WOW!!! Did my first game last night, HS 9th grade, and I can already see the effects of the new appeal procedure and the apparent lack of knowledge of this rule by the coaches!! Had a batter hit one up the gap in center and completely miss 1rst base, 2nd base, and made it into 3rd safely. After play I waited for an appeal and NOBODY on the defense had a clue:-) Oh well I guess that's one way to get people's heads into the game instead of who's going with who, or I must be careful not to break a fingernail!!! Otherwise it was a very well played game, and it felt great to be out there!!!!! Hope everyone is having FUN!!!

Appeal
 

Isn't it great not to bail out the coaches on something they should be watching for anyway.

It is even better to have coach come by in the half inning
and advise you that YOU missed that missed base happening
at whatever base he/she did not appeal and you saw and were
waiting for his/her appeal.

Missed That One ?
 

Whiskers: I had a JV coach least week ask me why I did'nt call out for a dropped third strike on her last batter of the inning. When I asked what she had expected me to have done, she stated the PU was to indicate a dropped third when it applied !

Bandit, isnt JV ball wonderful. I had game tonite, 4A
Schools, where the score was 23 to nothing in first half
of the first inning. I called it under the mercy rule.
Everyone was happy. Doing 14U tournament tomorrow, ASA.
They are mostly JV players, but believe their brand of
ball much better.

I am new to this website and have been enjoying the threads.I umpire high school and Div III sotball games in Eastern Pa.I had an interesting appeal attempt in a varsity H.S game I thought I would share with everyone.R1 missed second base en route to third on a single to right.We now have runners on first and third when the defensive coach decided to appeal.He ordered his pitcher to get on the rubber and make her appeal.The pitcher said she was appealing the lead runner missing second and threw the ball to second base while standing on the rubber.Since the coach is one of our least liked in the area,you can imagine his reaction when I called an ILLEGAL pitch and voided his appeal.The runner scored from third and I moved the runner on first to second,and called ball 1 on the batter!You can just imagine his reaction then,but he stayed civil so I could keep him in the ball game.When he asked for another appeal I denied him of course,because an appeal can not be made after a "pitch"whether legal or illegal.Isnt it great when you have the "know it all coach"right where you want him.

Mo99

Welcome to the board.

I have a comment about your play. This was covered in the NFHS State Clinic I attended and should have been in yours.

I know it is nice to "get" a coach who acts like a know-it-all. However, the moment the pitcher indicated she was not preparing to take her signals, but was going to make an appeal, the best thing to do was to suspend play. It is a good preventive umpiring move and can really keep you out of trouble. AND it provides you with one of your forty-two.

Hope you hang around, we have a good time here.

Thank you for the welcome Mike.Your point on preventive umpiring is well taken.I probably would have handled that situation differently,if not for the arrogance of this coach,but he deserved it when he instructed the pitcher to get on the rubber and throw to second.With the new NFHS rules this year,I even ask the coaches if they have any questions on the new rules in the pre game conference.
I have been umpiring about 10 years now,working strictly fast pitch softball.Hopefully I will be able to help fellow umpires on this site as well as obtaining new information myself.I am always eager to share my experiences and also learn from fellow umpires.I am looking foward to the discussions and thanks again for welcoming me.

Mo,
Where in eastern Pa are you? I'm a good bit north of Harrisburg but have travelled for some D3 games.

Hi Steve, I am in District 3 and am based in Berks County which is about 40 miles Northeast of Philadelphia.

Correction on my last post Steve.(I guess I should proof read before submitting)I meant NorthWEST of Phila.near Reading.

Welcome aboard mo99, I am located in Texas, east Texas.
These gentlemen posting on this forum seem to all have
good info. Have already learned from them. Hope we will
be hearing more from you

Mo,
Proof-reading, yeah, I've stuck my foot in my mouth lots 'a times when I forget to do that. I've had some D3 games in Allentown & Lancaster area and also had some games at Kutztown - I think that's right in your backyard. I'm in District 4 about 30 miles south of Williamsport.

Thanks for the welcome Papasmurff!! Steve,I just did Kutztown yesterday.They were the 1999 Class AA state champs and also runner-ups last year.Kutstown is 13 miles from my house.I also had William Allen(Allentown)and Emmaus this past week.Do you do any District or State playoff games?I was fortunate to umpire a District 3 game last year.Hopefully I will be assigned at least one this year.

Mo,
Yeah, I get some district games, and expect some inter-district games too. I meant Kutztown, the college. The high school would be too far for a single game. I've done a few college games with Gerry Orlando from down there. Is he in your chapter? I think he's the interpreter for his chapter. First district game last year was with the local HS team, they were playing a team from South Williamsport - who's coach I had umped & played men's fast pitch with. I had more bangers in that game - stopped counting after 10 - and just about all of them went to the home (local) team. The opposing coach & I laughed about that a while later. He said, "Ya know, you nailed every one of those calls, but I sure would have liked to have gotten one or two."