Catcher Runner Stalemate
 

U10, decent teams, runner on 3rd goes about 20 feet towards home on the pitch, catcher receives the pitch, looks toward 3rd, then stands there with her arm cocked, ready to throw to 3rd or back to the pitcher ... runner dances ... catcher fakes a throw ... etc., etc. etc. ... catcher eventually returns the ball to the pitcher in the circle and the runner returns to 3rd. Only once did the catcher throw to 3rd & the runner scampered back easily. After this happened 2 or 3 times, I was real tempted to call time after 10 seconds or so and say "Let's get on with it" or something similar. I guess my question is how long would you let these cat & mouse shenanigans go on?

If the game has a time limit, they can spend the time however they want! :D

What you've just described is not the way "decent teams" at the 10U level should be playing...

But that said, there's really nothing we can do - of course ... if you have something in your eye and action seems stopped... :)

Call time. It IS your prerogative to do so.

It is bush-league coaching and allowing it to continue helps neither team or the game.

I agree, but at the same time do we have a sportsmanship issue.

For example, an event I was asked to work last weekend (I had to decline, due to umpiring elsewhere), had a drop dead time limit (game ends at that point, score reverts to last completed inning).

If Team A is up 1 run, and team B has the runner on third, would it not benefit Team A to stall, by continually playing this game of chicken. Three or four pitches of 10 seconds each "chicken" and now were could be running into a time issue. Team B's runner is not obligated to go back and is likely off the base in an attempt to draw a throw and possibly come home to score the tying run.

I think this is a situation where we need to know the level of teams playing and if possible the intent. If we as umpires know the team is trying to stall the game, do we have the responsibility to stop that stalling and create a fair playing field for both teams.

It's a tricky area, but it's similar to an intentional foul in basketball. We can give the benefit of doubt to the player committing the foul under normal circumstances, but if they come out and tell us, I'm going to foul #13 as soon as the ball comes in, we know this is intentional and now it needs to be handled different. If we know a team is intentionally trying to stall it can be a sportsmanship issue. If there is any doubt, we can't make a call on it. (Sadly, I'm sure some coaches will yell out of the dugout, "don't throw it back right away, we need to kill time" ).

Totally different circumstances, and an easy fix.

No, it is not tricky, at all. Umpire the damn game, control the pace and just kill the ball when there isn't an obvious play. If a coach wants to debate it, sit him/her down. If s/he continues, get rid of him/her, s/he is not helping the team or the game. IOW, they (for you Tom) are not doing their job as the coach.

It isn't hard, SP umpires have been doing this WITHOUT INCIDENT for decades.