Crow hop is never called!

[Dakota]

Originally posted by bellnier
(I know, I know...I'm being naive...

Yes, you are. Also uninformed about how sports officiating actually works.

The rule book is not holy writ. Otherwise, there would not be POEs, Case Books, Umpire Manuals, etc.

How many league games do you officiate where the rule book is strictly followed?

I can give you the answer for me: None.

There are nearly always adjustments to the rules. Sometimes these adjustments are written down. Sometimes they are conveyed by the UIC at umpire meetings. Sometimes they are conveyed to the umpires at pre-season clinics or training school. But, they are nearly always there.

The other aspect of how sports officiating works that you do not understand is that umpires are NOT the high priests of the game whose job is to enforce the rules as written by the sanctioning body in the official book.

Is that a surprise? My guess either it is, or you like to rail against it.

The umpire's job is to call the game according to the instructions / priorities of the people putting on the game. In almost all cases, the "people putting on the game" are represented to the umpiring crew by the UIC or the tournament director. In almost all cases, one or both of these individuals will instruct the umpires how the games will be called in this particular event. Umpires who willfully ignore that instruction are not operating with integrity and are not doing their job.

Is that a surprise to you? Again, my guess either it is, or you like to rail against it.