Enter the Marching Band

[grounder]

Originally Posted by Manny A

Seriously, you don't want to open the door of saying that softball chanting and other forms of noise-making are unsporting. Unless the chants are blatantly directed at the opposing team's skill level, how are you going to regulate them? Are you going to limit the volume level? Are you going to only allow them between pitches and stop them the moment the pitcher looks in for the sign?

When I moved from umpiring baseball to softball, dugout noise was something that took me some getting used to. I soon realized that it was extremely rare that the opposing coach would complain, so I don't bother at all. I certainly wouldn't invoke any kind of unsporting determination to put a stop to it.

thank you manny for the reasonable answer...and yes mdlonghorn it was a silly comparison with belittling intent and not informative at all and there is no need to worry about how i use the rule because i dont think i ever have although i know its there. i prefaced the question as being the devil's advocate, somewhat tongue in cheek...geez