ASA Rule; Access to,

[NCASAUmp]

Well, going this route is obviously a bad decision of whomever is coordinating the tournament, and it shows a fundamental lack of understanding of what it takes to be an umpire within each association. Granted, about 90+% of the rules between almost every association overlap either in their wording or in their effect, but it's those last few percentiles that can become the real gotcha.

Unfortunately, not every rule association has the same kind of presence as other rule associations, and finding registered umpires in the area that won't require lodging and travel reimbursement can be a challenge. For example, I know of VERY few NSA umpires in NC, simply because most of the ball played around here is ASA.

Regardless, it's up to the TD to weigh the choice between using the book they wish to use (for whatever reason) and using the umpires in the area who are (or at least more likely to be) properly trained. However, hey... You get what you paid for.

I'm with Mike on this one, but I can certainly see both sides.