eatsleepfastpitch said:
I saw WAY MORE "running down" and "plowing" of infielders in rec ball this past summer, than travel ball. ?
Same here.
Rec leagues will generally have the combination of less experienced players, coaches and umpires. All of which can lead to rules being broken just because the participants are unfamiliar with the ?proper rules and playing techniques.
So who is at fault here?
Are coaches teaching their players to illegally block the bases and steamroll the opponents?
Are players being taught the proper techniques, then ignoring them and taking matters into their own hands?
Maybe it's the umpires. They get the blame for everything else! ?
While the umpires can go a long way toward preventing an escalation of hostilities, their role is largely a reactive one. There really isn't anything they can do until after the fact- after the violation has already been committed.
I would liken the umpire's role to that of a traffic cop sitting along a strectch of highway. Their presence might disuade someone from speeding, but there is nothing they can do to a driver until the driver actually violates the law.
The driver is in control of his vehicle and if he speeds it is his own fault. A player is in control of her own body and actions. If she illegally crashes into a fielder or blocks the base, who's fault is that?
All the umpire can do is sort out the aftermath of the collision. If he enforces the rules properly, further crashes might be avoided, just because the penaltys can outweigh the benefits for the teams. But even then, if a player is dead set on violating a rule, there's not much the umpire can do until the point where the violation actually takes place.
The umpires can only watch for it and call it when it happens.
The coaches can teach their players the proper rules and techniques before they ever step on the field.
The players ultimately control their own actions during the course of the game.
