Interference?

[AtlUmpSteve]

NCAA (requested by Mike) includes the following descriptive language in the Interference rule:

Originally Posted by NCAA Rule Book

(b) Merely running in front of the fielder or jumping over the ball while proceeding to the next base is not interference, even though it may be distracting to the fielder or screen her view of the ball. The runner may not at any time unnecessarily wave her arms or verbally distract the fielder.

[IamMatt]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

You should work every game as if it really matters as it may to some on the field.

Thank you, Mike.

I have coached Rec-C ball and small-league middle-school ball and had some real "bad-news bears" teams, but those games are just as important to those girls as the WCWS is to Cat or Monica. They revel in their wins and die by their losses. Every play they make--no matter how poorly-executed it may be compared to an elite travel team--is important to them and the best umpires I have seen make every call "as if it mattered."

[DTQ_Blue]

As per my comment in my OP about whether the game really mattered, I think some of you are reading your own meaning into what I said.

To the poster that is telling me to umpire every game as though it mattered, well I do. I hustle; I don’t short the kids out when an inning ends near the time limit… I’m as much a professional as you. To the “dad” who said to make every call like it matters, well I do. The reason I started umpiring was because when my kid was playing 15 years ago, the umpiring was so bad in his LL that I volunteered my time because I thought the kids deserved better.

“The call” always matters to me. In my OP I was referring to the significance and setting of “the game,” which I tried to be clear about. This particular game was developmental HS fall ball where they don’t even keep W-L records. They have no playoffs. The outcome of this game had no material significance.

But that doesn’t change the way I would officiate such a game; that or any other game always gets my best effort. I made that call in the manner I believed to be correct at the time, but wasn’t totally comfortable with it either. So my reason for posting was to get input from a group of knowledgeable peers being that my association is very weak when it comes to training. I may have to make that type of call next year in the regional playoffs, where it can decide which team lives to play another day and I’m not comfortable with the level of training and preparation I have had for that type of situation.

Isn’t that what this board is for... To help us become better umpires? Some of you are just too quick to look for something to criticize. I never said a call doesn’t matter, or that anyone should not give it their best effort.

I appreciate the feedback as per the actual question I asked. The post about the NCAA interpretation was something I was not aware of. I work NFHS (not NCAA) and I will follow up to see if their interpretation is similar.

[IamMatt]

DTQ,

I was not criticizing you, just thanking Mike for the reminder. Even games played with no win/loss record are learning experiences, especially for a developmental team. The good umps know the game matters to the players on the field and call them that way; sounds like you are one of the good ones.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by DTQ_Blue

Isn’t that what this board is for... To help us become better umpires?

"What the board is for"?

Not necessarily, but that is what it has become to many and that is usually a good thing.

Some of you are just too quick to look for something to criticize. I never said a call doesn’t matter, or that anyone should not give it their best effort.

I am posting this is because I know that one of these days I will have to deal with this issue in a game that really matters

Now, I don't believe I'm the only person who read it in that manner. These were your words and I take them at face value unless you give me reason not to. Bad choice of words or presentation? Okay, no problem.

Then you say:

I may have to make that type of call next year in the regional playoffs, where it can decide which team lives to play another day

Okay, combined with the comment above, this sounds like the same thing. Given you explanation, I'll take it to mean absolutely nothing.

However, it is a frame of mind you need to dismiss. As an umpire, you may be aware of the repercussions of a call, but it isn't something that should be of concern to you. For as much as you know, a banger you made in the 3rd game of the season may have resulted in a loss that kept a team out of the playoffs.

You can think it, just don't express it. You saw the reaction of a non-umpire on the board. If you happed to make a comment like this and you are overheard by anyone other than you partner, it will kill your integrity. Doesn't have to be true or believed, the perception is already there

Don't take this the wrong way, just trying to help. The second-most viable critic of an umpire are other umpires. The MOST viable critic of an umpire is the umpire him/herself.