How do you handle an umpire who disregards certain rules?

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May 12, 2021
27
3
Just wanted to get some thoughts on how you handle a situation. I approached an umpire (it was a 1 umpire elimination game) pre-game about an opponent pitcher (14u). He wasn't sure about my explanation, so I respectfully asked if I could show him the rule. He agreed to look at it and then agreed she was pitching illegally. Then told me he wasn't going to call it. So I said ok, fair enough, and didn't bring it up the rest of the game. My issue was more with how it "seemed" the rest of the game went. There were several close plays and 2 obvious plays where we didn't get the calls. How, as a coach, do you handle the message to your team of girls that are obviously frustrated with the unequal treatment? It was a very close semi-final game that we lost in the last inning.

Just for reference - I congratulated the opposing players, told them good luck, and at our post-game team meeting told my players that they played hard and sometimes we get calls and sometimes we don't.
 
Dec 15, 2018
809
93
CT
As an umpire, and as you describe it, that's not a conversation (in subject or execution) I'm having with a coach before a game. Seriously, going over a rule book on the field? About an opposing (warming up?) pitcher? And then acknowledging it, and declaring you will/won't call something? Bizzaro.

As for the rest of it, not sure how you are connecting that pre-game conversation to the in-game calls.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
it was a 1 umpire elimination game

Dang it, can we not get both of them?

TD is your recourse. I heard DD was bitching about ump on social media so I joined Facebook to see what she posted, it turned out harmless. She better not be bitching too much about ump.

Life is not fair sometimes, move on.
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
If you have an issue over misapplication of the rules; there is a protest procedure. Use it if you feel it is worth your time .

As an umpire, it is their mistake to have that conversation with you before the game. Don't do that (and try not to put them in that position).

As for 'unfair' or 'unequal' treatment, that is 99.999% perception over reality. The rarity of intentional unequal treatment is literally that high. If you truly think they are intentionally doing it - and remember they are probably not - then you engage the TD or UIC. That isn't to say they aren't human and don't have unconscious biases - but intentional is so, so rare.

As for how you handle it with your teams, you say "A couple of close decisions didn't go our way, we have to figure it out" [Note: Not BAD calls].

And lastly - stop playing tournaments or games where there is only 1 umpire. 1 umpire makes ALL calls in the field harder no matter what they are.
 
Feb 6, 2020
100
28
Just wanted to get some thoughts on how you handle a situation. I approached an umpire (it was a 1 umpire elimination game) pre-game about an opponent pitcher (14u). He wasn't sure about my explanation, so I respectfully asked if I could show him the rule. He agreed to look at it and then agreed she was pitching illegally. Then told me he wasn't going to call it. So I said ok, fair enough, and didn't bring it up the rest of the game. My issue was more with how it "seemed" the rest of the game went. There were several close plays and 2 obvious plays where we didn't get the calls. How, as a coach, do you handle the message to your team of girls that are obviously frustrated with the unequal treatment? It was a very close semi-final game that we lost in the last inning.

Just for reference - I congratulated the opposing players, told them good luck, and at our post-game team meeting told my players that they played hard and sometimes we get calls and sometimes we don't.
Out of curiosity, what was the pitcher doing that was illegal?
 
May 12, 2021
27
3
She was violating 6a E per USA. I typically do not dwell on what the umpire does or doesn't call as I tell my girls not to leave it up to the umpire and try to be very mindful of how I react. In the end, the pitching was a moot point as we hit very well. Once he said he wouldn't call it, we all moved on. I don't think calls went against us intentionally but in a tight, emotionally charged (my favorite) game, it's hard, at the time, not to see it that way. Always looking to improve as a coach and just getting some others' inputs on how they react. Sometimes the girls seeing you fight for them is good, sometimes it's bad.
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
She was violating 6a E per USA. I typically do not dwell on what the umpire does or doesn't call as I tell my girls not to leave it up to the umpire and try to be very mindful of how I react. In the end, the pitching was a moot point as we hit very well. Once he said he wouldn't call it, we all moved on. I don't think calls went against us intentionally but in a tight, emotionally charged (my favorite) game, it's hard, at the time, not to see it that way. Always looking to improve as a coach and just getting some others' inputs on how they react. Sometimes the girls seeing you fight for them is good, sometimes it's bad.
I’m sure many people don’t have all the code numbers correctly memorized. What exactly does 6a E say in the USA rules?
 
May 12, 2021
27
3
I’m sure many people don’t have all the code numbers correctly memorized. What exactly does 6a E say in the USA rules?

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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Aug 25, 2019
1,066
113
She was violating 6a E per USA. I typically do not dwell on what the umpire does or doesn't call as I tell my girls not to leave it up to the umpire and try to be very mindful of how I react. In the end, the pitching was a moot point as we hit very well. Once he said he wouldn't call it, we all moved on. I don't think calls went against us intentionally but in a tight, emotionally charged (my favorite) game, it's hard, at the time, not to see it that way. Always looking to improve as a coach and just getting some others' inputs on how they react. Sometimes the girls seeing you fight for them is good, sometimes it's bad.
One way to improve as a coach......Never say again to your team that you got bad calls that's why you lost.....Yes, there will be bad calls now, there will be bad calls in high school there will be bad calls in college. Never use that as an excuse for a loss, because the reason you lost is not because of an umpire call, it's because you didn't hit with runners on base, you made an error that allowed a run or two, your pitcher gave up ten runs, that's why you lost, not because of a bad call or two.
 

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