More rules I have learned from coaches.
 

Picked up some more rules addendums this weekend while working a "B" tournament.

Did you know that if the runner continues from one base to the next, without ever stopping or even hesitating, and the pitcher merely holds the ball while standing the circle, never making or faking a play, then you have to call the runner out? "Its in the book." :confused:

Also, when the BR is running in fair territory, and the ball takes a large bounce (about 12 ft in the air) and then hits her on the helmet, you cannot call the runner out because she "couldn't see the ball to avoid it." :rolleyes:

Just doing my best to help prevent any of you from making these obvious mistakes.

Hey, Skahtboi, thanks for the heads up! I would have missed both those calls, but I'll get them right the next time.

Allow me to return the favor. Here's one a coach taught me last year.

If a pitcher doesn't start her pitch preliminaries with the hands seaprated, it is an illegal pitch (that one sounds kind of familiar). Now, if she starts her motion to pitch, but stops it mid-delivery (recacting to, oh, I don't know, maybe the umpire yelling, "Illegal Pitch!") then she has committed a SECOND illegal pitch!

Award any base runners TWO bases as a penalty for the TWO illegal pitches! (He didn't tell me if you also award two balls to the batter, but it sounds logical.)

But of course you would! :D

Well, if you got two balls on the batter, ............:eek:

Then you're not working the slot correctly?

I was working a tournament in Kitchener Ont in 06, girls 16 & under, a team from Ohio, I think their team name was Ohio Blast or something along those lines, the other team was a local team from Markam Ont. After 2 warnings I had called an Illeagal pitch against the Ohio pitcher.
Between innings the Ohio coach came out to where I was standing. I was standing on the first base line and the first base ump had was just about to make a comment when the coach arrived so he let the coach procede.
The weekend before this tournament they were in one in Quebec, they were playing a team from Hull Quebec when the same call had been made. The Hull coach had came out to argue that indeed there was 2 infractions and wanted 2 awards on the same infraction. What the other infraction was was never mentioned but apparently this other coach was quite upset he couldn't get the 2nd award. The coach from Ohio said it was quite commical.

So, give him the 2nd.....award him the parking lot!;)

Man I dang near sprayed coffee on my screen. I've got to quit reading this stuff at work. :D

Did you know that if a runner going from 2nd to 3rd is hit in the back with a thrown ball, they are out for interference?

Yeah. I have already had that coach before!!! :cool:

...and if the B/R is awarded first on balls and rounds first and then immediately returns to first she has and I quote, "Stopped twice and is in violation of the LBR and MUST be called out. Come on Blue, you know that one, don't just give them the game."

Yeah, that one was a doozy, wasn't it? ;)

Hehe...it was the visual that did it for me.

I think the :eek: smiley at the end of Mike's post made it 10 times funnier. How's THAT for a visual?

Dear god, I'll stop now.

18U rec league: Coach comes out and wanted me to call the BR out for running out of the base line.

I said “coach, she hit a single to left field, what are you talking about?”

Coach says “she ran way out of the base line running to 1B”.

I said "coach, if there is no attempted tag, she can run into right field if she wants.”

He says,” oh yah, then why do they have a second white line going down the 1B line?”

How's this one....Tournament game, doing the bat check, coach comes to me because he wants to let me know..." hey blue we have an ALTERED bat but it's not ILLEGAL."

Missed a big opportunity here, Big. Anytime I have a player or coach mention running out of the base line, I simply tell them there is no rule prohibiting it. That usually sets them off or sits them down :D

Hrmmm... My October calendar doesn't have a Monday with a 23 on it.

;)

My favorite to use on a coach is the obstruction rule. They love to tell you that the defense can't "block the bag" or "stand there". Of course, there is no rule prohibiting their location so I just antagonize them for a minute disagreeing with them before quoting the rule and letting them know that they could be committing obstruction but that does not limit them from being in any one place.

I actually had one coach, who is known to be difficult at times, who was very familiar with both myself and the other members of my crew (including other sports), who, when I did this, left me stomping her feet and marching off to my partner calling him by name like a school kid going to the teacher because they felt they were mistreated in the classroom. It was great.

I had a runner come in to score from
 

second all the while yelling and screaming at me (Oh, this is boys "adult" t-ball aka slowpitch) that I'm supposed to pick up the bat. When I inform him that the discarded bat is not my responsibility he proceeds to tell me that the playing conditions of the field are my responsibility. I agreed with him and advised him that the playing field was in great condition. While sitting in the dugout fuming he yells at me that he wants an address where he can send a letter. I told him to look online.

Should have asked him if he needed someone to write if for him. ;)

Did he specify what the letter was to be about? If not, I'd have been tempted to direct him to "Dear Abby" for his troubles.

Skaht, boy this coach sure does some traveling!

I've run across one guy (he's in his second or third year) in my area in a few different tournaments and leagues who seems to think that getting the bat is the umpire's number one priority, no matter what else is happening on the field.

A runner singles with nobody else on, he's hustling out to pick up the bat. A batter walks and he's grabbing the bat she dropped. Plays being made on the bases (not at home plate) and he's busy either picking up the bat or kicking it out of the way.

You can only hope the guy gets some good training somewhere along the line or, better yet, an evaluation. Maybe we'll get assigned a game together sometime and I can drop a hint...

Someone needs to take one of those bats and smack him with it.

Wait until some superstitious monster screams at him to moving the bat and jinxing his routine. Don't laugh, I've seen it happen.

lol... that reminds me of the movie major league...sacrificing a bucket of chicken to his bats.

Before that happens, he's probably going to have a bigger problem with missing something out on the field because his attention is focused on his "bat boy" duties.

I ran across this guy again in a fall league a few weeks ago. He was working a game solo. Every play where the batter discarded a bat, he's going after it- I mean, really hustling out there with gusto- apparently oblivious to runner's advancing, throws being made, where the ball was...

If we ever work together I'll probably say something, but I'm not one to offer unsolicited advice to another umpire while he's in the middle of a game that I have no involvment with.

Or, perhaps
 

he will have picked the bat up and has to hustle down the 3rd to make a call and yells "SAFE!!!!" and when he makes the prescribed hand signal the ball will go flying and hit the base coach.

Ahhh... One can only dream... :rolleyes:

It is my understanding that the NY HS school for Sb umpires actually teach their umpires to pick up the bats.

I have had this argument at a number of tournaments with NY umpires that it is a bad idea.

Not only is it a bad idea, but it is putting all of the organization in line for one of those crazy lawsuits!

I attended the NY State Softball Umpires school last year. I was never TEACHED that!

I heard an old one from a HS fall ball coach last night --- the batter-runner has to turn to the right after crossing 1B or she's laible to be put out ... I didnt have to call that but I heard him tell that to his first baseman

Yet another reason not to pick up/handle equipment.

When I was first starting out several years ago, I was given two reasons not to handle (softball) equipment during the game;

1) Some players/coaches are very superstitious about their (softball) equipment. If somebody else touches it, it screws up the mojo.

2) If I am trying to be a nice guy and I pick up a bat for team A at the end of a half inning, but I don't pick up team B's bat at the end of the next half inning because I am getting a drink or entering subs or whatever, team B now thinks that I have something against them. If I don't pick up anybody's bats or other (softball) equipment, then both teams can think I'm a jerk, but at least I'm not appearing to favor one team or the other.

thats a good reason TO pick one up - to watch 'em freak out about it!
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In a GIRLS' game?

Bob

MEN's fastpitch and slowpitch aren't played by men then I take it?

Excuse me, I need to get back to watching the baseball forum burn down.

About 30 years ago, I was PU for a LA City HS Varsity game. Home team is in the field. IFR situation. Looping fly ball beyond reach of F4. No call, runners advance. HT coach tries to convince me that the IFR is to protect the infielders, not the runners.

And his team was the LA City AAAA Champs.

Bob

What, again? Which troll is back with a new name now?;)

UPDATE: Never mind...I missed the good parts. And they had enough fun without any trolls.

According to a coach:

Did you know that if a batted ball hits a runner after it passes an infielder other than the pitcher, the runner is still out even if the fielder had no opportunity for a play? Coach's reason for the out is because the runner should know better than to get hit by the batted ball.:eek:

I don't think you were ever taught that either. ;)

Speaking of antagonizing a clueless coach...
 

My favorite was having an offensive coach (in both senses of the word) go ballistic because "the center fielder can't throw her glove at the ball". I let him know that she can take off her shoes & throw them too if she wants.

I waited til the inning was over to explain the detail about actually touching the ball... by then he was a deep shade of burgundy