even if you called your zone by the book you'd get yelled at:eek:

Especially if.... ever actually call a strike at the top of the zone without someone commenting / yelling?:rolleyes:

It's OK, now I know I can remove them. Just another tool in my arsenal.

I remove anyone from the backstop who is doing anything but cheering in a positive manor. Coaching, interference(verbal), etc.

As for "strike zone" comments, and such from spec I go directly to the offenders coach. Our local assoc. has very specific rules on this type of conduct.

Basically, coaches are responsible for their fans. If coach will not attempt to control fan/parent, the coach is tossed and must pay a fine and go before the board before he/she can coach again. If he/she attempts to control the fan/parent and is unsuccessful then we toss the fan to the parking lot and they have pay a fine and go before the board to explain why they should be at their child's games in the future.

What this does is put the coach in the first position to control the fans/parents, and we are the last resort. Every parent and coach signs off on these rules at the beginning of the season.

It has really cut down on the verbal abuse of the umpires and the distractions for the players.

Usually if I am at the field I am coaching, but sometimes I get to be a spectator and will watch from behind the backstop from time to time. Funny, the balls and strikes look different from there than they do from the 1B coach's box!

I really don't care who is saying what from outside the fence unless they are a member of the team.

Don't know why any umpire would actually worry about what a spectator has to say.

Yeah, apparently the 1B coach's box has a "better angle." Sometimes, so does the outfield. That one really gets me. :rolleyes:

That's when you asked them what your strike zone looked like from the parking lot :D

Do you mean the umpire's association or the local softball association (aka league)?

I can understand a local league putting in fairly strict parent-control rules if they have had a problem in the past, but I can't understand an umpire assoc. doing this on their own.

Even with the local league rules, it has to be a PITA for the umpires to have to deal with.

Without such local rules, unless fans are actually disrupting the GAME, they should be ignored by the umpire.

Agree. That chain link is sound-proof as far as I'm concerned. A GLM once called me a jackass. I didn't respond for three reasons:

1 -- I didn't want to give her the satisfaction.
2 -- It was a judgment call on her part.
3 -- She was probably right.

But you at least looked, right? :cool:

:rolleyes:

I'm sure the coaches love that. Most have trouble controlling their players, let alone loudmouth spectators. A ridiculous rule. I blame coaches for many failings, but the antics of fans are not one of them (unless they are willfully inciting them).



Fixed that for you.

Hell, if I called it by the WCWS "by the book zone".. ie low, no high zone stuff, and 4 inches outside... I'd probably get yelled at. This is new take on spectator control is awesome!

Where I umpire, its 9-12yo city rec ball, our policy is the coach is supposed to control their fans. If there is unsportsmanlike conduct (like yelling swing) coming from the stands than the coach gets a bench warning. If it happens again the coach gets the boot. Since the policy has been implemented I have not had ONE problem from the stands. Nobody wants to be the one who gets their coach kicked out.

yeah I gues ... to much work for me