When Umpires Attack
 

I unfortunately turned into a Softball Parent tonight................sigh

My youngest daughter plays on a 14U Rec team. They are well coached and as competetive as can be expected in this league. They had a game tonight against the best team in this age group.

Tonight.......we are team A and the other is team B. Team B leads in the standings for the league (8 teams in 5 different cities).

I am parked in my usual spot down the fence in right field (depending on which dugout we have).

Katie (my daughter) is F3 and fields an off line throw and while she is searching for the white bag.........the BR trips and goes sprawling (but out).........for some reason........she went for the white bag..............

1st mutterings from the opposing bleachers and dugout. Stoppage of game and BR is replaced.

Next inning...........Katie takes a high throw that puts her awkwardly to the back of the white bag ........they have another runner go sprawling (but out).

Now we have other team bleachers, assistant coaches and all fans of team B yelling that F3 did something wrong....................sigh

Asst. coach (who I know well) charges out of the dugout to tend to his fallen player, comments to the BU that the play by the F3 was a "dirty" play.

Plate umpire comes out..........warning the F3 (my daughter) that she cannot trip the runner going to first......................they put the BR on first.

I lost it...............I yelled at the complaining coach that if they taught their runners to run the bases properly, they would not have those kinds of wrecks. There was a couple of glares and he worked the PU the rest of the game.

I don't know what caused me to lose it as I did.............I have had sat through tons of Basketball games where my oldest was called "dirty" by other schools fans...........even though she wasn't. I have been spectator to literaly hundreds (may have even reached into the thousands............grin) of softball games that my girls have played in...........and never once questioned a call. This assistant coach just pushed the right button tonight.

Bad situation all around. I always thought I was safe situating myself away from everything..................I guess I was wrong.

Joel

Geez Joel,

That was your baby out there! Natural instinct is to come to her aid! If it went as you said, I don't see you really being out of line. I know as an umpire/parent/spectator we try to maintain the professionalism off the field also, but surely we shouldn't always be silent. Don't beat youself up over this one.

Sitting by yourself? I remember the wife and I watching our son's 10U game a couple years back. When "her baby" got hit in the hands (pulling back, not swinging) and one of the guys in our association calling the game said "the hands are part of the bat" and called a strike, I thought I was gonna have to sit on the Mrs to keep her calm! Good thing she wasn't by herself, she can be mean!

Sounds like a protestable situation to me.

Would this situation really be protestable?

Not by a spectator. :)

Justme,
Any rule interp. is protestable. The fact that there was a play coming from fair territory gives the fielder the white bag, and the runner should use the orange bag. If there is contact on the white bag it is the BR's fault as they were not using the correct bag. So the fact that they ruled otherwise is protestable. Their judgement that the fielder caused contact is not protestable, as any judgement is not (that is why we start every sentence with "In my judgement....") but the fact that they misinterpreted the rule about the double first base is very protestable.

Of cource as mcrowder mentioned the coach would have to be smart enough to protest in the correct way to change this call.

I see, thanks

Since there is no rule justifying the placement of the retired BR on 1B, I would confidently say there was a misapplication or misinterpretation of the rules.

As I understand the usage of double-first base the BR has to use the orange part if a play is being made at 1B, that's to avoid this type of situation and the BR would be out if she didn't use the orange bag, is that correct?

Back to the OP, I too am a softball parent rather than an umpire. I gave up DI ball so I could watch my daughter. It is very hard for me to bite my tounge when the game officials mess up. Especially when it can cause an injury to any player.
My wife always tells me to stop being an umpire and be a supportive dad. :)
I try my best.

As a side note, protests aren't allowed in HS up here. Most ASA tournaments don't have UICs present to rule on them either. Just a tournament director who is a volunteer, and an umpire scheduler. Somtimes they are the same over worked person.