Umpire not calling the game by the rules and no protests

[_MIA_]

Go to a game (14u and under) that your kid isn’t playing in and listen to the parents. It’s embarrassing..

 

[RADcatcher]

But, we are talking about how to get a higher quality of umpire at games.

The only way things become better quality is the person choosing to do it better!


Have been in softball for over 50 years. Have never not once seen an Umpire recruitment Booth set up at any softball event.

For all the rule book hound dogs that there are sitting in the bleachers imagine at least a small percentage might have shown interest in the position.

* that does not mean there hasn't been one out there I just have not seen one.

 

[Cougars]

In the end, none of the things that keep being argued back and forth matter very much. It doesn't matter if you are on 'Team Umps are Evil', or 'Team Umps are Saints'. Either way, there is an ump shortage, and IMO, the best chance for solving that is for parents and coaches to chill out. People try to become umps everyday, and within their first handful of games they have already had to deal with idiots screaming at them. It doesn't even matter if they got the call right or wrong. The inexperienced umps are driven away before they have a chance to become experienced.

My son had to eject the coach of a 9u baseball game last weekend. Came out of the dugout screaming. Followed my son on walk back to the plate, still screaming. Was ejected, still screaming. Assistant coaches dragging him off the field, still screaming. Went to TD, still screaming. For whatever it's worth, my son seemed to make the correct call, but that's irrelevant. There is no situation in any youth sports that the coaches reaction is justified (especially 9u), but yet we all see it every weekend.

 

[marriard]

4 hour HS games...lol. Come on man, less hyperbole will make more people listen to the message. If we're going to discuss things, let's be transparent on the facts.

Seriously...

Supposed to arrive an hour early
Games average about 2 hours.
15-20 min debrief post game
Various other non-paid things you are required to do; scheduling, contacting schools, partners, coaches and coordinating, etc.
Depending on where; various travel which I don't count unless it is significantly over an hour. You may or may not be paid some travel but if you do, it is at cost.

Also varsity HS pay in Florida is $79.

I use 3:30 as time commitment in my calcs of pay rate.

 

[RJK]

Have been in softball for over 50 years. Have never not once seen an Umpire recruitment Booth set up at any softball event.

Knowing how to get into umpiring would probably help recruit more quality umpires.

 

[Agcy]

If you only have first names on the line up, how do you prove the Suzy is actually not Ashley?

By the umpire accepting it with first names only, you're only further establishing my point that he was not a good umpire.

I think that is obvious...

 

[RJK]

I think that is obvious...

Crazier things have happened in softball...

 

[GunnerShotgun]

You work for the tournament and provide a service to the customers who are the kids and the parents who actually put up the money up so you can get paid. Be gratful that you're able to make money off a kid's sport.

The parents aren't paying the umpires directly and are not "customers" of the umpire. A poor way of looking at it and part of the problem...

 

[Agcy]

The only way things become better quality is the person choosing to do it better!


Have been in softball for over 50 years. Have never not once seen an Umpire recruitment Booth set up at any softball event.

For all the rule book hound dogs that there are sitting in the bleachers imagine at least a small percentage might have shown interest in the position.

* that does not mean there hasn't been one out there I just have not seen one.

You know, that is a good idea.

To their credit, the local USSSA is trying to do better.
- Holding umpires to a better dress code - kicking them off the diamond or giving them the right shirt/hat and taking it out of their paycheck (honestly, we probably don't want the guys that are in it just for the money...).
- Auditing umpires
- holding free training clinics
- offering a fast-path to veteran pay (specifically umpiring 20 games with quality veteran umpires which is a great idea)
- working on retention

On retention - <10% last more than 2 years!!!
#1 reason - parents/coaches
#2 reason - assignors not treating them well (and they are trying to do better with that)

 

[marriard]

The umpire was not following "proper procedure." Batting out of order occured twice, once they bat out of order and the 2nd time they had the wrong number and only first name on the lead off hitter so no way to match it on the last name on the back of her jersey. The other coach came out and had a private conversation that I could hear and he admitted that they batted out of order. The umpire still allowed it.

How did you handle it? You asked how you should have handled it - so if you didn't do the below, well, the umpire might be at fault for not being a good umpire, but you are also contributing.

• At the plate meeting, did you accept their incorrect lineup and not point it out to the umpire and insist t it get corrected before play?
• When you became aware of 'batting out of order' did you go out to discuss with the umpire. You should become aware of batting out of order when your scorer or someone on your staff/team points it out to you (smart coaches only go out to discuss when it is to their advantage). This is not a place for the umpire to police (especially at this level)
  • Do you know what happens when you don't bring it to the umpires attention? Here you go - next pitch legitimizes the batter and the order goes from that hitter forward as on the lineup. Did that happen? Do you know what happened?
• When it happened again did you go out to discuss. Again, batting out of order is on the offensive coach to alert the umpire.
• If you went out, did you, the umpire and likely the other coach discuss the order of batters while reviewing the line up, who should have been up, etc. Were scorebooks referenced? Was an agreement made on whether the right batter is or was up? No one leaves that discussion until there is.
• When you went out to discuss the 'look back rule violation' (not circle violation - there is no such thing), why did you walk away. Why are you not there, asking why there is no out and saying the lineup issue has no bearing on this?
• When he sent the runner back to 2nd, did you go out immediately and say "My understanding is that the penalty for a 'look back violation' is an out, not returning the runner to the base. Is that correct? If you disagree, can you check with your partner to make sure as I am certain this is the penalty". Why did you wait until between innings.
• Was there a second umpire? What were they doing? Were they involved. You can absolutely ask for them to confer to discuss a point of rule.
• You might not be able to 'protest' but there has to be someone in charge. Where are they in all this?

So there you go. How as a coach I would handle it. Calm, collected and insistent. At some point maybe you just decide it is just a bad umpire and you play on, but if you haven't done the above then it is also on you.

There was no screaming at the umpire.

You at least once walked off in a snit and accused him (probably quite correctly) of making rules up.