Game Manager or Rules Guru?

[Andy]

I'm having an ongoing discussion with a colleague and I wanted to get the opinions of the board....

What is more important, game management skills or a thorough and complete knowledge of the rules?

I know that both are important for successful umpires, but if you had to pick one at the expense of the other, which one?

[UmpireErnie]

OK I'll play..

While I don't want to downplay rules knowledge at all.. all the rule knowledge in the world will not help you if you can't run a smooth ballgame.

With game management I am lumping in good mechanics as well. If you look the part, can handle dealing with players and coaches it a positive and professional manner and can be at the right place at the right time you have a pretty darn good chance of having a good ballgame even if you f-up some rule interp along the way.

[ASA Ump MN]

Originally Posted by UmpireErnie

OK I'll play..

While I don't want to downplay rules knowledge at all.. all the rule knowledge in the world will not help you if you can't run a smooth ballgame.

With game management I am lumping in good mechanics as well. If you look the part, can handle dealing with players and coaches it a positive and professional manner and can be at the right place at the right time you have a pretty darn good chance of having a good ballgame even if you f-up some rule interp along the way.

I'd have to agree with Ernie....If you had to actually pick between the 2.

Kind of like a good salesmen that knows his product isn't the greatest but can make it work and close the deal for the most part.

[MD Longhorn]

I'd rather have a guy that's an 8 out of 10 at both, than one that's a 10 on one and a 6 on the other.

You've said that all the rules knowledge in the world won't get you by if your game management or mechanics are bad. Absolutely true.

But all the mechanics and game management in the world won't get you by if your rules are bad either.

[UmpireErnie]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

I'd rather have a guy that's an 8 out of 10 at both, than one that's a 10 on one and a 6 on the other.

You've said that all the rules knowledge in the world won't get you by if your game management or mechanics are bad. Absolutely true.

But all the mechanics and game management in the world won't get you by if your rules are bad either.

Well, of course! But Andy wanted us to choose one or the other..

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Andy

I'm having an ongoing discussion with a colleague and I wanted to get the opinions of the board....

What is more important, game management skills or a thorough and complete knowledge of the rules?

I know that both are important for successful umpires, but if you had to pick one at the expense of the other, which one?

I believe they are complementary. Knowing the rules, mechanics, the appropriate interpretation and application and it will lead to good game management.

There are thousands of GAGAs that can manage a game. They make rules up as they go along, often simply to appease whoever is in his/her face at the time, but couldn't umpire a lick if placed in a high level game with loads of stress.

Ever have a game with one of those umpires? You know, the super league umpire that all the teams love and seems like such a nice guy. All of a sudden, they get that big game outside of their comfort zone and freezes when the pressure of the big game is laid at his/her feet? I've known umpires who are superstars in the local HS world, but wouldn't dare accept the challenge of moving on to bigger and better level of the game.

I also find that when an umpire sticks with the mechanics and rules they are more likely to get the support of their own crew than if they go off the grid. Umpires that start getting goofy on the field have a tendency to find themselves on an island as often the partners will not tie up to a sinking ship.

Manage the game with the rules and mechanics and everything will be fine.

[tcannizzo]

You can't have one without the other. (Frank Sinatra)

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by tcannizzo

You can't have one without the other. (Frank Sinatra)

You are comparing rule knowledge and game management to love and marriage?

Oh boy!

[UmpireErnie]

Alright now.. Andy asked for one or the other.

Safe or out? Ball or strike? Rule knowledge or game management?


Had a partner early this season.. had a few year experience elsewhere but been out of the game for a couple of years. His mechanics and game management were pretty good but he had to come to me after calling and INT on runner from 3B who bumped F5 going for a foul fly ball coming down by the 3B coaches box. He was correct in calling it INT but could not remember what we did with the batter in that instance.

It was a HS game so the batter gets a foul ball and remains at bat, R on 3B is out.

My feeling was that his skills in running the game far outweighed the fact that he was unsure about this difference between ASA and NFHS.

Having said that, I am totally not trying to say that rules knowledge is unimportant. Of course I want a partner with both!

I guess in answering Andy's question I was thinking of people who are newer to umpiring. If you don't learn quickly how to actually work the game, knowing the finer details of the rules won't save you.

[topper]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

I believe they are complementary. Knowing the rules, mechanics, the appropriate interpretation and application and it will lead to good game management.

^This^

I'll take a rules guy most of the time over a rules challenged "game manager". Our job is to keep the playing field level by virtue of the rules. Some "game managers " may get you into trouble using something other than the rules to "manage" the game.

Of course there are those rules guys who can't get out of their own way on the field. Good candidates for rules interpreters and UICs IMO.

[KJUmp]

As Irish said......
"......they are complimentary, knowing the rules, mechanics, the appropriate interpretation will lead to good game management."

As tcanizzo (and Sinatra) said......
"You can't have one without the other."

As Merle Butler said (in a 2004 magazine article*)......
"Game management covers the umpire's attitude, field presence, professionalism, communications, credibility, game awareness, fitness, team officiating, and common sense. Many will overlap and all are tied together."

And these GAGA guys have (IMO) no true game management skills. They utilize this GAGA style of umpiring to manage themselves through the game so they can hopefully avoid having to actually properly manage or deal with a difficult game situation. Things get 'sticky' on the field, these guys spit the bit every time. We all know them, we've all worked with them.
GAGA does not does not equate to good game management.

(*May-Aug. 2004 edition of World Softball Magazine)

[LIUmp]

KJ,

Give me a call when you get a chance....lots to catch up on and would love to once again set up an arrangement to come up to umpire by you. I got an email today from EC.

[tcannizzo]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

You are comparing rule knowledge and game management to love and marriage?

Oh boy!

But then we have some who "Did it Myyyyy Waaaaay".

[topper]

Who's Merle Butler?

[HugoTafurst]

Originally Posted by tcannizzo

but then we have some who "did it myyyyy waaaaay".

+1

:d:d