OK,

I have to post this because I am always riding Mike about SP Softball.

I worked a tournament today [SP], first in more years than I care to
remember. I had a blast. We played 1 hr, no new inning after 53 mins,
20, 15, and 10 run rule beginning in the 3rd. One HR per inning and got
$25 per game. I got seven games, six straight, one off, did championship.
Not one, I repeat not one argument, not the first.
Gotta do this agin.

Obviously not a slowpitch tournament. You trying to pull our leg, or is this the story that you gave your wife for being out fishing all weekend?

I always tell the young umpires that the easiest way to avoid the arguments is to learn the rules and PROPER mechanics and do them well.

Oh, you will get some disagreements and that's fine, but the constant BS will go away.

An umpire can talk a great game, however it's how they apply it on the field that makes the difference. After all, actions speak louder than words.

I've always thought this rule was bizarre. "We played 1 hr, no new inning after 53 mins." (Or variations thereof).

When I see this rule in my local variations, I immediately say - no - with this rule, you're just playing 53 minutes. The 1-hour is irrelevant, as it doesn't matter what number you put there. It could have said - Games last 3 days, but no new inning starts after 53 minutes - and you get the same results.

(Of course, I was actually wrong on this once, when the TD clarified that in this tourney, no new inning after X minutes, but if an inning was in progress, and we went over Y minutes, the inning we were in was nullified. Stupid sitch, but he's the boss)

mcrowder,

I agree, and with all vet umpires, we played 53 minutes.
Only one game in the tournament went beyond that. I just
stated the fact since it was how the TD/UIC wanted the
plate conference to go. No coach ever argued the point
of the 1hr thing, since no new innings were stated, except
in the one case.

Looks like I will have one of these every month. Hope I can
squeeze it in, what with HS beginning 31 Jan. These were lots of
fun. Who knows, may even step up to AA. :D

http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/mica/TVbalders.gif

Velly interestink! It sounds as if you are with the pulling to the dark side.

6 straight ??
Were you working the plate or
did you get to do some
base work and have a partner
to switch with ???
Looking at 6 hours of "lob ball"
would drive me bananas !!

2 - man.

Plate, base.

Received a letter from the TD today, all the umpires did,
thanking us for a great tournament.

Seriously, I just may start with slow-pitch circuit on a
regular basic. This was loads of fun, good people in this
circuit.

Guess I will have to start taking the SP portion of the ASA test
now.

SP drives you bananas?

This is what drives me bananas. Teams have rah rah meeting outside dugout. One team goes into dugout, other to the field.

Outfielders throw ball around, infielders warm up, going through the motions like a superstar.

Coach is wandering around circle, scratching at the dirt and chalk with right foot. Finally, warm-up is done and ball goes to 2nd or 3rd, then around the horn while bench players chase the practice balls thrown in from the outfielders.

Infielders and catchers meet at the pitcher's plate for rah-rah meeting and high-fives all around then quasi-hustle to their position.

Infielders direct fellow infielders to proper position, pitcher landscapes the area around the pitcher's plate, catcher brushes with mitt to clear dirt she just kicked on it after the final warm-up pitch.

Catcher drops to crouch and pitcher steps onto pitcher's plate and stares at coach who cannot possibly sit on his bucket in the dugout because his pitcher and catcher cannot see him from there. You finally get supercoach into dugout, the pitcher finally turns toward catcher, starts her motion, pumps, grinds and grunts and drills you in the thigh with the first pitch that the catcher is still waiting to see.

By this time, a SP game is usually halfway through the bottom half of the first with runs on the board. But I can't fault the FP umpire, because s/he gets to go through this routine at least 8 more times :)

Another nail has been driven home...http://www.spao.de/pict/smilies/smash.gif

I will agree, I did not see all that in the SP tournament
that I took part in. However, in NFHS FP, I do not see
that either. I do in travel ball tournaments, but then
that is probably due to the fact that as umpires we allow
it. It is a good time consumer when utilizing a clock though. :D

Glen,

I've seen it in HS games, but around here, they are more recreational than some of the friendlies in which the travel teams play.

You allow it?!?! Try stopping it and see how quick you become the ogre! Your heritage will be questioned. Many people will want to know if you have a date or promise after the game! You will be the MEAN umpire who will not let the girls play and have fun.

Of course, those same people will turn on you if there is a time limit and their team is behind. They'll want to know why you allowed the other team to waste THEIR time.

Trust me, you are in a no win situation. Been there, done that!

In Pensacola, most of us keep the game moving pretty well. We tell them in pre-game that they have 1 minute between innings, and that if they want to warm up, they better hustle. Providing cold or wet weather isn't a factor, I'll cut the pitcher's warm up pitches to 2 or 1, then get a batter in the box. Most players and coaches adapt and we get quick "rah-rahs" and more softball.

Now, if it's a time-limit summer ball game (93 degrees and Gulf humidity) and both teams want to goof off, I'll stand back and suck on my water bottle for as long as they want.

Larry,

Sounds good to me, and I know about the humidity down there.

If you do it as a group, that is easy. It's when some umpires let them do whatever they please, rules and clock be damned, and then you come in behind that crew and try to do the job right.