Making the call

[NewNCref]

Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve

Comments would be interesting, but I want to try this as a poll, too. How many of you take literally that any umpire can and should call obstruction or interference anywhere on the field, even if it is obviously an overrule of a judgment that there was no obstruction? How many believe U1 has no business making this particular call from 70', regardless the statement that any umpire can and should call interference? How many think is depends; but not in this case? And finally, how many think it depends, but would do it in this case?

This reminds me of something I was told when working as an Assistant Referee in soccer once, and I have found this to be useful in the other sports that I work. If you believe that the other official couldn't see it, and if they had seen it, they would have called OBS, then make the call. I'm having trouble thinking of an example where there might be blatant OBS that the umpire with primary calling responsibility couldn't see, but should something like that happen, then by all means, I'm fine with having another umpire call it. But if it's right in front of the calling umpire, and that umpire does nothing, then I don't know how one could assume that they had a better view of it from 70' away.

All that being said, if he was upset with the call, then chew the PU and U1 out after the game is over and everyone else is gone. But the second you leave the field during a game, you can bet you're going to have to answer a lot of questions before I would assign you any games again. Furthermore, if I had a way to blacklist certain partners, you better believe I'd be adding him the second I got home.