Time out in between innings
 

Between innings:
Pitcher & cather warming up. Rest of team is conferencing with coach in front of dugout. 5 pitches/1 minute are done.

Blue: "Coach, take the field please!"

Coach: "Nope! Give me time out."

Blue: "Ok! Time out!"

1. Is the "enter the playing field" considered between the lines or just outside the dugout?
2. I'm assuming this to be a "charged" defensive conference assuming that "the playing field" is outside the dugout.
3. A minute goes by and coach isn't done yet. Do we tell coach he's to take the field or another charged conference will be the result?

A game came close to this the other day with someone else and it brought these questions up.

Thanks

Corrected that for you. You might want to remind the coach that when a team refuses to participate, the penalty is a forfeit.

Why wouldn't we just go ahead and charge a defensive conference here? That's one less than the coach would have for the game. It's really no difference if the defense had taken the field, and then before the first pitch of the inning, the coach comes out of the dugout and requests Time to confer. Or the coach stands next to the circle while the pitcher delivers her five warm-ups, and then wants to talk to the defense when you're ready to start the inning.

I can understand not allowing the conference if the coach has already used up his/her three allotted conferences (ASA, NFHS) earlier in the game. But if he/she still has conferences available, is he/she not allowed to request one right after the one-minute warm-up?

That is probably what I would have done as well. I don't see why it would be a problem.

I am solidly in the "it depends" court. Time limit game and my clock is running, unless I see this as an obvious effort to play the clock as a strategic advantage, and unless this coach has been consistently trying to manage the game for me, and unless this coach has consistently been a pain in my .............

Well, you get the picture. Not creating a management issue over this when he knows he's accepting a price for his delay, but if I already have a management issue, then the chips fall where they fall.

If not done when the "conference" should be over, then the same as any other case where a conference extends beyond what you consider appropriate. You have options; use them as necessary.

Well, I have a problem with the perceived arrogance. It wasn't, "can you give me a second, Blue, I'll wrap this up real quick" It was "Nope!" To me, this may be an indication this coach intends to attempt to control the game. Some of us may have run into this type of coach before. I can tell you I did at a Men's Major NC in Lawton, OK once. He informed me how I was going to umpire the game. Yeah, that went over well. :)

Yes, Steve is correct, it depends on the situation and there is no single fix for every situation. The coach knows the game is supposed to start especially if s/he already has had the battery on the field and having completed their warm-up. You have to ask yourself if you are prepared to do this every inning? Are you prepared to what it may come to later in the game if/when it becomes a problem?

Just because there may not be a time limit doesn't mean there are not others who will be affected by unnecessary delays of their games. Spent too many years of league and tournament directors, local, regional and national UICs telling me to get the game started on time.

Unless a bus was late or a last minute schedule change, there is absolutely no excuse for a team to not be ready to take the field prior to game time which is first pitch, not the pre-game meeting.

Thanks guys! Interestingly enough, I believed the coach was attempting to enforce his authority here. His last batter was called out on a check swing strike he didn't agree with and there was a discussion about it...albeit a short one.

I'm glad to see that "It depends." was an answer and there are guys who would take a stand on this behavior in a subtle fashion.

If it would have been me, it would have been a charged time out and another if he even went past the 1 minute mark in his first timeout.

I didn't watch the whole game so I don't know if this was a charged time out or not...or for that matter, even if this was his first time out.

Thanks again.

So, now a different picture drawn.

At the end of the one minute between innings, say "Play". Twenty seconds later, "Ball one", followed by (less than twenty seconds later, unless they are hustling into position) "Ball two".

He doesn't get to discuss a check swing strike; that is arguing balls and strikes. Nor does he get to show his disagreement by attempting to exert his authority; he has none over the pace of the game.

I hope you wouldn't use this phrase. He gets all the time outs he wants. He is, however, limited in his number of defensive (or offensive) conferences.

And I hope you would let him know if he's about to go into your 2nd conference.

This guy doesn't get any rope... but surely, "Coach, your conference is up - do you need a 2nd charged conference right now?" is in order.

Obviously, I would be nice if I would learn to finish my thoughts before hitting "Submit Reply". Sort of took a left turn away from "Between innings" and jumped back to the start of the game. This is where I have seen this in the past which IMO is just as bad as pulling this in the middle of the game.

Lawton, OK. Ugh. My former life as a Field Artillery Officer had me living in Lawton while being assigned to Fort Sill. Not the best times of my life.

Yes, I agree if there were extenuating circumstances that the coach wouldn't get as much rope. I just thought from your initial post that a coach could not conduct a conference right after between-inning warmups. My bad.