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Fri Jun 27, 2003, 02:22pm
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Sorry for the long post
About a month ago, I was a spectator of probably the worst called game that I have ever seen in my entire life. ASA 12-U SP One umpire crew (and she was very very young). Anyhow, IMHO, there were a lot of blown calls by this umpire. And she liked to share her lack of knowledge by giving bad calls to both teams. The worst call came near the end of the game when this umpire allowed a player to run into and knock down our F4, who was standing on the base awaiting the throw. The runner had her arms crossed in front of her chest, did not even attempt to slide, and knocked down the F4 like she was trying out as a blocker in the NFL. She was then permitted to continue around until she reached home plate, when she did the same exact thing to the catcher. This umpire called nothing and now everyone is yelling and screaming, the whole time our 2nd baseman is lying down screaming with a hurt ankle. Our coach discussed it with blue and got nowhere. Blue said that F4 didnt have the ball, and everything was just incidental contact. Meanwhile, the father of the hurt girl is really upset about his kid being knocked down like that and had some heated, but clean words with the umpire. The brother of F4 was entirely out of line, but he cussed at blue for making such a lousy call, and the umpire, in her best unprofessional manner, said the lovely F-word right back at the kid. We made the league representatives aware of her behavior, and this umpires response was well, he said it to me first. I found our state ASA Bylaws, and all it says there is that umpires may be suspended who conduct themselves, on or off the field of play, in an unethical, immoral, or unprofessional manner. She ended up being suspended for one week, and she is not allowed to umpire our games anymore. We (as in the entire team, and all of the spectators) were put on probation for the remainder of the season because of this incident. Its just a rumor, but I heard that this umpire is the daughter of our district UIC, but of course, thats only a rumor. My question isnt about the call, my question is this What does the ASA code state on the behavior of umpires? ASA code would over-rule any local bylaws, wouldnt it? And how would have this been handled if it happened in your district? JP 
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Fri Jun 27, 2003, 03:26pm
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According to your description, the runner should have been ejected - twice. I may even have called her out for that kind of flagrant behavior, and pin my call on ASA Case Play 10.8-1.
Regarding the national ASA code, you can go to the ASA National Web Site, click on the Umpires link and then the ASA Code link and you can search the code. I think it will read very similar to what you have quoted as your local policy. Chances are your local policy will prevail for local games. I don't know how this works locally here. Probably similar to your locale.
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Tom
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Fri Jun 27, 2003, 04:23pm
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Let me state up front that I in no way excuse or condone the behavior of the umpire.
Think about this - If someone came into your place of employment, watched you work, and did not agree with a decision you made, then used "some heated, but clean words" regarding your performance, how would you feel? Furthermore, another person "was entirely out of line, but he cussed" regarding the decision. You might react and strike back under that kind of verbal assault, also.
__________________
It's what you learn after you think you know it all that's important!
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Fri Jun 27, 2003, 08:20pm
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Quote:
Obviously I don't condone any cussing in front of 12 year olds, but somebody has to be the better person. The umpire is in a position of authority, and should act with professionalism at all times. This umpire should have responded by throwing this person out, not by bickering childishly like she did. Ovbiously I wouldn't enjoy being in that situation, and I even might get a little ticked if it hapenned to me, but I know for a fact that I would have handled myself with much more professionalism than she showed. As far as striking back...I can't help but think about all the times in my husband's 20-year career as a military cop, and all the crap that he had to let go in one ear and out the other, and all the times he had to bite his tongue and maintain his professionalism. Of course slapping handcuffs on a slime bag is a bit more satisfying than ejecting someone from a ball game. BTW, I was a military cop too. There are some professions where you just can't lose your cool, and a cop is definitely one of them. So, IMHO, umps should never ever lose their cool, no matter what is said to them. You are always going to make unpopular decisions (you can't please everybody), but you always need to keep your emotions in check. JP
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Fri Jun 27, 2003, 08:39pm
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Quote:
I've been there before, but I guess I was just too lazy to look it up, and was hoping for a quick and easy reply from one of you guys.  JP
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Fri Jun 27, 2003, 09:01pm
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In my opinion,the only major wrong doing by this young umpire was responding to a parent(fan?).If she stays in umpiring she will learn that spectators mean absolutely nothing to us.There obvious lack of knowledge for the game and biased behavior must be ignored.When someone gets out of hand,she should have went to the field director or coach and had this gentleman(?)removed or the game is over.It really is disheartening the way parents carry on in a game of such magnitude.12U slow pitch certainly isnt the World Series or even the next most important thing.Long gone are the days when a parent can just sit in the stands and enjoy watching their child participate in an athletic contest.They seem to have a sick need to interject themselves into every pitch of the game.Hopefully this young lady will learn from her mistakes and continue on officiating.
As for the particular play described,the only call at the play at second would have been malicious contact if she deliberately crashed into the fielder with excessive force.If she was standing on and blocking the base without the ball,she is in the wrong if the contact was not melicious.That is a problem with the younger levels because the coaches do not teach their kids the proper way to receive the ball without blocking the base.A very misunderstood rule which usually has the unknowlegeable screaming they have to slide.A base runner has 3 options once the fielder HAS the ball,slide,attempt to go around,or give yourself up.So if she was blocking the bag without the ball,there can be contact as long as it is not malicious. It takes a long time for an umpire to develop the knowledge and skill to apply a rules of the game.It takes even longer to build up a thick skin so that idiots in the stands can be tuned out.All umpires will make mistakes,the goal of a good umpire is to continue to improve and limit those mistkes. Jeff
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Sat Jun 28, 2003, 02:39pm
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Mo:
Crossing the arms just before contact shows intent. To do it twice, leaves no doubt. There is NEVER any justification for an umpire to use profanity, on or near the field, no matter what was said by anyone else. This young woman showed a tremendous lack of rules knowledge, maturity, and self control. Bob
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Sat Jun 28, 2003, 03:47pm
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Bob
I stated this young umpires only major mistake was responding to a spectator.No matter how much they use it or get under your skin does not warrant profanity of any kind.Yes,she did show lack of self control,rules knowledge,and maturity,but that also sounds like a description of 95%of the coaches we deal with. As for the mistakes this umpire made calling the game is all subjective as I didnt actually see the play described.But yes,I have seen a runner with her arms crossed trying to protect herself in a collision situation.It is when the runner crosses the arms and THRUSTS them into a fielder is when malicious contact is called.That is always the difficulty on post boards as you dont actually witness a play you are commenting on. Jeff [Edited by mo99 on Jun 28th, 2003 at 03:49 PM]
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Sat Jun 28, 2003, 10:30pm
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Wow - I see a number of things in this chain that trouble me:
* We all agree about the professionalism an official must demonstrate...but that is something that is learned. The original post stated this is person was "very young". I'm reading into it that it's a teenager who probably has had very little guidance given to her. I'm curious as to what training (both and initial) she has received. Does she have a mentor who can help her learn how to manage conflict within a contest and to improve her judgement and rules knowledge? * This is an under 12 softball league -- seems like we should be concerned about the development of fundamentals in the players and umpires (and coaches & fans!). It appears that emotions were terribly out of line. * No parents (non-coaches) should be allowed to confront, question, or discuss interpretations with a young official. That should be left to the coaches to work with the league.
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Sun Jun 29, 2003, 09:44pm
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Quote:
The umpire deserved some disciplinary action and it seems she got it. Whether it was enough or not would more likely be judged at the local level. ASA would have no standing in this other then possibly honoring the disciplinary action taken locally. Now my question is what is happening to the coaching staffs as it is obvious they are clueless of the rules or incapable of properly coaching the children that play for these teams? And no, in my opinion, probation is not enough as their players actions demonstrate the safety of the players are in jeopardy. No question the umpire was way out of line, but apparently so were the "responsible" adults.
__________________
The bat issue in softball is as much about liability, insurance and litigation as it is about competition, inflated egos and softball.
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Sun Jun 29, 2003, 10:41pm
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"Our coach discussed it with blue and got nowhere. Blue said that F4 didnt have the ball, and everything was just incidental contact. Meanwhile, the father of the hurt girl is really upset about his kid being knocked down like that and had some heated, but clean words with the umpire. The brother of F4 was entirely out of line, but he cussed at blue for making such a lousy call,"
I am not going to exonerate the young ump for her reply (but, wow, would I have liked to have been there to see/hear that), but I think that she handled herself pretty well up to that point. I think that she probably had a correct call and she took a lot of abuse from adults. When I train young umps, as much as possible I try to stick around the fields "to protect" them from the adult coaches and fans. These people can be brutal and intimidating towards teenage umpires. They tick me off because they are not going to pay league entry fees high enough to hire adult umps, but expect the kids to perform as we would. Secondly I get very angry when I hear parents and coaches screaming for a penalty everytime a girl gets banged around. Sorry folks, but contact will be part of softball. Some of it legal, some illegal. An umpire has to have solid knowledge of the rules, and Solomon like judgment to sort it out - interference, obstruction, incidental, or malicious. He makes a decision based on the type of the game, the skill of the players, the attitiudes of the players, and his view of the play. But the fans, who know nothing, just scream for justice! It's OK to take a 60 mph fastball in the ribs; that's "taking it for the team!" But knock a girl off her feet, and they want blood. I've seen or coached hundreds of girl's softball and basketball games and I know that girls can handle contact. I've seen some basketball games that get absolutely brutal under the basket. But I have never seen "meanness" in the game. Though I've seen malicious contact many times in boys baseball, I personally have never seen it in softball. And I suspect the runner in our subject story was simply protecting herself. Note that crossing arms in front of the chest is how girls are taught to protect themselves when setting a screen in basketball (whereas boys are taught to cross their arms in front of the genital area). I don't see it as a football play, but a basketball reaction. And that's my 2 cents. WMB
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