later came over and told me I was correct on the call and he was unaware of that rule). Situation 3: Second game of the DH. R1 at third, R2 at second, B4 hits a slow roller down basically on the third base line. I come out from behind the plate and see a horror story. R1 is about 15 feet off 3rd base. I have to get to the line to see if the ball is fair or foul. F5 picks the ball up as F6 goes over to cover third. Sure enough F5 wheels and throws back to F6 as R1 is diving back. I am at the plate, just outside the foul line and all I see is A&E as F6 catches the ball and drops to apply the tag. I call the runner safe, which immediately has the fans jumping up and down. The defensive fans are located in the third base bleachers and have a great view of the play. The DC comes out and asks how I could call her safe. The only thing I could say is that I was in a position that did not allow me to see the play at third. This is a drawback of a one umpire system. What would you have told the coach in this situation? Also from the game was the pitcher who completely missed the sign and pitched a ball off my elbow when the catcher was set up a foot outside. The ball glanced off the catchers glove as she tried coming back and caught my elbow square. I had a golf ball sized bump for about 30 minutes. It's still really swollen, but not painful. I had an over the fence HR, which the defensive fans swore was foul. One fan even yelled that it had to be foul because the boy picked it up in foul territory when he went to get it. (It would about 10 feet inside the foul pole). 
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Mon Sep 16, 2019, 07:33am
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1 - explain we don't guess an out, and you were not able to see
2 - marked or not, the rule is the rule. Why would the marking matter if BR 2 feet in fair ground? Glad coach learned a rule. 3 - what you said 4 - Ignorance about fair/foul is sometimes incredible. Each case, emphasize only 1 umpire. 
__________________
Officiating takes more than OJT. It's not our jobs to invent rulings to fit our personal idea of what should and should not be.
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Thu Sep 19, 2019, 12:36pm
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1. Why are you anywhere near the plate here? You've got a runner at third and the BR running to first base after a walk, chances are very good that the BR is going to continue to second base. You need to get into a position to see what that BR is going to do and be ready for a call at second if she continues, or a play at third should R1 stray too far. But even after getting cup-checked, you have to try your best to keep your eyes on any potential play. I'm having a hard time understanding how the bat hit you so hard that it knocked you down on all fours; what would've happened if you got nailed by a pitch? May be time for you to invest in a Nutty Buddy!
2. "Coach, she has to run to first base in foul territory within three feet of the line." No need to go into an in-depth conversation about the runner's lane until maybe between innings. 3. Candidly, you really shouldn't tell a coach you weren't in a position to see the play. That will undoubtedly lead to a response of, "Then GET into position, Blue!" Coaches don't understand how tough it is with one-man, and we add fuel to the fire when we give excuses that seem lame in their minds. Just tell the coach, "Coach, I don't have an out here, and there's nothing you can say that will make me change the call."
__________________
"Let's face it. Umpiring is not an easy or happy way to make a living. In the abuse they suffer, and the pay they get for it, you see an imbalance that can only be explained by their need to stay close to a game they can't resist." -- Bob Uecker
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Fri Sep 20, 2019, 07:22am
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Quote:
__________________
The bat issue in softball is as much about liability, insurance and litigation as it is about competition, inflated egos and softball.
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Thu Sep 26, 2019, 12:16pm
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Quote:
As for how I got hit that hard, I'm not exactly sure, but thankfully I did have the cup on or I might still be on all fours.
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