Rookie umpire here. Between at-bats, the players on the men's slowpitch teams ask me how many runs scored. I refer them to their scorekeeper and always feel a bit guilty for not knowing the answer. How many of you umpires out there count the runs? Should I be doing this?

I dont really count the runs as they score (basically I dont trust my count).. but at the end of every half inning where there were scores, or if i've forgotten, I ask the scorer how many runs score and write it on the back of a line up where I track it. The rec league I work has gotten used to this habit of mine so they just tell me when they see me reaching for my book.

Its an obsessive thing I do others may or may not do.. i've only known a few umps who do it, and a few who have even advised me not to do it.. but it has come in handy numerous times so i will keep on doing it.. Only takes a few seconds.

Speaking ASA JO FP, but I always sync the two scorebooks at the half inning. Since we are nearly always dealing with parent scorekeepers, it prevents brouhahas late in the game. Go first one & ask RUNS? Then to the other. Then write it on my card. For most tournaments, my card is official. Quick & simple.

With NFHS games, I inform the home scorekeeper that they are official and had better be on their toes. Even so, I will sync the books every couple of innings or so. Go to home & ask something like "Bottom of 3, 2-1, right?" Then same question to visitors. Again, to limit possibility of disputes after memories of the action have faded. I don't write the score on my card with NFHS. That is the home scorekeepers responsiblity.

Thanks, I feel better already. Your ideas are good ones.

Glad to help, and http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/ak...smiley-069.gif welcome to the board (and to umpiring)!

This is for myself working only ASA Slowpitch. I check the books (if anyone is even keeping one) after each half inning also and write it on my lineup card or in some leagues they provide a scorecard to keep. This avoids confusion and arguments later in the game when someone says 'We scored 3 in the 2nd', 'No you didn't you only got 2'. If I don't keep it then how could I settle the dispute? For most of the leagues and tournaments I have worked there isn't an official scorekeeper, what I turn in as the score is official. Sorry but my memory isn't good enough to to keep track of the score in my head. Sometimes neither team will even keep a book, then I have to quickly record runs right after the play ends.

Don't care what the score is.

Will only ask books to get together if I overhear two different numbers.

I may ask for the inning, but don't care what the score is unless there is a slaughter possibility and usually, I don't have to ask for that one.

Umpires have enough to do without dealing with the score.

Mike,

You must do games with good scorekeepers. Often in the rec leagues noone keeps the book or someones girlfriend, mom, kid, etc. is doing it and it is hard to get them to count runs. I've just gotten used to writing the runs down after each half inning. I don't care what the total is so much as I want to make sure I have it.

I,m with Mike. I don't care what the about the score. If nobody is keeping score during a rec slow pitch we're done in 1.05 anyways.

Add me in, too. I am not there to keep score. I go to a field to do a job, and that's what I do. Scorekeeping is somebody else's role.

When I used to do slow pitch, I had a indicator with the "innings" wheel. I would use that to keep track of runs. I hated it when I forgot how many times I had looped around the wheel in one inning.

I've read your stuff for a while now, Steve.

I can understand your not wanting to be bothered with scorekeeping, but believing you and Mike (proven students and masters of this game), and others, not being even slightly interested in that scorekeeping process, another technical point of the game, is more than I can fathom. ;)

mick

Mick,
Thanks - I think. When I do rec ball, that's got a time limit, I keep that (and I do not like that clarification/change as to when the clock starts, Mike). When I do more serious ball, they have scorekeepers, so when no players take the field - I know the game is over. While I do have some idea of what the score is, it's unofficial and I specifically do not write it down --> there is nothing good that can come from an umpire keeping a potentially inaccurate score. I do not need any help in stirring folks up by having them notice that I am keeping score.

I really honestly dont care, If Im doing SP league..I tell the home team they have the book..about the 4th inning (If I dont sense a run rule) I wll ask the score....sometimes teams do a great job of getting together and telling each other between half innings..either way..not my issue until we get to a run rule.

In JO softball I REALLY dont care. the scorekeepers are EXCELLENT, because the coaches use the book for stats. I will check after the 3rd (when run rules start)..but other than that....nope

I clearly have not followed your track.
I was talking about scoring (bookkeeping) and not the score.

<font color = red>Heck! I just realized that I was on another thread! http://www.deephousepage.com/smilies/conf21.gif</font>

M'bad!
Apologies around.
mick

Duh..., yes, U2 and I don't care what the score is either.

one of the reasons I stopped
calling ASA rec games here----
in all my 45+ years of umpring
I never had a situation where I was
constantly asked the score---
it became so annoying that I walked
away from doing the games here !!
What a dumb policy !!

Check only if I feel run rule is coming up. If I know that no one has
yet scored in the game, in the top of 7th, I record the last completed
at bats number, then if Home team does not score, I also record that
number. [ITB purposes] Like Mike and others, when they line up for
hand shakes, I'm gone. Game must be over.

So noone is responsible for reporting the score and who won? If you don't have an official scorekeeper and if you are doing league games, someone has to be responsible for reporting who won and the scores. If the umpires don't do it, then who does? Every league I've ever umpired for has required that the umpire turn in a scorecard.

In the league I work in, the teams are responsible for turning in their own scores. Which is why I question that I should be keeping track of runs.

tzme415,

They need to pay you extra then...

Looked all through the Umpires Sections of the ASA Rule Book and
nowhere did I find that it is my responsiblty to record the score.
In our leagues home team has that responsibility. It is up to the
visitors to insure that the information is recorded properly.

I work primarily slow-pitch rec ball (with some of the big boys thrown in once or twice a week), and usually will ask the coaches at the pregame meeting if they have anyone keeping score and point out the person to me. I don't check with that person unless I think the run rule will come into effect.

As for umpires turning in scores, one league I work doesn't do that while the other does. The league that doesn't require the umpires to turn in scores asks the teams to do that via a scoreline page on their website or by phoning in the morning after. I understand if there's no score reported within 48 hours, it goes down on standings as a double forfeit until someone turns in a score. Gives the accountability onto the teams to make sure their records are right, etc.

The other league provides tons of scorecards, and drop boxes at both entrances to the complex to drop them off so the maintenance guys will collect them the next day and drop them off at the city rec offices. Nice system. But ultimately, the teams are still responsible for making sure everything's right in the standings on the rec department's webpage.

While I do understand the "not my job" view of this, game management is my job.

Perhaps (almost certainly) there is a difference between JO girls and SP bubbas in this expectation of umpires, but here,

a) Nothing good can come from two mom scorekeepers who have different scores at critical points in a game (run rule, tie, etc.) It is a very small, very quick RUNS?... RUNS? question & has avoided problems many times. It is amazing how often one side missed a run, and it is even more amazing how many times the run is missed by the offensive book! For league games, I don't write the score down; I just assure both books are in sync.

b) In ASA tournaments around here, the PU's lineup/scorecard IS official. No option. I sign it and turn it in to the TD.

I also call rec-league slow-pitch and am required to report the scores to the league director (I only call for one league, and am employed by the park district who runs the league). In that sense, I do need to know what the final score is for reporting purposes. I don't, however, keep track of runs scored during play. At the end of the half-inning, I will ask for how many runs scored from their (the team who just completed batting) scorekeeper and announce it to the other team. If there are any discrepancies, I let the two teams work it out and only ask that they provide me with the 'official' count. Since our fields don't have scoreboards or league-provided scorekeepers, I will announce the score at the top of each inning. For the most part, this has worked out well for me, with little or no confusion as to what I will be reporting back to the director the next day.

mdntranger - That sounds like the same procedure I use.

Ref Ump Welsh - the leagues I do have a system pretty much like what you described in the second case

whiskers_ump - I don't know if they should pay me more, the going rate here is $25-$30/game for Slowpitch depending on the Class and the town

I guess I've always had to keep track of the runs, so it doesn't bother me. It has become just one of the things I do each half inning and takes less than a minute if the books match.