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I feel the same way as you but I know guys who work travel tournaments nearly every weekend and do 5 or 6 games on both Saturday and Sunday. I don't know how they can stand it but I guess everyone is different. The most games I've ever done in a day is 4 and that was 2 in the morning then 2 later that same evening. I don't do anything but high school ball now which in Iowa is always a doubleheader. I don't think I would ever do more than two games in a day now; once those doubleheaders are over after 4 or 5 hours I've had enough umpiring for the day. I wouldn't enjoy spending 10-12 hours on a diamond so why do it? If it isn't mostly fun there really isn't any reason for me to be doing it. Other guys evidently do enjoy working all day on the weekends and of course some are motivated by the money. I also generally only work 2 nights a week, occasionally 3 nights. I've found over the years that if I consistently work more than that it becomes a job instead of a hobby that I enjoy. I already have a job, I don't need another one.

I live by the mantra... Happy Wife, happy life. Having a 12 and 6 year old I can pull off a weekday game a day or two depending on start times with no issue... weekends I typically limit it to one which causes no issue normally. More than that and it makes it hard on my wife who is a Realtor to do her job since the majority of her activity is of course on weekends. A morning 8-9am start time or a late evening 5pm or later normally works but mid-day? nope. Also kids have stuff going on which requires time to handle or attend. I love my hobby but not at the expense of family or domestic bliss.

While working a tournament on the weekend I managed to basically strip the outside of my plate shoe's lace, so it's now dead. I see that UA carries replacement NB laces but according to the review they aren't the same shape as the originals that ship with the shoes (that weird ribbed lace). Anyone know if NB sells those separately? Or if it's possible to get them elsewhere?

This was covered before, in similar posts to this one: The DHC in the OP completely concocted that "four guys allowed out of the dugout" statement. There is no such rule, whether permission or prohibition. As I've expressed, this ploy is done by travel-ball / academy teams especially. I'm of the opinion (and many other umpires here are too) that two – the (upcoming) batter and the on-deck batter – are all that are needed and should be allowed. If I'm at an elite tournament, and both teams are doing it, I'll be a bit more lax on how many are out (if I'm at a Perfect Game Tournament, for example, and Perfect Game is paying my check, and there is a PG Field Marshal present, I'm not going to ruffle coach feathers by telling them how many of his guys are allowed out or not), but I will heavily suggest / request that helmets be on heads while doing so. CDP strongly encourages (and most umpires enforce) only 2 out of the dugout. As @johnnyg08 and @scrounge expressed, Fed rules outline where out of the dugout activity between innings should be confined to, and which players are allowed (by role). This is done, obviously, for safety. An alternate and supplemental reason, though, is to reduce intimidation. I was a catcher for 16 years, I know why these kids do this! I know why they stand as close to the "dirt circle" (some fields have so little grass, you can count the blades on 1 hand) as they can before some sane adult tells them to stand somewhere else. They don't need to stand there to get a better look at the warmup pitches! They are standing there so as to indicate to the pitcher, "Oh yeah man, I'm not scared of you. That's my plate. I've got you figured out." 11U? Stick the little urchins in the dugout – both teams – and tell 'em it's 2 out, with helmets on, and if any adult protests, just say, "Nope, we're going to be safe about this."

We don't inspect equipment in Texas. How would that be an officiating breakdown and how would catching a non certified bat happen before hitting the ball?

As pointed out, the book does not say that. It requires runners (and retired runners) to slide OR avoid contact. I would not say that sliding is a way of avoiding contact: if the fielder is in front of the base, the runner may legally slide right into him and legally initiate contact (provided that the slide is legal and not malicious). Fielders thus may be taught to use the base as protection, to get behind or to the side of it in order to avoid the runner, who is legally permitted to slide into it, even if a fielder is between him and the base.

Or the coaches learn something and get off our backs since they never actually read the rule book... Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

It (players swinging out of the dugout; not the MILF watching) has been a recent POE in college. I have started paying more attention to it in HS. Has nothing to do with the OP, and is only put in there so some OOO doesn't try to enforce the rule as literally as it's written.

5.07(e) (8.01(e)) Effect of Removing Pivot Foot From Plate If the pitcher removes his pivot foot from contact with the pitcher’s plate by stepping backward with that foot, he thereby becomes an infielder and if he makes a wild throw from that position, it shall be considered the same as a wild throw by any other infielder.

I called this last week and caught a storm over it. My explanation was "both feet airborn is a move, it's a jump turn, that the pivot foot landed behind the rubber does not by itself signify a disengagement. To this moment I'm not 100% sure if I kicked it or not, but right now I'm feeling better about it.

Book of Armaments, 2:9–21. St. Attila, indeed.

The precise language is "dead ball strike," or a strike caused by a pitched ball touching a batter under certain circumstances (one of which is the batter swinging at the pitch). A "hit by pitch" (aka "hit batsman") by rule is a pitched ball that touches a batter, which is not a strike, wherein the batter is awarded first base.

Five is right out.

In your case where you actually had a better angle and look I probably would have said "okay" and walked away. The last thing I want to do is emphatically make a point that is incorrect. But I'm pretty sure my look from 5 feet away from the play at home plate was better than his look from about 75 feet away. In my case it worked as well to confidently state I had a great look and the tag was on the upper ankle just up the line from HP. I've found that if you can confidently state exactly what you saw, that works to shut down coaches as well. Sort like selling the call does. Anything you do with confidence generally is favorable to you in dealing with coaches.