Umpire continuing education

[AlabamaBlue]

Was paired up last night with a partner that I had gotten the impression was a decent umpire.

I have the plate, 11-12 year old game, and in the bottom of the first while the pitcher is warming up I see that she's sliding her pivot foot off the rubber about 4" and pushing off of the dirt. I point it out to my partner, call the coach over and explain to him to get it corrected.

Now we were told at the beginning of the season that illegal pitches were a POE this year. During the inning, the batter gets to a 3-2 count, next pitch is perfect and is called strike 3. The batter goes to the dugout and the next batter is stepping in to the box when my partner comes walking down the base line to tell me the pitch was illegal. Gah.

So, we get the girl back out of the dugout on on 1st base, other coach is wondering why it took so long for the call. So am I.

I explain to the partner that it's a delayed dead ball, and that when the action has stopped, she should hollar dead ball, illegal pitch. She says she's got it.

Little later, other team in the field. Runner on 3rd and a right-handed batter at the plate. She swings and hit the ball down into the dirt in front of the plate and runs to first. Runner stays at third. Next batter steps up, and folks in the stands are yelling "it hit her, blue". The coach asks if it hit her, and I ask my partner. She says yes, it hit her while she was still in the box. Gah!

So, bring the batter back and add a strike, partner swears up and down she's not supposed to call that unless I ask for help. I had no inclination whatsoever that the ball hit the batter.

Original team back out in the field later, don't remember the exact situation, but I think there was a strike pitched. We're ready for the next pitch when my partner yells, HEY BLUE. I look up at her and she's got her arm out to the side in the delayed dead ball signal, and she looks down at her own arm as if to say, "Can't you see this you dummy?". So I ask what she's got, she says "illegal pitch". GAH!

Well, that's my long-winded story, and the moral is, learn the freakin' mechanics.