Umpire accountability - use of profanity on the field

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What accountability (if any) is there for an umpire using profanity towards a coach during a game? In a varsity contest last night, a coach argued a non-call (runner outside the running lane) that would have been the third out. Later that inning, the only two runs of the game scored. Coach argued his case between innings and took a couple of steps back toward the dugout. Umpire very plainly and very clearly said "You need to shut your g*dd*mn mouth". Coach says "Shut up and don't use language like that in front of my kids". Umpire then tossed him from the game. Coach has to sit two games and pay a $100 fine. Is there any accountability for the umpire saying what he did?

 

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There will be a review and accountability by the coach and the umpire. If it played out the way you say, I doubt the coach misses any games.

The running lane was supposed to be an area of emphasis this year. We are marking it on the fields and I have yet to see an umpire call anything. Maybe they forgot to tell the umpires that they were emphasizing the running lane rule?

JMO

 

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What about a player who uses profanity? Or perhaps has some threatening things to say about an opposing team?

 

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Any umpire ejecting a participant is required by OHSAA guidelines to file a report with the school and OHSAA (and, in some associations, with their local umpire assigner). Not surprisingly, some of the "less diligent" umpires will conveniently "forget" to do this. It's also no big surprise if an umpire does file one, then omits the part about his own actions leading up to the ejection.

Your school administrator (not the coach) should take a proactive approach and contact the umpire's assigner at the soonest possible time. The OHSAA does not condone or endorse it's umpires cursing at game participants. While there is no set fine or punishment by the state, the local umpire association can take action by issuing it's own fine or removing the umpire from future games.

Running lane violations were a point of emphasis in the pre-season for OHSAA. Personally, I haven't called one yet this year because I haven't seen one.

What if a player uses profanity or threatens the opposition? Then the player may be warned or ejected from the game, depending on the severity.

 

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Tough way to lose a game backstop09. I read the front page of the sports section. Blues comments about " he has to much other things to watch" is just as bad . That is his job on that play.

 

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Bretman: At your ASA meetings did they go over that part.. as they did in Massillion and the word for ASA was that the last step was the only requirement for the running lane. Obviously, if you got hit going down the line left of or staddling it.. you are out... but the only requirement for the runner was the very last step.

 

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I've seen an umpire call this in a tight 0-0 game. This was the same umpire that benched a pitcher without warning for supposedly erasing a line at the back of the pitching circle. He took all the points of emphasis to heart. So they are out there.

There will be a review and accountability by the coach and the umpire. If it played out the way you say, I doubt the coach misses any games.

The running lane was supposed to be an area of emphasis this year. We are marking it on the fields and I have yet to see an umpire call anything. Maybe they forgot to tell the umpires that they were emphasizing the running lane rule?

JMO

 

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ASA and high school/NFHS have two completely different interpretations for being out of the three-foot running- even though the actual rule reads pretty much the same for both.

First thing to remember for both of them- simply running out of the lane, in itself, is not illegal. Running out of the land AND interfering with the throw/fielder is illegal. In other words, there's no rule that says a batter-runner MUST be in the running lane. It's not a violation until she's out of the lane and actually interferes with the play. If she's out of the lane, but doesn't interfere, there is no violation or penalty.

High school softball interprets "being out of the lane" as when the batter-runner has at least one foot entirely on the ground outside the lane. Touching the lines is considered to be "in the lane".

ASA is different. For ASA, a batter-runner could have both feet in the lane, but be hit by the throw on a body part extended out beyond the vertical extensions of the lines. For instance, if both feet are in the lane, but the B/R's arm, shoulder, elbow, etc. is out past the lines and gets hit, that would be interference. By extension, if the B/R's foot is outside the lines, but she is hit on a body part that is within the lines, that would not be interference.

As far as I know, ASA might be the only rule set that calls it this way. Most others I'm aware of interpret being "out of the lane" the same as high school does- at least one foot being entirely out. This is the same guideline used in Official Baseball Rules.

 

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What accountability (if any) is there for an umpire using profanity towards a coach during a game? In a varsity contest last night, a coach argued a non-call (runner outside the running lane) that would have been the third out. Later that inning, the only two runs of the game scored. Coach argued his case between innings and took a couple of steps back toward the dugout. Umpire very plainly and very clearly said "You need to shut your g*dd*mn mouth". Coach says "Shut up and don't use language like that in front of my kids". Umpire then tossed him from the game. Coach has to sit two games and pay a $100 fine. Is there any accountability for the umpire saying what he did?

Starting to stray a bit from the initial thread. Thanks, all for the input but please try to stay focused on the thread title - "Umpire accountability - use of profanity on the field".

 

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An umpire should absolutely have accountability for his or her language on the field in a youth ball game. Bretman's advice about contacting the umpire's assigner sounds right, and I would recommend doing it immediately since it provoked the coach's actions which got him thrown out.

 

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AD was made aware of the situation right after the game ended. High school principal was contacted first thing this morning. I was told the league commissioner and the OHSAA would be contacted.

 

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Good. That's the way the system is supposed to work.

 

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What accountability (if any) is there for an umpire using profanity towards a coach during a game? In a varsity contest last night, a coach argued a non-call (runner outside the running lane) that would have been the third out. Later that inning, the only two runs of the game scored. Coach argued his case between innings and took a couple of steps back toward the dugout. Umpire very plainly and very clearly said "You need to shut your g*dd*mn mouth". Coach says "Shut up and don't use language like that in front of my kids". Umpire then tossed him from the game. Coach has to sit two games and pay a $100 fine. Is there any accountability for the umpire saying what he did?

I am not taking anyone's side on this and just offer a different perspective.

If your kid has access to the internet, they have probably heard worse.

Then when I look at "sticking it in her ear" you know the coach probably had some influence to "sticking it in her ear"!

Off the field would that be considered assault?

Go to a shopping mall and listen to the young ones talk and why would it SHOCK you so much coming from an umpire who may be being held to a higher standard of course however a human being also.

Reality television has put some parents out of the parenting job by introducing a different twist on morals.

I have seen coaches call their players dumb, stupid, what the H were you thinking etc and YOU parents said nothing! I have heard them say worse to their own daughters! Playing time could be effected, so it is OK under those circumstances!:lmao: However lets string the umpire up!

The game of baseball and softball is played by kids however it is orchestrated and run by adults and adults do not like to loose to kids or other adults!

Oh yeah and lets nail their butt to the cross

That would be the Christian thing to do!

 

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I am not taking anyone's side on this...

It kind of sounds like maybe you are.

 

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Not knowing the whole circumstances of this matter, Yes! the umpire should be held accountable. And if the matter was brought to the attention of the School's AD and then onto the OHSAA, then it is in their hands to do what is Justifiable.

NFHS Officials Code of Ethics: The purpose of this Code is to establish guidelines for ethical standards of conduct for all interscholastic officials.

And Hitter is correct in his statement also, I've heard more teenage girls drop the F-Bomb nowadays then a group of men at a Golf Outing!;&



FASTPITCH! Anything else, And you're playing too SLOW!

 

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Hitter ... just wondering ... maybe not understanding your point but are you implying it's OK for an ump to use profanity on the field because the kids do it themselves, or get it from elsewhere?

 

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Hitter ... just wondering ... maybe not understanding your point but are you implying it's OK for an ump to use profanity on the field because the kids do it themselves, or get it from elsewhere?

Not at all...in the heat of the moment look at how the coaches handle them self and are not held accountable for their actions.

The parents will not say anything as it may affect their daughters playing time and trust me I have seen some pretty abusive situations and could not believe the parent would take it. Would you or have you taken your daughter out of a game for the way she behaved during a game?

You are upset over the language and yet would allow your coach to instruct the pitcher to "stick it in her ear"!

Maybe some one should have protested to the umpire your strike zone is great however watch your mouth blue and someone would have laughed and it would not be an issue.

Kind of like some grand parents that will swear that G D A hole doesn't know the strike zone and someone says, come on pop tell us how you really feel!

Yes I have heard worse from the players and the umpire warned the player to watch their language. What if the player had been ejected?

God forbid what if it cost you the game for your daughters mouth because she is the only pitcher on the team?

The orders came down from the adult to the child to "stick it in her ear"!

Look at all the hits that thread has made so far! Where is the tree and who has a rope?

From a parent who watched his child on a ventilator, in a coma for a week and then was partially paralyzed on the left side of his body, I take exception to that!

Throw at their hip and make your point, however not in their ear.

Some of these helmets do not even fit the kids properly and most of you think one size fits all and have sanded the helmets and degraded them from the original specifications! You buy them a $300 bat and use a hand me down helmet because you are too cheap to buy a quality helmet to protect them from the coach who wants to"stick it in their ear"!

Funny thing when it happens to your child nothing else seems to make a difference and I said why me? I have for 22 years now!

Clean up the language of course, especially on the field and while you are at it work with your daughters and their coaches as a softball community.

Listen to the fans and possibly yourself at the next game and you wonder where the kids get it from and then a coach tells them "stick it in her ear"!

In our court of common sense remember we are all human and instant replay has not made its way down to high school ball or travel ball yet.

Just my opinion and I would not want to be an umpire as everyone and anyone in the stands can make a better call than they can anyway!:lmao:

 

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Umpire should be held accountable.. but in the game of softball.. mistakes are made all the way down the line.

Girls jaw-jacking each other out in the infield area of second base. Fans, coaches don't hear it.. but it happens all the time. The "big time" words are included most all the time. I hear it.. I stop it with a warning. One game, the ss just kept it going and she found the parking lot.

I don't believe in "putting it in someone's ear" but I am indeed a firm believer of hitting the arm, back shoulder blade when they turned, their hips, their legs... Just not their head, Hitter. I guess that is the pitcher in me.

Always liked being up five or six and they try calling inside/outside pitches to the batter. Had plenty of room on base.

 

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I see where Hitter is coming from. I am a coach and can't stand to sit in the crowd at our local High School Games just listening to the disrespectful illogical fans (and they are on my side).... but in the end and spirit of the thread the umpires must absolutely be held accountable because they are to be the proffessionals regardless of others actions around them, end of story in my book.

 

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Hitter ... OK ... I got you. Yes, there are some abusive coaches out there too, and the whole stick it in the ear thing is definitely not right either. In 16-U fall ball one year, my DD had just come out of the game as the pitcher, and we were up 6 or 7 runs. The other team was stealing the signals between the coach and the catcher. The coach called time out, talked briefly to the pitcher, and the batter got plunked in the backside by the next pitch. I asked the coach after the game if in fact he had told the pitcher to hit her and he said you're d**n right. I talked to my DD after the game and asked her what she would have done and she said she would have probably thrown inside but would not have hit her intentionally because it wasn't her fault that our coach didn't bother to better hide the signs. We had already been in the process of trying to decide whether to stay with that team the next year or move to a new one, and I will admit what happened that day was a small factor in my DD's decision to move on.