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Don't pop it up, you never know what you are going to get. 🙂

WHAT?! Speaking up and holding the line . . . WORKED?! NO, that could never happen. (Here is a towel to mop up all the sarcasm I just dripped on your keyboard.)

I would rather not be an employee. However, if I cannot truly contract my own games, I am not an independent contractor. So, if I am going to obtain work the way an employee does, I want the benefits. I know every area works differently. In my area, here is what I see (I won't even say "the way it is" because I know and acknowledge my biases here): IHSA is our state NFHS association. They license us and require us to attend a clinic every other year. They do NOT have anything to do with regular season assigning, just the post-season (regionals, sectionals, super-sectionals, state). There are somewhere around 115 different local associations (across all sports) recognized by IHSA. Some are multi-sport associations, some are single sport focused associations. What they do is up to them. I have not seen a local association that assigns games. Most provide clinics and training, a mailing/distribution list that gives you access to e-mails looking for officials/replacements, and social events. My particular local association is not one that I typically join. I have seen little to no benefit in my 15 or so years. They put together a golf outing and a banquet, and give away a small scholarship each year. They do not advocate for officials nor do they actively recruit new officials. They do not handle scheduling (instead, officers and leaders do that independently -- more on that in a moment). At one point we had two associations because one local a-hole was mad he didn't get elected as president one year, so he started his own organization. It folded, and he came back as an officer in the main one (and an assignor, using his old association name). When I started, I was truly an independent contractor. ALL schools in the area did their own hiring. Now, between baseball and softball there are four assignors who control all but a few schools' schedules. Those assignors (save for one who is just getting started) are all officers of the association. They have fought any notion that the association should get into assigning. They assign independent of the association so they can get paid for it. NONE of them work as a true assignor should. They all umpire also. Their main interest is in controlling who gets access to the better schools (quality and pay) which is typically . . . them and their inner circles. I won't keep carrying on about my individual experiences with them. I will just say that a person cannot truly control their schedule and find their own work when 4 people control access to 99% of the games in the area. So, when I rail against assignors, that is where I am coming from. I know y'all's areas are different.

Wouldn't the fact INTing runner was a forced runner matter? Seems you open the door to shenanigans otherwise.

Mechanically, I would like to add the following to the discussion as someone asked WHO can call this and as someone else answered...ANY of the umpires and we know there are priorities on this. In our example provided by the OP, we have R1 and a play into 2B...in this situation, PU should be moving out to the 3B side of the mound and then locking down once the throw is released to 2B. Depending on their athleticism some will get further than others. PU is doing 2 things in this situation...first, reducing their distance to 2B and thereby increasing their credibility on anything beyond U1's out/safe call at 2B. If you stay point of plate in this situation, you will not have a good view of extra action at 2B nor will you have credibility. There was no additional throw to 1B here but, remember when there is a throw to 1B, U1 has that play and is turning with the additional throw. U1 may miss extra action at 2B as the turn is being made. Additionally, if the play into 2B is busted...an overthrow that gets away from 2B enough that R1 tries to advance to 3B, PU is now in a better position to take that play into 3rd on the rotation even though the original batted ball may have not left the infield. And PU will need to be on their horse because with an overthrow into 3B, now you've got to get on the plate. If you're working with a new partner or someone you haven't worked with in awhile, I would recommend pre-gaming the above... ~Dawg

And I agree, it is the truth. But what is anyone doing about it? Most of the associations mind sets are stuck in the 1970's. If someone asks me to do a game solo, the answer is no. And it's not like I'm hurting for games. I could work games every day during the week, and at least 4 on the weekends. (I don't) When are people going to realize that we, as officials, are in the drivers seat? Is everyone hurting for money that bad that no one wants to turn down games? What's the reason for not going on "strike?" I have a thousand other things to do than work crappy games for poverty wages with SH*#ty working conditions. I love umpiring, but for F*#Ks sake, I don't let it run my life. If it's not enjoyable, I don't do those games.

That’s malicious!! Throw him out! He went in standing up! WTF

What play was he attempting? The play @ 2nd is already over! The FPSR was specifically created to eliminate illegal contact on the pivot, or IOW “breaking up “ the DP, ILLEGALLY! Going in standing up is NOT illegal unless what? Even sit Y makes sure to mention that there was contact with R1. why? If they want a FPSR called in the OP, why not make the CB play without any hindrance at all? Maybe because it’s not?! @MadMax I truly don’t think not calling this goes against the rule as written. On my way to a game where I’m NOT calling this a FPSR violation

Randy, I’m saying this kindly, and any ire or animosity you detect is not being directed at you, Randy the umpire, but at any “parent” association and/or Softball itself. Why do you need (still) heather grey??! Because your parent association / assigner is directing you to do so? To maintain some “uniform standard”?? Is that association or assigner providing the uniform items?? No?? Then they’ve got no say as to what specific items / colors / brands / tones / shades you wear, or more importantly… purchase. Associations – and this goes for Softball, too – have to get with the times. Everyone makes this big ta-doo about “looking like Major League Baseball”. All those uniform items are provided. Even in MiLB, those items are purchased under a directed stipend. Even in NCAA baseball, there’s a degree of friction between what the assigners expect, what’s provided (under stipend or otherwise), what the umpires actually purchase and use, and the assignments they receive. But outside that, especially at the amateur level, there is no way they should have that kind of grip and sway over us. It (whatever stylistic template the assigner or association PTB holds) doesn’t matter. Wear charcoal. Wear 3-years faded pants, especially on a 1:30pm JV game at a class 1 school in the middle of nowhere… no one cares. Heather grey umpire pants – that you were directed to purchase yourself – doesn’t mean you’re a better / great / effective umpire. It means that you’re fulfilling the direction (wishes, whims) of some stooges sitting at a desk.

Going into the base standing up is not in and of itself a violation of the rule. I guess FED still hasn’t clarified this enough yet!

Thanks for bringing that up. "That's just the way it is." Its that acceptance that continues us down this path of futility. There's no impetus for change. Comment not directed any anyone in particular, just illustrating the general attitude of our avocation.

I had a very similar situation just this week. I was on a two-man crew for a 14U travel ball game, and my partner got pulled to work a FED game. I told my assignor I don't want to work solo, and he understood and took the place of my original partner. In my mind, I signed up for the game, so I felt obligated to work the game regardless--but I was happy to have a partner.

I like dealing with it real time vs pregame. I can gauge the way they're approaching it and steer things a bit if needed (I work with youth and inexperienced volunteers often). Also, If they come storming out to me at Home Plate on a BU call I can start running their clock if necessary* "Hey Bill. You want time? Yeah? Ok. TIME. Where were we? Ok. What you need? Oh, that call? Hey, while your here, that last batter needs to hang on to the bat. He really winged it that time. Huh? You want to talk about that call. Me? Bob made that call. Yes that means you need to talk to him. Hey, here take the bat. Your on deck guys are killing you huh? Yeah, go ahead and walk out there and you can ask him your question. You have a question, yeah? I'll take that bat for you since you're going out there. No problem, I got it. Yeah, go talk to Bob. You two can sort it out." There is also a small chance of coach learning (and internalizing) the proper technique because we're imprinting the proper action in an emotional state with real time feedback loop vs esoteric discussion at the plate meeting. * That anger can only last so long for the non-alcoholic, non-psychotic, non-sh*t bird coaches - trying to give them a moment to snap out of it and calm down.

Uniforms provided. Necessary equipment provided. Insurance provided. Certifications reimbursed. Healthcare provided. Performance reviews that actually have bearing. Assignments / Hours capped. Training tuition reimbursed. Established, documented system for how assignments are made, and why so-and-so – who is an equal employee – is getting assignments different / “better” than yours. … do I keep going?

It's a big reason why the shortage continues. The shortage of umpires has been a known problem for many years, most of us could see the writing on the wall long ago. Umpires like myself are getting older, and replacements are not keeping up with demand. To be sure, there are a number of reasons why people are not entering the field. No need to beat that horse again. What have we done about it? The answer is virtually nothing. Has the pay increased? Has the working conditions improved? Is it getting any better? Or is it business as usual? The only thing we've done is cover more games with fewer people. That has been the solution, have everyone work more games. The result? More solo games. Nothing has changed to improve the situation.

We are absolutely copacetic here. This "independent contractor" nonsense needs to stop. We are employees that those who pay us use a legal loophole to re-status us. We permit what we promote... ~Dawg

I get what you’re saying, 100%. But it’s just the truth. We’re only sitting at 150 umpires ish and our association has the most schools in the section. It’s just tough to get two umpires on a freshman/JV game even if we had the numbers. There’s been a handful of varsity games scheduled in the last few years that have been assigned one umpire just because we didn’t have the numbers to assign two

I was/am apart of the same HS umpire association as @Mudisfun. Unfortunately, all freshman/JV games(besides one special league that assigns JV as two man, same league that assigns varsity as 3) are assigned as one man. So if you’re an up and comer as Kevin is in our association, he has to work these one man games or else he’d get way less games. Is it ideal? No. But that’s just the way it is