inconsistant umpiring FED rules

[UMP 64]

I have been fortunate to work 2 tournaments with in 3 weeks and really enjoyed seeing teams from other parts of my state as well a as other surrounding states. Unfortunately, many of the visiting teams do not have umpires calling games with in the NFHS rules.

I guess it is not chear and concise what constitutes an illegal pitch, ie. feet outside the pitching plate borders, licking fingers w/no wipe, leaping, how the DP/FLEX works, what bats are legal and that the "2000" bat must be accompanied by the 27+ page supplimental ASA list to be carried with the team, just to mention a few problems. When our local umpires apply NFHS rules in these sutuations, these teams talk and act as though they have never heard these rules before.

The only reason I can guess that these issues are not addresses where the teams play their regular season games, is that some umpires want the good ratings and do not want to cause problems. Granted, we are not perfect in our association either, but we do address these issues and try to be consistant through out our ranks. We have a way to go in our training, but we are not affraid to make the call as we see it.

Do any other associations see the same problems when you have out of area teams in for tournaments?

[WestMichBlue]

Originally Posted by UMP 64

The only reason I can guess that these issues are not addresses where the teams play their regular season games, is that some umpires want the good ratings and do not want to cause problems. Granted, we are not perfect in our association either, but we do address these issues and try to be consistant through out our ranks. We have a way to go in our training, but we are not affraid to make the call as we see it.

Do any other associations see the same problems when you have out of area teams in for tournaments?

Absolutely! I do a couple big tournaments (JV and Varsity) in another city each year and I run into these issues all the time.

However - I run into it in my own area all the time also! Having been the trainer for our local association I know that only 30% of our umpires (the same ones) consistantly show up for training. So every time a coach says, "No one has ever said that before," or "that is the first time that has been called," I can say to myself "they have been umpired by the other 70%!"

It is my opinion that we are heading for a major problem with umpiring at the youth level (JO or NFHS). The players are spending more time and money increasing their skills - and through repetitiveness - their knowledge of the game. The coach are doing the same. And millions of coaches, players, and parents are reading the Internet forums and becoming more rules knowledgable. Few are complaining about judgment calls; the majority of complaints are about rules application.

Balancing that is a small percentage of umpires that try to increase their skills by reading these forums and attending clinics. The others are still getting by with good judgment skills (ball, strikes; safe/out, fair/foul). In the past they could bluff their way through a sticky rules situation because no one else knew the rule either. Increasingly today they are being challenged by more knowledgable participants.

Unfortunately, I see the problem, but I don't know the answer.

WMB

[UMP 64]

I agree with the 30/70 %. I am involved with the training and it seems to be an uphill battle, but we are not giving up.

[archangel]

Originally Posted by WestMichBlue

Absolutely! I do a couple big tournaments (JV and Varsity) in another city each year and I run into these issues all the time.

However - I run into it in my own area all the time also! Having been the trainer for our local association I know that only 30% of our umpires (the same ones) consistantly show up for training. So every time a coach says, "No one has ever said that before," or "that is the first time that has been called," I can say to myself "they have been umpired by the other 70%!"
WMB

If you believe everything a coach says when a call/ruling goes against him, well, swampland?.....maybe 30% of your coaches are speaking truthful---in my area, I'd say that figure was still too high...