How do you handle an umpire who disregards certain rules?

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May 17, 2012
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Show me a coach that wouldn't try to call out an illegal pitch motion of an opposing team's #1 and I'll show you a liar.

Not sure what level or where you play at but this has not been my experience over the years. We have a the complete opposite approach as a coaching staff. We coach our team and let the other teams coaches coach theirs. The umpires decide what's legal and what's not.

I can promise you as a coach I am not analyzing the legality of the opposing teams pitcher. It's my experience that other high level coaches have the same mindset.
 
Oct 14, 2019
897
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The only time I have seen an opposing team complain is when a 12 year old pitcher was throwing 61 and eating their lunch so they argued that she was leaping to throw her off her game.
 
Aug 25, 2019
1,066
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I’ve never seen a coach complain about a pitcher not starting with their hands together. I have seen an umpire make the call. I’ve seen pitchers quick pitch but it had nothing to do with their hands not coming together. But that’s mainly up to the batter. If you step in the box be ready to hit. Just holding up your back hand doesn’t mean the ump has to grant you time.
If the batter is holding up her hand to me, that means she's not ready, so I'm standing up waiting for her to get ready, so I can get ready, then the pitcher gets ready to pitch, kind of goes in that order.
 
May 10, 2021
149
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If a rule is in place to prevent a certain something from happening, and the rule is being violated but that "certain something", in this case quick pitching, is NOT happening, is it really a rule violation? No one is being impacted negatively.


"The rules" state the the strike zone is from the armpit/chest/letters to the knee and nowadays nothing gets called up there so are you going to approach the umpire before the game to show him the strike zone in rule book? There are all sorts of rules that never get called so my line of thinking is this. If you spend your time worrying about them while you're coaching, you're thinking about the wrong stuff. Hence my original message to the OP. Worry about the controllable. Your girls. Stop wasting time worrying about the uncontrollable. The umpires.
The getting on the rubber separated and then hands coming together prevent the quick pitch.

I could not agree more about worrying about umpires.
 
Jul 19, 2021
630
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Absolutely. It is a clearly written rule. Why does it matter? Quick pitching for sure.

I called a similar situation in a HS varsity game last year in May. Actually was pitcher getting on the rubber with hands together. This is illegal in NFHS. Coach says its never called. At some point the pitcher needs to learn the correct mechanics; it may be in 12U, JV Varsity, 16U showcase whatever its illegal and will be called at some point. Calling IPs only helps the pitcher grow. They made a pitching change and lost the game. I had them again 2 weeks later and guess what? The same pitcher got on the rubber separated every time and was ready for postseason.

For the good of the game the rules need to be enforced.

My DD plays lower level B and IP's are rarely called. Go to a showcase and everything is called. We might as well teach them the correct way.
So you're saying as an umpire, you are always strictly by the book. If it is in there, call it. If it isn't in there, do not call it. That's your MO?
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Lol maybe the reason there's so many single umpire games is because it's hard to find two umpires that agree with each other...
🙈🙉🙊

🦃
 

inumpire

Observer, but has an opinion
Oct 31, 2014
277
43
Lol maybe the reason there's so many single umpire games is because it's hard to find two umpires that agree with each other...
🙈🙉🙊

🦃
I don’t believe that would be the issue. But reading comment on threads on DFP, I can see why there are a lot of one umpire games.
Fortunately in our area we very seldom have one umpire games.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
I don’t believe that would be the issue. But reading comment on threads on DFP, I can see why there are a lot of one umpire games.
Fortunately in our area we very seldom have one umpire games.
There's some good news in your area two umpire games are more common. Where is that? Even at Friendly's?
 

inumpire

Observer, but has an opinion
Oct 31, 2014
277
43
There's some good news in your area two umpire games are more common. Where is that? Even at Friendly's?
I am in the Southern Indiana area. And yes most of the Friendly’s use 2 umpires. There are a few that don’t.
We are blessed with a fairly large umpire pool in the area and we try to put as many to work as possible when the opportunity arise.
 
Dec 11, 2010
4,713
113
Simple. Tell them to only concern themselves with the controllable. Themselves. Then ask them what they could they have done to make the outcome different. Hit better. Field better. Run bases better. Throw better. Lets work on these things at the next practice. End of subject. Dwelling on the uncontrollable builds a player looking for excuses instead of looking at themselves.
I agree.

Coaches who build the aura that the only reason the team lost was a call or the umpires really do their team and players long term disservice.

My only input is not to “ask” the players what they can do better, “tell” them. “We are going to work on x at practice. We could have done that better and we will next time.” Etc etc

The worst coach either dd ever had couldn’t manage to speak to the team without there being a $*$&#)$ riddle in every sentence. He wasn’t always wrong but the players universally despised the presentation.
 

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