OM3

Why would you let the batter's verbal reaction determine if a pitch was a ball or strike? I don't see how you can maintain another person's strike zone.

I'm in the minor here I guess.....I use #2 as naturally as breathing. I'll give #1 a try this season.

I still don't see this.......maybe I'm doing it wrong. Just seems easier to step towards line with right foot and pivot on left while in B position.

Let us know how this works out for you. Not too well but I'll take a few more shots before I throw the towel in... And what was this "great advice" you received?

tie goes to runner...Rule 6.05j (hope that's right one)

That's exactly what I'm talking about....! He had plenty of time to touch the bag ..why argue the call

Maybe it's me but as I'm watching teams turn double plays...... i see alot of early pulls, missing the bag with swiping foot or foot placed closed to bag to give appearance there's contact at second base, but umpires(old/new, good/bad) call the out Well yesterday...I took a stand..NO MORE ! ! No outs runners on 1st and 2nd base. Chopper hit to F4. F4 tosses to F6 who is clearly there before R1. F6 foot swipes foot over the bag but does not touch it(bag was dirty, no dirt off it, no swipe mark on it, no buckle of foot going across bag) I signal safe, everybody is in shock..... ball is thrown to first where it's a banger and of course I say safe (using the great advice giving in another thread here). DM calls time and is racing over to me...... Blue, how in the heck did you not get an out at second? Everybody saw he was out clearly, what a crappy call! And what's the deal at first? He was out there too blue. You sleeping blue? (OT-There was more to what he said, but the way he said everything just made me want to LOL but I held a straight face). "Coach he missed the bag at second". How Blue? His foot went right over it.! Coach you saw that too? Hell yeah blue everybody did and you signaled safe? I'm just looking at him with my shameful face, "Ok coach I'll agree with you his foot went over the bag."(that's what I had too). ..... And what is with the call at first? It was close but not that close. you killing blue! Terrible just terrible... I guess he got tired of talking to me because he left the field. O scores 3 runs that inning. My partner comes to me between the innning and says you should called him out at second the ball was there way ahead of the runner. You should assume he made the touch. I just look at him and say OK ( not that I'm going to do that). The point of me starting this thread.... in situation like this do any of you just give the defense the benefit of the act (some unwritten rule)? I've let it go before eventhough I believed he missed the base or was off kind of early. I really been meaning to do what I did months before but just kept with the flow.....

In these summer months .... would it be okay to use an outside chest protector? or is it not allowed anymore?

After reading your post and the one above....I feel I should have stayed with my first opinion....but like I said, somethings I get confused on how to correctly apply a rule and things go south. It's good that these thing happen so I can learn but it doesn't look good at the time. Oh, I didn't ejected anybody...it was the last inning...no point.

OK...I just had a play at the plate situation yesterday....... Bottom 7th 11 - 3 score(visitors) R1 on 2nd, 1 out. Ball is hit to deep right. R1 rounds 3rd but ball thrown on target to F2. F2 is front of home plate on 3rd base side. Ball comes into F2 which he juggles and drops. As F2 is trying to reach back and pick up the ball on one knee, R1 is running speed coming to the plate and at the last moment tries to avoid running into F2 but clips him a little and jumps over the top of F2 to tag home. DC comes out and complains that R1 ran into F2 . My initial thinking was that it was unavoidable contact based on the catcher being in front of the plate and let the run stand....but I decided to consult my partner who was in "C", on if the contact was avoidable/MC. My is undoubtedly convinced it was MC and R1 could have avoided the contact. I run the action back through my mind, take a deep breath and go with my partner's assessment and call the R1 out. OC comes running out and of dugout livid. He says his runner made and effort to avoid the catcher and there really was no room for him to do anything else because the catcher was in front of the plate. OC starts I want a rule book...to which I say coach play stands as called, runner is out. I probably blew the call on the play...could have got OBS on the catcher, but also in NFHS a runner can not dive/jump over a infielder unless he is lying on the ground which the catcher was not. So the runner would be out for that. ***** part of my problem is not being 100% sure or clear on rules...I'm working on learning the rules but sometimes they escape me.....I get a lot complements from coaches and fans on my plate but then a situation will come up where I'm clueless and it shows. Being my second full year I chalk most of it up as a learning experience. At the same time I really don't like leaning on my partner when I should know. **********

Do they have a picture of the new All-Star protector? I have a Douglas CP. Love it, but want another quality CP. I was going to get another Douglas, but $199 is a little high when I purchased mine brand new for around $110 in May 2010.

I like that helmet ! and I can think of a whole lot of bad things...but I'm good ...always ready to rock and roll !

No idea as far as protective gear on the field. I'm still mad I got hit . I had R2 and R3 on the bases, one out. We had a dead ball R3 scores and R2 to 3rd and R1 at first. OC thought R2 would have scored if ball would had went through.

I took a line drive shot off the bat straight to the throat (flush hit) in 18U game. I knew it was going to get hit at some point in calling games, but not to the throat ! Balls in this game though just kept coming at me no matter what position I was in .. A, B or C... in C position at the time. I've been able to duck and dodge everything up until this. The ball came of the bat so quick (big emphasis on quick) that it was on top of me before I could move. The only good thing I could think about was that I'm glad I was not crouched down in my normal stance on that shot, because it would have been straight to the head. The throat is sore, slight swelling and tender to the touch. I can talk and swallow just fine. Actually that makes it feel better along with stretching it. This maybe a newbie response, but I'm all for protective gear in the field....football is a lot safer ( and I work the umpire position ). LOL

I had a game like this too....what the VC done was have his batters step on homeplate...because the fielding by the home team was awful.... And for all you with them large scores...you don't have run rules or don't use them during tourneys or district games? (15 after 3, 12 after 4 or 10 after 5)?