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.

Thats also my preferred method especially in championship play... sometimes though I do pick someone to pick at the showcases and whatever. In championship play, no goofin around with even that.

I agree that most upper level coaches immediately identify you as "just another goofy umpire" type if you go into all these unnecessary things in the pregame. Coaches that have been around 10-15+years - what are you really telling them when you go into your diatribe (NFHS mandated statements aside)?

Had a double flipper a couple of weekends ago. First time I ever had a partner who did the double flip. :cool:

The ONLY time I return a lineup card to a coach, is if I notice something wrong (such as a players # missing, or the coach forgot to sign it), which has been rare. Otherwise, whats the point? I will verbally mention each teams DH in what spot though..
If nothing looks wrong, why the need to re-verify? He filled it out. Does anyone think the coach will look over to compare #'s to correct players? All he's going to do is glance at it and hand it back, possibly offended, thinking "whats with this guy?- theres nothing wrong on my card"...

Everyone has their own pregame, sure,..... but I put this one with the "come talk to me if you have issues" comment

From the 2009 CCA Softball Umpires Manual:

"Once the plate umpire is satisfied that the lineup contains the necessary information, she should hand it back to the coach for a final look."

From the NFHS Softball Umpires Manual:

"Make certain you check each lineup card including first, last name, defensive positioning and number of each participant and hand it back to the coach for a last inspection."

In other words, you do it because it is what you are instructed to do. Once the lineup is handed back to you, it becomes official, and any problems that have been hitherto missed by the coach can now be penalized.

From the 2009 ASA Umpire Manual:

NSA wants a double flip during their tournaments.

Yesterday, I handed the lineup cards back tothe coaches to review and one wrote in a substitute who had come late and another had to double check the number of her flex. Sometimes they are prepared hours before a game and things can change. It is policy for our association and coaches have come to expect it.

Well, Skahtboi has cited the manuals. The rule books for Fed and ASA state that lineups are to be inspected by coaches/captains at the pregame. That implies they have to look at it and peruse it. That will prevent a problem that you did not notice and a bigger one when smart coach states that blue did not allow me to inspect the lineup. Now what are you going to rule and what is your UIC going to say when that screw up happens.

I suggest leaving your thoughts about this at the car and follow the instructions. Sometimes, our rules writers do write something wise.:):):)


Thanks, Ron

Hmm....that about covers it, doesn't it?

Or, maybe the coaches you have seen are looking at you, possibly offended, wondering why you didn't do as the rule book prescribes.... :rolleyes:

Things that are required by our NFHS association:
-"Are your players properly equipped?" (usually add, "All the jewelry off?" so they get the picture)
-"Did you bring a first aid kit?"
-Reminder about sportsmanship

One of my partners told me that in volleyball, they must read the entire statement about sportsmanship that the state association prints up on little cards for us. For softball we just tell them to remember good sportsmanship is expected.

Whoa everyone-- you All are correct. I'm just a currently bored baseball umpire that decided to float to a different sport's forum, and forgot where I was......until I went to change sites and thought "oh, thats right, this is softball, well, if Im wrong, I'll hear about it".

Fed baseball doesnt have the "hand back to coach" rule, just 4-1-3...shall deliver their respective batting orders in duplicate to the UIC. The umpire shall permit inspection by both head coaches...

Glad to know you softball officials are on your toes......

one of them thangs we gots to do.. its the ceremonial "ok its official" moment... after that its a sub.

OK stupid question...what the heck is a double flip?

My guess is that the umpire assigns heads/tails to the teams and whoever wins that flip calls the second flip.

First, Blue has to show us his great-grandfather's 1890 era Spanish gold coin, This side is heads, this side is tails. Who wants to call it? Coaches waste 10 secs hemming and hawing you can call it. No, you're younger, you call it. No, you're from out of town, you call it. Finally that is settled.

The winner of the first flip earns the right to call heads/tails on the second flip to decide who is home or visitor. He wins, and announces he wants to be visitor.

Other Coach says we could have saved a couple of minutes if you would have stated your intention before this double flip.

Just one flip please. Catch it in the air and start the clock.

Thanks for the explanation.

Flipping to decide....who gets the call the flip? OK that sounds more than just a little goofy.

I couldn't agree more.

The things that must be done to humor associations and UIC's seems to get longer every year.:rolleyes:

we have a guy like that in our backyard - uses a 9/11 coin, and goes to great lengths explaining about it - and I bet there is somebody out there who has worked with this guy at a national somewhere...

Me, I use an Eisenhower Dollar - no explaination needed....

I have, however, occasonally used a dollar gaming chip from a certain establishment in Las Vegas :D

I use a Canadian Loonie.

I did use an ASA umpire coin that was given to me by a friend during my first tournament. Unfortunately, I seem to have misplaced it somewhere. I think I need to break out my 1923 Peace Dollar.

I have a few coins I use - an older ASA coin, a silver dollar, a ISC Fastball coin.. I rotate em and whatever I feel like I use. I have a bunch of others (including one from BuggBob!) that I keep in a little minicollection.

Kennedy half dollar. My pops loved JFK. :cool:

Whatever coin I have in my pocket. Or, whatever my partner has.

I go with the latter... I usually end up with a extra $2+ at the end of the tournament... if i work it right. :D

New Trick (for me)
 

Doing more games wear the home team is know, than "flip decisions" lately, I usually forget the coin all together... So this year I learned a new trick.

I put my indicator behind my back and start spinning the inning wheel, then ask Odd or Even.
When appropriate, my usual smart-a$$ remark is, "No fair counting the clicks".

As I'm typing this, it occurs to me that since I have a notched wheel, I could probably exercise some game management and control who the home team is!!! - :D:D

But I wouldn't..

I use one of many association flipping coins I have, since my old faithful was stolen a couple of years ago.

Really? Doesn't it hurt when he lands?

No, but it does confuse people when he tries to say AFLAC. ;)

For our friends to the North:

How did you get him out of Ottawa?

Rude Lube and a Crowbar!