Umpire Ruling - 2nd time
 

Situation - This is youth softball - grades 5th thru 8th. Bases are loaded. The basecoach calls timeout and the umpire grants time. The basecoach walks out 10 feet in front of 2nd base and calls his 3 runners to that point. The basecoach wanted to instruct his runners of the situation without yelling across the diamond. The 3 leave their bases and come to the coach who is out between 2nd base and 3rd base. The umpire seeing what has occured, immediately ended the conference saying it was illegal.

What is the ruling ?

Didn't we just go through a more vague version of this, or was that on eteamz?

http://forum.officiating.com/showthread.php?t=27419

Same thing, right?:confused:

In that thread, no one gave much of an opinion because some details were missing. I think those are now filled in. However....

I'm still not sure why the umpire was ruling this was an "illegal conference". From the description here, I see nothing that was incorrect. Remember in most organizations there is only one offensive conference allowed per inning. Perhaps the umpire called time out expecting the coach to have a question for the officials, but when he saw the conference he disallowed it.

Umpire Ruling
 

Mike - If you are an asa umpire - can't you give me a ruling ? As far as I can read in ASA, USSSA, NSA and MLB, there is nothing in the rules that states this.

Maybe I missed something, but asking for your ruling

You have missed something; something major. You haven't told us what reason was given to stop the conference or declare it illegal. What was the reason given?

Umpire Ruling
 

Umpire said you couldnt do that - had my rulebook there and said it is not in the ASA rulebook or League Rules. He said play ball and did not allow.

He said you couldn't do WHAT?? Have a conference, have another conference, have a conference with all 3 runners, have a conference in fair territory?? What? Give us a hint, then maybe we can explain his ruling; or tell you there is no rules basis. You said WHAT?? is not in the rulebook?

Umpire Ruling
 

Have a conference period

Is this in any rulebook that you know of. What would you have done ?

Speaking ASA

On what you have offered, there is no ruling to be made as there is no definitive violation. If the offense had not had a conference that inning, there is no reason this coach couldn't legally hold that conference ANYWHERE on the field. If the offense had already used a conference that half-inning the coach should have been ejected.

You've asked us "What is the ruling?"

I think that's clear - the ruling was - illegal conference.

But absent a better explanation, I don't think any of us can tell you what the illegal conference was ruled for. You don't even list the ruleset you're using, so I'm a bit at a loss to try to help you. Umpire said, "You can't do that". Define "that" for us.

You are limited to one offensive conference per inning. Had one already been taken that inning?

Umpire Ruling
 

That was the first and only conference that inning.

So...

the basecoach calls for time, was granted time and when the coach started his conference the umpire called illegal conference and ended the conference..

:confused:

There always seems to be a scratching for details and a vague scenario presented by you coach Joe, one that is difficult to decipher and understand..

its confusing.

So.. I guess that said.. I'll just affirm the umpire, based on your scenario, was wrong and should have allowed the conference that he had granted time out for.

Hope that helps.

Coach Joe,

Sorry that you have to go through these long, enduring crap that some like to lay out on this site.

There are really only two reasons the umpire deterined the conference was illegal (and that determination was correct). One, the team had already used its charged conference for that inning, which you said did not happen. Two, the person determined at the pre-game meeting as the head coach did not ask for the conference (which I think would be crazy decision by the umpire to make).

I think your umpire thought that an offensive conference could only be held away from fair territory. Oh well, his mistake.