How to address an incorrect umpire

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

What if the umpire thinks it's a judgement call but it's really a rule misinterpretation?

Accept the protest and let the protest handling process do its job. That's why there is a process.

The notion that the umpire can refuse a protest is akin to letting a defendant determine if he's guilty or not.

The protest process is the place to determine the validity. It's their job.

We don't always agree, but this is EXACTLY what I teach at clinics.

I always pose a pure judgment scenario and then ask what happens if a coach/manager protests. Invariably, someone will say, "They can't protest that."

My response: Sure they can. They can protest anything, including the color of the sky. It's your job to note the protest and, if it's a tournament that requires immediate handling of the protest, to notify the person responsible for moving it along. What's not appropriate is deciding that the coach can't protest.

I also think protest fees are idiotic. Mainly because I've seen protest committees "get it wrong" too. Why should I be out $50 because some random people hearing a protest don't know the rules as well as I do?