Plate Conference
 

Run Down your normal Plate Conference - No one will call you a moron or say ooo (Whatever that means) about you. This is just for comparison and education.
1. Intros coaches, captains, umpires (usually plate introduces both officials)
2. Are all player legally and properly equipped?
3. Ask home coach to cover ground rules
4. Any special provisions
5. Sportsmanship reminder
6. Let's play

1. Intros coaches, captains, umpires (usually plate introduces both officials)
2.

Review line-up cards
Return and ask coaches to verify line-up

3. Ask home coach to cover ground rules
4. Any special provisions
5. Sportsmanship reminder
Flip coin, if necessary
6. Let's play

I am so glad neither of you said, "coaches if you have a problem with a call. Call time and go to the umpire that made the call".

Why don't blues' that say this just say, "hey coach, my partner or I will blow at least one call today, but don't come running out to confront us until I grant you time".

I don't know who started this line, but he/she should be shot.

Mike's list works for me.

Add on: Issue pre-game warning for bean balls if necessary. Oh wait, wrong diamond sport. :D

I'll go with Mike's too. I dont do the sportsmanship warning though.

For coin flip, I usually pick who will call it or who is heads. I dont do the who's farther, roll a ball to the circle, rock paper scissors, flip twice stuff. Usually the person who was out there first calls it. I dont tell jokes, goof off, conduct uniform inspections or any of that stuff. Slam bam thank you maam, play ball.

I'll jump on here with Mike's list, too.

For high school ball in Pa, we're required to read a sportsmanship message.

I'm also a slam bam thank you ma'am kinda guy .

But around here at the end we ask our partners if they have anything to add. I'm thinking of seriously dropping that. Partners come up with some weird things.

Yesterdays partner gave us the lecture on how its only a game. Decent enough guy,decent enough partner, so after the game I asked about it. Its kind of a thing with him and the world taking softball so seriously..."shrug"

Definitely know your audience before asking "Anything to add?" :D

I also check the line up and let the coaches give is a final once over. I left that off my list.
Our association requires the reminder about sportmanship. One of our umpires handles it uniquely though. He says something along these lines, "I know I don't need to say anything to you about sportmanship."

After I ask them if they are legally equipped I have started specifically mentioning jewelry and let them know that I consider anything around the wrist or neck to be jewelry including items that were designed for the hair.

Even then I usually still get at least one team warning a game.

I'm guessing the "properly equipped stuff" would be a NFHS only addition to pregames?

Should have specified - mine I was thinking ASA

1. Handshakes/player greetings

2. Umpire introductions - "Mr. Jacobs is your base umpire, I am Mr Sherwood your plate umpire"

3. Jewelry notification - mandatory in NYS

4 Sportsmanship notification - also mandatory

How long the two above take depends on the level/time of year - 7th/8th grade games early in the season: the cards get read, usually by team captains. By this time of the year, I get it done in two quick lines: "You all are aware of sportsmanship, right? You all know about no jewelry/hard objects, right?"

5. ground rules

we also have been told to remind teams about one minute in between innings, but I will usually take care of that talking to the coaches during our pregame chat/gossip session...

On a good day the plate conference is over in less than a minute! Had a partner last week, however, who took five excruciating long minutes to get it done.....

1. Intros coaches, captains, umpires (usually plate introduces both officials)
2. Review line-up cards as per Mike's list.
3. Ask home coach to identify site administrator, since they are never there early enough to meet before walking on the field. (NFHS and college only.)
4. Are all player legally and properly equipped? (NFHS)
5. Ask home coach to cover ground rules
6. Any special provisions
7. Coin toss if necessary.
8. Let's play

The "legally and properly equipped" applies only in NFHS, as does any sportsmanship reminders. I can't think of anything that gets coaches wondering about an umpire's knowledge more than attempting to apply a standard that doesn't apply before the game even starts. College coaches, as well as upper level travel teams, immediately identify you as a "high school ump"; and that isn't meant to be a compliment by most.

I give even less options than Wade on a coin flip. I assign the team to my left "heads", and the team to my right "tails", then I flip. Same every time, less chance of mixing anything up. A coin flip decision doesn't require giving anyone a choice; just a 50/50 chance. (Besides, the coach can go back saying "he" didn't lose, I did.)

I do the same on the coin flip.