Home Plate umpired calls forfeit and overruled by 1st base ump

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Had a situation today where the home plate umpire in 3-3 game called a forfeit on the other team. Told our girls games over, line up. 1st base umpire than decides that a fairer penalty is for coach to be ejected and for game to restart? ASA Tournament. Lost in Tiebreaker 5-4. Protested to tournament director before first pitch of next elimination game. Tournament director ruled that because protest not filed at restart of game invalid. As added insult to injury ejected Coach goes out behind Centerfield fence and cell phones in instructions to his coaches, observed pointed out and ignored by umpires.

 

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which tourney and what age group

 

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That's really funny. Sorry, it just is.

 

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14u Reach For the Starzz

 

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14u Reach For the Starzz

Sorry, but that doesn't surprise me one iota!

 

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Where to start, where to start....

- Why was a forfeit called in the first place? There are only a handful of legitimate reasons where the umpire is allowed to declare a forfeit. What happened?

- Once the forfeit was declared, one umpire has no real grounds to reverse or overturn a ruling made by the other. That is a basic concept of umpiring, it's in the rule book and it's in all umpire training materials.

- Base umpire decides to restart the game? There is no provision in the rules to restart a game already declared a forfeit.

- A protest must be filed before the next pitch of the game you're playing or, if this happened on the last play of the game, before the umpires leave the field. Before the first pitch of the next game is too late.

- Use of electronic communication devices by coaches is illegal and so is communication with an ejected participant. The penalty is a warning, then an ejection, and then a forfeit if this action continues.

It sounds like the umpires completely lost control of this game and ignored several basic concepts and guidelines of umpiring along the way. I don't even know where to start, other than to say...don't do that!

 

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Sorry, but that doesn't surprise me one iota!

What doesnt surprise you?

 

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14u Reach For the Starzz

Me either!

 

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Reason for forfeit. Coach was yelling and screaming at Home Base Ump and not getting his team ready. Home Plate umpire was allowing our team to pitch strikes because he would not put batter in box.

 

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Where to start, where to start....

- Why was a forfeit called in the first place? There are only a handful of legitimate reasons where the umpire is allowed to declare a forfeit. What happened?

- Once the forfeit was declared, one umpire has no real grounds to reverse or overturn a ruling made by the other. That is a basic concept of umpiring, it's in the rule book and it's in all umpire training materials.

- Base umpire decides to restart the game? There is no provision in the rules to restart a game already declared a forfeit.

- A protest must be filed before the next pitch of the game you're playing or, if this happened on the last play of the game, before the umpires leave the field. Before the first pitch of the next game is too late.

- Use of electronic communication devices by coaches is illegal and so is communication with an ejected participant. The penalty is a warning, then an ejection, and then a forfeit if this action continues.

It sounds like the umpires completely lost control of this game and ignored several basic concepts and guidelines of umpiring along the way. I don't even know where to start, other than to say...don't do that!

I do have one question on the electronics thing. Not with the ejected coach in this situation but the way I read the rule is that electronics are not banned unless on field of play. So could someone be talking to coaches not in field of play as the rule presently reads.

 

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Like the coach talking on his phone to a parent in the stands who relays the message to the Asst Coach? Interesting point.

 

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The ban on "communication devices" extends to the entire confines of the playing field, which includes dugouts, and isn't limited to just live ball areas, coaches boxes or fair or foul ground.

The rules also state that an ejected participant can have NO contact with participants in the game. If it's obvious that the ejected coach is communicating to his assistants, even if through a third party spectator, I'm not allowing it.

On the reason for the forfeit in the first place, a team refusing to take the field when directed by the umpire is a legitimate reason to end the game. But that usually applies when a team refuses to take their defensive positions on the field.

If the coach won't leave the field and continues to agrue, eject him. If he refuses to leave after being ejected, then let his replacement know that the next step is a forfeit. That usually takes care of the problem.

If a batter refuses to take her spot in the batter's box when told to do so, there's no need for the pitcher to pitch. The umpire can start calling penalty strikes for delaying the game. No pitch need be thrown. It only takes about three of those before they realize you're serious about getting a batter in the box!

A forfeit should always be a last resort. The umpire should use every tool available to him to remedy the situation before a forfeit is necessary. Still, after one is declared it can't be "un-declared".

 

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I was in Kettering at the Gene Harvey Tournament. They had the best rule... If a fan gets ejected.. the manager goes too.

Talk about a quiet crowd ..... lol

Great tournament by the way. I had so much fun there between working there and going back to Harrison to do two games at the end of the night. Then returning to Dayton on Sunday.

Bob Dean ran a wonderful tournament. Fields were relined every single games by a crew of young men who worked hard the whole event.

To me, the work of the grounds crew is most important and sometimes thanks are not given to the for their hard work. Of course, I thanked them. Made my job so much easier and they traveled around the park.. when they were not busy ... keeping the umpires hydrated with water, etc...

As for the batter not taking the box... it's strike one, strike two, strike three. One out.
Yell "batter up" then repeat the process. Two. Repeat again for the third out.

When team does not take the field for defense.... Forfeit is now declared.

 

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I had a manager send a coach behind the fence at home plate to watch another umpire's strike zone.

That's a two-fer ... Eject the coach and the manager.

 

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Jeez...

It's a game folks. Abide by the rules and drop the drama.

 

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I had a manager send a coach behind the fence at home plate to watch another umpire's strike zone.

That's a two-fer ... Eject the coach and the manager.

doesn't everyone do this?:lmao:

 

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No, ejected Manager in Centerfield talking to coach directly.

 

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Jeez...

It's a game folks. Abide by the rules and drop the drama.

It's a KIDS game. These win at all costs adult coaches must have it in their minds that it's about them and the kids are just their pawns or equipment to get their next fix (win).

 

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Amazingly enough Front page of Akron Beacon Journal Wednesday July 1st 2009. Online version here http://www.ohio.com/sports/49669642.html talks about head coach texting! message to his base coaches while they are on the fields with signs, etc.

What's next instant replay of close plays with different camera phone angles from one side and the other.

It's really time to go back to wooden bats and stop the madness!

 

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I have to ask what to teams were playing by that i will know who it is
I got one just as good at the Starzz tourny ump sees a coach wont say
who starts talking to that coach and says to that coach i have them next
i will take care of them for you after i hear that i think what the h@*# is
he talking about.