Eject...or not....
 

HS JV game...I am PU

Home team is struggling, both at the plate and in the field.

Swinging at pitches over their heads, watching pitches right down the middle, lots of fielding and throwing errors. Home team coach is getting very frustrated with his team and is letting them know it.

About the top of the fourth inning, B1 for V hits a ground ball to F6, who throws it at F3s feet and it goes skipping away. From home team dugout, I hear a very loud GODDAMN IT! from the coach.

Do you immediately eject...or warn....or anything else?

Barring any rule/policy that dictates otherwise, I'd probably let the parents take care of this one.

This'll probably irritate some other members, but...

Here in NC, most of the leagues have a "no profanity" rule. Drop a "G-D" bomb on the field, and it's bye-bye.

I'd probably call time, get my line up card holder out and ask the coach to come see me. Give him a quick talk about this being a contest for student atheletes and tell him that he's restricted to the dugout for the remainder. The whole time looking at the lineup card so as not to bring too much attention to the whole thing.

If you're trying to be subtle, you're not doing a very good job. ;)

If possible, you might want to wait until you're between innings.

I immediately do absolutely nothing.

I think I would wait for a while, then do nothing. Sorry to disagree.

But don't I get more "points" for doing nothing quicker? ;)

In addition to doing nothing, I think to myself, "Coach. I agree!" :cool:

Maybe. But if you do nothing too soon, will you be able to un-do nothing without affecting the outcome of the game?

Interesting replies....

Here is what I did:

Let me start by reminding you that this is a HS game. We are told that HS athletics are to be considered an extension of the classroom. By that thinking, if a teacher yelled *********! in the classroom because a student geve an incorrect answer to a question, I believe there would be some action taken by the school.

Mike - for ASA play, I agree with you...I'm doing nothing. This is an issue for TDs and parents (if youth play) to deal with.

After the play was over, I called time. I was right in front of the home team dugout, so I turned and told the coach that I understand his frustration, but yelling ********* was inappropriate in this setting. If it happened again, I would be forced to deal with it. He tells me that he yelled GOD DANG IT, but I know what I heard. No issues the rest of the game.

At a half-inning break a few innings later, I met my partner on the line and asked what he heard, he also heard *********!

I don't want to get into the what's offensive to some and not others and how the ballfield is not church, etc...

Just interested to hear what you all think.

:(

Well, if this is a game involving a school which receives any govenment funding, you better watch your back....er, I mean purse strings if you address anything relating to "god" in their "classroom". :rolleyes:

However, I still would not take any action. In spite of what you are or are not interested in hearing, it is still the umpire's belief and opinion as to the value or lack of anything observed.

I have no issue here. The coach, OTOH, is legally responsible for the players and, by law, acting in loco parentis. His/her employer is supposed to have admin on site and is responsible for the coach's actions. If they believe action is necessary, I would be more than happy to offer what I saw or heard, if asked.

But that is just me and I understand if others have a different opinion and manner in which to handle this situation.

Why can't a teacher yell "*********!" ? I'm still a student (adult university) and even my teacher uses the F-word if someone in class is really giving the dumbest answers.
I'm pretty sure that students/kids pick up the street-talk or slang everywhere; a teacher can't help that preventing even if he's giving the best example. A school should have a no-slang policy, however taking action against the teacher who doesn't follow that policy is one step to far (i.m.h.o.).

On my field(s) I don't want to hear any cursing but I'm also taking no action against a player who just got a 3K and fires one F-word in frustration. It's a first reaction. If the same player continues cursing after a few seconds, it's no-longer a first reaction and I will take action. A player/coach coming down from 1st base yelling about a play on home plate can walk-on (off the field). He got plenty time to think about what he is yelling and what he and I could see (or not see).

It is certainly a cultural thing. Having worked in a public school district here in NC, I can tell you that there are certain behaviors that are not "acceptable" for teachers, including profanity.

College-level kids, however, are adults. All (well, almost all) protections given to children are off. It's up to them to decide how they want to conduct themselves.

And yes, I had professors that dropped the F-bomb in the classroom.

Because Freedom of Speech in the US doesn't apply when someone disagrees with you or you choose to live your own lifestyle instead of theirs. :o

Constitutional freedom of speech applies to congress making laws, not employers setting standards for work-place behavior.