LL world series
 

Have watched 25 minutes of the younger age group (NJ and Virginia) playing and have already seen 2 umpires get run into by players trying to field balls. One on the left field line, the other on the right field line.

Watch PGF/ premier, and that will all go away. Those are NCAA umpires in 3 and 4 man crews working those PGF games.


ESPNU
Sunday 08/11/13 10:00 AM PST 18 Premier National Championship

Comcast SportsNet Chicago
Sat 08/03/13 4:00 PM 2.50 (SFB) PGF 14U National Championship (7/27)*
Sat 08/03/13 7:00 PM 2.50 (SFB) PGF 16UNational Championship (D7/27)*
Sat 08/03/13 12:30 AM 2.50 (SFB) PGF 14U National Championship (7/27) (R)*
Sat 08/10/13 2:30 PM 2.50 (SFB) PGF 16U National Championship (D7/27) (R)*
Sat 08/10/13 7:00 PM 2.50 (SFB) PGF 12U National Championship (D8/3)*
Sat 08/10/13 12:30 AM 2.50 (SFB) PGF 12U National Championship (D8/3) (R)*
Thu 08/15/13 12:30 PM 2.50 (SFB) PGF 14U National Championship (7/27) (R)*
Thu 08/15/13 3:00 PM 2.50 (SFB) PGF 12U National Championship (D8/3) (R)

FOX Sports
Sat, 08/10/2013 11:00 AM 14U National Championship FSPT
Sat, 08/10/2013 01:15 PM 16U National Championship FSPT
Sun, 08/11/2013 11:30 AM 16U National Championship FSPT
Mon, 08/12/2013 10:00 AM 14U National Championship FSPT
Mon, 08/12/2013 03:00 PM 16U National Championship FSPT
Tue, 08/13/2013 10:00 AM 16U National Championship FSPT
Fri, 08/16/2013 10:00 AM 14U National Championship FSPT
Sat, 08/17/2013 12:00 PM 12U National Championship FSPT
Mon, 08/19/2013 03:00 PM 14U National Championship FSPT
Mon, 08/19/2013 05:15 PM 16U National Championship FSPT
Tue, 08/20/2013 10:00 AM 12U National Championship FSPT
Thu, 08/22/2013 10:00 AM 16U National Championship FSPT
Fri, 08/23/2013 10:00 AM 12U National Championship FSPT
Sat, 08/24/2013 12:00 PM 12U National Championship FSPT
Sun, 08/25/2013 11:00 AM 16U National Championship FSPT

CSN Houston*
14U – 8/10 1:30 PM CT
16U – 8/15 11:00 AM CT
12U – 8/31 1:30 PM CT

[email protected]
18281 Gothard St. #112 | Huntington Beach, CA 92648 US

Did you see the bad call at 3b? How can you be that far out of position when in a 6 man?

Yes just saw it. Looked almost like he was actually behind the base coach and was directly behind the tag. No way he even knew if the runner had actually been tagged or when.

He was way out of position. It's not the first time I've seen a LLWS umpire at third base get caught directly in line with the runner, being screened by F5.

I believe LL teaches U1 and U3 to drift down the line in foul territory when the ball is batted into the outfield, and then move toward the line for a play at their bases. It looks like this guy just didn't drift far enough.

Six umpires on that field is overkill if not simply nutty. I thought it looked really lame when they all congregated to discuss a foul/fair call.

If you're talking about the foul/fair ball that was off of F5's glove, the 1BL field umpire walked up late and the look on his face seemed to say "do I really need to be here"? ESPN kept trying to show shots that could help determine the call but they were all at the wrong angle. I don't know why the 3B umpire was so far off of the line.

No disagreement there. For some reason, W-port and its regions feel that they have to emulate the big boys in MLB. Fine; do that for the 90' games. But no way is it necessary for the 60' and 70' fields.

At the 18U Gold, we went with three-man, even for the final. The same was true in our state high school championships, where I was U1 in a three-man crew for the AAA state semifinal. We did use four-man in past high school tournaments, but I guess the powers-that-be felt that three umpires could adequately handle it. I cannot recall the last time I saw a four-man crew for softball games.

I'm thinking 6 man crews are used to let more deserving volunteers get on the field.

My thoughts exactly.

I know that's the way it's done on the baseball side. I also think that's why they instituted the replay appeal on the baseball side because some the officials had know idea of what they were supposed to be doing. JMO

Perhaps.

But what's more important, having the right number of umpires on the field that can cover every contingency while not clogging up the field? Or turning these crucial games into a reward system for those deserving volunteers that could very easily and negatively impact the game?

I'm not convinced that a base umpire can't chase fly balls in their areas of responsibility when the fence is 200' to 225' away on the small diamond. All three base umpires start at least 70' away from home plate. It's not like they have to make judgment calls on fair/foul, catch/no catch, etc., that are 250' or more away from them.

The fact that these dedicated volunteers are even at the regional tournaments and world series is a tribute to their work. If the standard was four-man for all games, they would all get equal opportunities, for the most part. Let the best four do the championship. Putting six of them on the field for every game does more harm than good.

I work a HS SB tournament every year that uses four umpires for the final game.

Four umpires is overkill in FP SB....

The PGF/Premier should all be 4-man games except for 12u is 3-man.

PA high school uses four umpires for the games leading up to and including the state championship.

I take it you didn't watch the World Cup of Softball :D