Silly NCAA runner assistance rule...

[Big Slick]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

However, I've never believed that having a rule book on the field is smart. Yes, you can fix certain situations, but that just opens you up to tons of trouble. The closest my rule book comes to the field is in my car in the parking lot.

If the umpire wasn't 100% on the rule interpretation, s/he should have made his/her ruling, then immediately offer up to the OC the opportunity to protest. Sounds like these girls may have gotten hosed.

Allow me to clarify, if there is a protest, use the rule book. This is encouraged by the SUIP (the situation of unreported subs and batting out of order were the examples a few years ago). The players were hosed not by rule, but because of umpires who would not follow procedure.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by Big Slick

Allow me to clarify, if there is a protest, use the rule book. This is encouraged by the SUIP (the situation of unreported subs and batting out of order were the examples a few years ago). The players were hosed not by rule, but because of umpires who would not follow procedure.

If you've got umpires not following procedure, then you've got an entirely different issue altogether. Having a rule book nearby isn't going to help anything other than to delegitimize an umpire's authority.