Cheering during game....

[LIUmp]

Question about this because this popped up on me last year and again two weeks ago, and there are conflicting opinions on enforcement.

PONY Tournament - National Qualifier. 14U

Head coach of defensive team comes to PU in bottom of first inning and asks if he could tell the other team to not "cheer loudly" when pitcher is in her windup, as it is distracting.

* How do you handle this? The cheering is NOT derogatory, nor is it unsportsmanlike. It is loud, but I'm sure we've all heard it before..."Too high..too to high...to high to make it fly.." "to the green 16 to the green" ... "I see a Gap and _______ is going shopping...." etc.

I don't like to open a can of worms when I don't have to...but I had a situation in which I had the bases for a semifinal game and my partner told both coaches and team captains NOT to cheer loudly .. especially during the pitcher's windup...and when I had the plate for the Finals, one of the coaches wanted the same "rule" enforced by me.

Because the can of worms was opened, the coach even asked me to talk to the other teams' coach about re-stating the count while the pitcher goes into her windup.

This is a game the coaches are playing and I won't let them one up each other on MY time.

Is there a rule in PONY that states no cheering during windup? I know that it's an unsportsmanlike thing to do to scream or distract when the pitcher begins her windup and I will be happy to enforce that, but the back and forth games that the coaches are playing just to get into each other's heads I will NOT tolerate.

I am not a babysitter.

Opinions? Please steer me right on this.

[ASA/NYSSOBLUE]

This is NOT golf, tennis or chess - if his little snowflake of a P can't concentrate because somebody is CHEERING....she will never make it anyways....

[azbigdawg]

Speaking ASA...... let them cheer......

[wadeintothem]

Sure wish I could coach. No one hates cheering more than me. If it wasnt for cheering, softball would be the perfect sport. Have a nice day.

[BuggBob]

What is this the No Fun League? Let them cheer, let them dance, let them have fun.

"As long as it is not unsportsman like, they can cheer. This is softball, not church, good try coach."

[CajunNewBlue]

Speaking PONY.... no there is nothing to back the coaches request as is.... now if it gets vulgar or personal or racial.... then warn.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by CajunNewBlue

Speaking PONY.... no there is nothing to back the coaches request as is.... now if it gets vulgar or personal or racial.... then warn.

Personal, I'd warn. Vulgar, I'd definitely warn, if not eject (depends on what's said). Racial? Hell no, they're gone. If the whole team is cheering a "racial cheer" (boy, isn't THAT an oxymoron!), and the coach does nothing to stop it, I'm running the coach.

[wadeintothem]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

Personal, I'd warn. Vulgar, I'd definitely warn, if not eject (depends on what's said). Racial? Hell no, they're gone. If the whole team is cheering a "racial cheer" (boy, isn't THAT an oxymoron!), and the coach does nothing to stop it, I'm running the coach.

Yeah well, things are a little different in Louisiana

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

Yeah well, things are a little different in Louisiana

Durned Cajuns!

[Chess Ref]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

Yeah well, things are a little different in Louisiana

I always appreciate a good verbal smack at our friends from the swamp.

I'm a little gun shy this week. I tried to give a verbal jab at one of the swampers last week on another board, all I did was step on it.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by CajunNewBlue

Speaking PONY.... no there is nothing to back the coaches request as is.... now if it gets vulgar or personal or racial.... then warn.

Now define vulgar or racial. What may be racial in CA may not be in LA. What may be vulgar in OH may not be in NC.

I'm not suggesting what is considered "socially unacceptable" language altogether (though I do not believe in profanity), just make sure you are aware of the context in which a certain word or phrase is being used when working a game between teams from different regions before you start warning and ejecting folks. Even if it is unacceptable where you may be standing, most coaches will understand the problem if explained to them assuming there is some level of intelligence there. Okay, stop laughing, I was trying to be serious.

[Chess Ref]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Now define vulgar or racial. What may be racial in CA may not be in LA. What may be vulgar in OH may not be in NC.

I'm not suggesting what is considered "socially unacceptable" language altogether (though I do not believe in profanity), just make sure you are aware of the context in which a certain word or phrase is being used when working a game between teams from different regions before you start warning and ejecting folks. Even if it is unacceptable where you may be standing, most coaches will understand the problem if explained to them assuming there is some level of intelligence there. Okay, stop laughing, I was trying to be serious.

They do this thread over in basketball a couple times a year.

Everyone has opinions on whats socially unacceptable and so forth.

Here is my jibberish.

I'm reffing a HS basketball Boys Varsity. Both schools are urban schools. Visitor player blocks Home players shot OOB. I'm watching the kids.

kid whose shot was just blocked " he!! ni**er you couldn't do that again if I let you. "

Blocker : Laughs: then they do a handshake thing and play on.

In context there was nothing going on but 2 kids doing their thing. Out of context we got racial slurs, taunting and whatever else you need to grab out of said Sitch.

I let the kids do their thing.

So it may be a had to be there thing.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Chess Ref

HS basketball Boys Varsity. Both schools are urban schools. Visitor player blocks Home players shot OOB. I'm watching the kids.

kid [blockee] whose shot was just blocked " he!! ni**er you couldn't do that again if I let you. "

Blocker : Laughs: then they do a handshake thing and play on.

I have lived and officiated boys'/girls' H.S. and women's college basketball in both Miami and Los Angeles, and in my games, the "blockee" would be gone. Why? There is NEVER (with apologies to the late J. Dallas Shirley) any excuse for one not conducting herself/himself as a lady/gentleman. It is crass and boorish behavior at the very least. If they want to do that on the playground that is their business but not in an organized game at the high school or college level.

MTD, Sr.

[bkbjones]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Now define vulgar or racial. What may be racial in CA may not be in LA. What may be vulgar in OH may not be in NC.

To paraphrase Potter Stewart (Supreme Court justice, not Col. Potter), I don't know how to define vulgar or racial, but I know it when I hear it. What is vulgar or racial to me (a white guy who was raised middle class back when there was a middle class) may not be racial or vulgar to you. When I hear it I will likely take care of it, but my definition and Mike's definition I can assure you are different.

The one thing I do NOT allow, no no no no no, is banging balls, bats, other equipment off metal benches, dugout fences, etc. The cheers I can tolerate. 10 girls banging one or more softball(s) on the bench to make more noise, nope, not today. Do all that "holy cow that was foul, moooooove it over" you want, do "16 to the green" just as the hands seperate, I don't care.

[bniu]

speaking of sportsmanship, what do you guys do about the "Bubblegum...POP" or "Hey batter, batter, batter,......SWING!" chants the defense likes to do? I usually just tell the catcher to shut up since she's right next to the batter but I let the rest slide...

Many teams spend way too much time trying to gain a small advantage when they could use that time to develop their skills to kick their opponent's @$$. I say rather than try to distract the batter, just have your pitcher blow some heat right by the batter...