Al, you can't refuse to take a call publically without causing all kinds of grief that you don't need. Get together with your partner if that comes up without the coaches or players present.

The best thing is to follow good proceedure. Appeals must be made to the umpire that made the call, never chime in on your own, even at the request of a coach.

If the appeal is a public one, the appealing umpire should ask a specific question which can be answered yes or no, no discussion. "Do you have a swing?" , "Do you have a pulled foot?" or "Did it hit her?" are examples and the responses are Yes,no, safe or out. Never ask your partner something that requires a discussion like "Was she safe?" because try as they might, sometimes partners aren't there to make your calls for you.

If the appeal requires discussion because timing is involved or a rule is in question do your discussion privately. I once had a conversation with a partner that went "Man, I had my head up my *** on that call." We then did a lot of nodding and pointing and in the end that umpire then turns around and reversed the call. I'll never admit which party I was in the conversation. Bottom line though is that after the discussion, it's still the original umpires call and announcement.

Remember as stated earlier, the correct term is not "appeal" in this scenario. Dave

Great advice! And if I umpire fastpitch I will make absolutely sure me and my partner are on the same page, and understands that too. It's a big step up from coach-pitch to fastpitch, and I realize more and more I'm a little too green for this forum. I think I'll stay on the side-lines for a while, until I get some experience in higher play.

Last night I was watching a baseball game (high school). WOW! The umpires have a tough job at that level!

BTW, Last night I saw that little girl (Brooklyn) who I wrote about in the most exciting play thread. The girl who was promised a surprise from Wal-mart if she hits a homerun. I got a tap on my shoulder, turned around and there she was with her grandmother. And just like I thought I didn't have to ask her about her surprise. She told me her Daddy gave her a $100.00 Wal-Mart gift certificate and she still hasn't spent it all. ... Thanks, ChampaignBlue, ...Al

Actually, I would rather do high school and college than rec ball. It is so much easier to keep your focus at the higher levels, and the game really moves along.

I think I posted this earlier, but it may have been on eteams.

There are many ways in which a young kids game is harder than a varsity, NCAA, or pro game. You will see your rules knowledge tested on a regular basis on a youth field - possibly every game. Plays which most people call Third World will happen to you. Bizarre combinations of different rules come into play at the same time. However, you can usually get by with just adequate mechanics, as you are (hopefully) much faster than the participants and can recover from a mechanics error. Also, most (not all, but most) coaches are not in this for life and death - and almost all are not paid. This is double edged, as the youth coaches, being volunteers, often know far less about the rules than they should, but they also are easier to talk down, for the most part.

The higher you go, however, the less frequently the bizarre play happens. Rules knowledge is not critical as often (it's still crucial, but it may only come into play once every few weeks, instead of constantly). Mechanics, however, become critical, as do your game or coach management skills. These coaches are relying on the results of these games to put food on their tables and take it much more personally. They do have a firmer grasp of the rules than their volunteer counterparts, which can be both good and bad - sometimes they only know enough to be problematical.