Fair-Foul Question and other questions

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Given the number of incredibly bizarre things that seem to happen in your games... this stuns me.

I have definitely seen coaches both TRY to change their mind ... and succeed in changing their minds.

The most dramatic "try" to change their mind I can recall. About 165 years ago. Home Coach, who is leading, tells one of my umpires #10 for #4 as they are switching sides for them to bat. This was a semi-final of a tourney. Coach only has 10 players, and this is likely the final inning (apparently) due to time limit. #4 was due up 4th.

#1 out. #2 out. #3 hits a triple... tries to stretch it into a run - gets caught in a run-down and twists her ankle getting out. She can't continue, but all this happened so quickly that the game did not, in fact, end.

Coach tries to "unsubstitute" 4 back in for 10 so 10 can replace the injured #3. Sorry coach. You don't have 9? You forfeit. He got ejected before his assistant protested, to no avail. Other team to the final.

(And yes... after the tourney around the post-tourney umpire meal he gets told by almost everyone he should not have accepted that sub at that time.)

IMO, "almost everyone" at the table was wrong. It was a legitimate change that was initiated by the coach. Let me say that again, INITIATED BY THE COACH. No one did anything wrong, not even the coach. The only questionable act was that the coach didn't have the foresight to hedge his bets to protect his team. Not smart, maybe, but certainly not illegal or inappropriate.

And it is not the umpires position to protect the coach from him/herself. You want to exercise some preventive umpiring and recognize the potential issue? Fine, remind the coach that he is exhausting his/her bench and if s/he gives you the change, take it, record it, announce it and move on with the game.