Slide play with nothing else going on.. you got the runner down holding the base, the player holding the tag.. runner requests time - you call time.

Thats the proper thing to do. Thats the way its done in all levels. There is absolutely no valid reason not to call time. In fact you waste time with confusion and attitude NOT calling time, because everyone else knows to call time.

Anything else is a power trip- the umpire has the power to not call time, so they dont - this has nothing to do with the "integrity of the game" or the "flow" of the game or anything else.

I know this post is not about the offense asking for time but...
what are we to do when the lead runner is holding to her base and no other runner can advance behind her? After a few seconds aren't we suppose to call time when the offense has given up on any more advancements even though the ball has not been thrown and controlled in the circle? If a girl is on 1st and 2nd and the third-base coach tells the (lead runner) on 2nd to stay there I call time. Even if the coach is telling her to advance and she doesn't move for a few seconds I call time. The coaches all understand that time will be called not only when control of the ball comes in the circle but when the above reasons come as well. .Al

[post deleted by poster. Who cares about what he thinks...and my list was too damn long.)

I would ask you exactly the opposite.

I'm not playing God when I come to the conclusion that this is the way it should be played. The rules themselves lead me to that conclusion. If my conclusion is in error, I welcome you to change my mind. But the fact that the rulebook limits the amount of times that each team can stop play to discuss things, the fact that there are rules around what may or may not happen between pitches (implying that the ball should be live during this period), as well as other things, lead me to believe that the underlying assumption is that the ball is live most of the time. And when it is, there is a natural flow, like I mentioned above.

And maybe it's just a matter of perception.

But the slowpitch game seems to have no flow to me. Stop, start, stop, start, etc.

I have no problem calling time on this play assuming everything else has stopped.

I DO have a problem calling time on EVERY play (as some umpires I've seen do ... even at the state level --- and every time I come across a guy that does this, I expect him to brush the pitcher's plate between innings and inform the pitcher where the baserunners are after a pitching change ... and I'm rarely disappointed). I also have a problem calling time on every unnecessary runner request - such as plays where the fielder is not holding the runner down with a tag or the ball has even left the area.

Why do you feel the need to call time in these unrequested situations? The ball is not dead - heck, the ball's not even to the pitcher yet. What's the purpose in stopping play - especially in the situation where the coach is telling a girl to advance!

THe problem with this is if that ball gets by the pitcher or another fielder you'll be hearing the 3rd base coach telling you that you're preventing his runner from advancing.Imho I wait till the pitcher has that ball in the circle.

Tuesday, I had this situation:

Top of 7th, 2 outs, bases empty, visitors ahead 6-2. Catcher batting, hits a gapper to right center. She pulls into second - the ball comes into F4, who starts walking the ball in. The runner, anticipating a courtesy runner, steps off second and takes a couple of steps toward her bench. F4 sees the runner off the base, tags her, and I ring her up. Visiting coach goes ballistic, "... you knew we were going to put in a courtesy runner." I reply, "Coach, if instead of tagging your runner out, suppose F4 would have thrown the ball to F1 wildly and it went out of play. Would you want your runner to score?" Of course she says yes. I tell her "You can't have it both ways."

You never know what is going to happen until the ball gets in the circle and it isn't our job to stop play to make it 'safe' for either team. Calling time may take an advantage away from one team that deserved it because the other team wasn't doing their job.

Strange happenings
 

I worked with this cat on Tuesday who called time All the time. He was PU and I was BU.

He is a good blue and partner just was a little strange hearing him call "Time" all afternoon.

I work my share of solo JV games,and the occasional Varsity solo game, and I am finding that I fall into "it's a live ball game."

I really thought this would be a short thread and it's turning into Grapes of Wrath!

Just a rant - I get weary of coaches that call time the very second ball four is called and start walking toward the field - I have to say "Coach, you don't have time yet - we talked about this in pregame!" For goodness sakes, do they really think they can just walk out on the field while the game is going on? (Rhetorical question)

OK, I feel better now, back to your normal programming!

I agree that the situation you describe warrants a TIME call. Most of us agree on that.

What if neither the runner (nor her coach) requests time? I'll give it a few, and if this is just a cat 'n' mouse game, I call TIME anyway.

That is different, though, from calling time everytime play is apparently over. I very much disagree with calling time when a coach is telling his runner to go and she is not going (yet). Also, MNBlue's example is a good one where calling TIME when play has apparently ended and when everybody knows what is next (CR) would have prevented the defense from getting an out due to an offensive mistake.

If there is a reason to call TIME, do it. If not, don't. I'm not a hard case on keeping the ball live as much as possible. However, only kill it when there is a reason. End of play is not a reason.

for me, if i have a slide play and the runner requests time I'll look around, then when all play is stopped and I have nothing else to do - I'll grant time. if its a slide play i'll usually have to clean the bag anyway - at least in some ballparks.

Never insinuated this was the case. Read my last post.

One step further
 

Heck, I will take it one step further and suggest to you I will not wait for the runner to ask for time, I will just do it myself. As an example, runner on first, pick off attempt, runner slides in, and first baseman catches the ball. Thats an instant time call in my opinion.

All play is over, reset, and lets move on. Now obviously, if more runners are on base, you have to make sure there is no other action on the field. . . but after that, time can be a great way of keeping the game moving and flowing better.

I'm sorry, I just don't get the fascination :cool: with killing the ball as if nothing more of interest could happen on a play. Where does this come from? Why is it somehow a detriment to the game to have the players actually play the game? This is not football. I cannot imagine where this comes from, except from the slow pitch game. It certainly is not coming from small ball.