txump81

As BU, I will give a discreet closed fist next to my leg on a caught 3K. If I am in A or D, I will take a couple steps into fair territory on an U3K. If in B or C, I usually point at the ground. As PU, on an U3K, I come up with a safe sign whether obvious or not. Most of the time on the real obvious ones, you don't have to do anything as the idiot in the upper deck with 12 ballpark beers knows. Not saying don't indicate, just saying you don't have to sell the no catch with palms down.

Not sure if PU could have helped. I'm mobile so am going from memory of the play on MLB this morning. It looked like the throw pulled F3 towards the back of the bag and by fractions. JMHO.

Good Call on Downs by Marquez. On the Reds game...I have a strike out in MLB. He had left the dirt circle. In LL, game on. He had not entered the dugout. Not sure in other codes.

Instructions are there... Compression shorts, NB, jock, compression tights No movement. I have taken two shots already this year. Both of them I just heard the thump and feld a tap. Great product.

I believe they got it right. Very messy though. PU signals balk, U2 signals out, U3 says no. It looks to me that U3 overruled PU. If that is the direction another umpire goes, I'm done working with him. If he has info, they should get together and then the umpire can change his call. NEVER change another umpire's call. Give info, let the other guy decide. NEVER change another umpire's call. Did I mention, NEVER CHANGE ANOTHER UMPIRE'S CALL!!!!!!!

Find your local youth league and start learning. Watch some games and try to figure out which umpires really care and want to improve. Those umpires are the ones that most likely will help you. Go to any and every game you can and start watching the umpires, not the game. Get a hold of a rule book and begin reading. Ask questions and above all, keep an open mind and listen to what the good experienced umpires have to offer.

Almost had one on Saturday. Bases loaded, batter hits a line drive down the left field line. F7 chunks the glove at the ball, but misses. Bases cleared, BR ends up at 3B. I am 3BU in D. 3BC says a glove was thrown at the ball. They can't do that can they? I told her its OK as long as there is no contact. I left it simple and wasn't going to get in a lengthy discussion as the BR got what the award was anyway. Coach didn't like it and went to PU who told the same thing. Fans in the stands were going nuts saying BR should get another base.

Just FYI. You can think it, but don't say it. IT WILL HAPPEN!!!!!!!:agasp_:

I was very unconfortable with leftys last year. It just didn't feel right. As you see more leftys, the stance seems more natural. Now the ackwardness is gone. Keep pushing through. It will come in time.

I would say he was blocked by Reyes.

Disclaimer: I am in no way "in the know". Just an observation of information I have gathered. UIL is the organization in charge of all schools in TX. TASO(Texas Association of School Officials) has been the organization that provided officials for all high school sporting events. TASO is made up of local associations for each sport. From my limited understanding, UIL basically wants to eliminate TASO and be in control of officials as well as the schools. I don't know how it was approached, other than what I was told by some older members of the association, but UIL basically said all officials need to be UIL officials. For the 2010-2011 season it was left up to each individual association as TASO had filed a lawsuit against UIL. I think a lot switched to UIL. Ours stayed TASO. The lawsuit is being thrown around between courts right now. I foresee UIL making it so unless games are officiated by UIL officials they won't count. Basically doing away with TASO. The next year could get interesting. Below is the Press Release after the latest court ruling. After a series of twists and turns, TASO’s lawsuit against the University Interscholastic League’s attempt to register, regulate and control Texas sports officials is headed back to state district court. On March 17, a federal district judge in Austin granted the UIL’s motion that the federal court did not have jurisdiction over this dispute. This is ironic since it was the UIL that moved the case to federal court in the first place. And later, when TASO offered to move the case back to state court, the UIL officially notified the TASO legal team that it would oppose such a motion. The federal judge specifically did NOT rule on TASO’s central point that the UIL’s Sports Officials Department is beyond the authority that the Texas Legislature has granted the UIL. The federal judge’s ruling simply means that the case will return to state court where, in the past, TASO has secured a temporary restraining order and an injunction against the UIL. We hope for, and anticipate, similar success. Remember, three separate judges have already prevented the UIL from forcing its registration requirement on sports officials. TASO is in the process of undertaking the procedural steps to re-start the case in state court, where it was before the UIL sought the removal to federal court. Just as before, there is no requirement to register and TASO remains strong in every sense of the word. TASO is 100 percent dedicated to the cause that high school sports officials in Texas should remain independent and not fall under the control of a bureaucratic state agency where the individual official has no voice. This independence has served the high school student athletes in Texas well for almost 80 years. This is what that we are fighting for, but it does not mean we are unwilling to continue to work closely with the UIL and private school organizations to create guidelines, rules and regulations that officials must abide by that are in the best interest of both officials and Texas schools.

Welcome. I believe TASO may be on the way out after the court ruling last month. We have out end of year meeting next week to decide our affiliation for next year. It should be interesting

I call with a guy that can't wait to bang a batter out for jewelry. Its seems to be the highlight of his season. I just shake my head an move on.

Most coaches just want the calls to go their way and don't know well enough when the rule states otherwise.

To heck with what the others think. If it makes you more comfortable and protects you, go for it. I personally wear a mouthpiece and safety glasses behind the plate. At first I was like you in thinking it would look bad, etc, etc. Then I got to thinking, "Who is going to have to pay to fix my teeth or my eyes?" ME. Like was mentioned above, umpiring is not my primary job. I may never have a situation that the mouthpiece or safety glasses make a difference, but the one time they are needed and not worn, could have dire consequences. You wear shinguards and a mask behind the plate, how many times do you really get hit? Off the safety soapbox now...If you found a couple that you like and look decent, I don't think anyone will say anything. And if you purchase a helmet and wear it, you will probably never have another one come close.

I always ask the coaches at the plate meeting. My association works for multiple districts of different sizes. Some do it differently than others. I even ask about a tie if I have called a game for them previously. It usually gets a response from both coaches as to the procedure. In tournaments, the TD should have tiebreaker procedures in place and possibly time limit procedures. The tournaments I have worked all have the tiebreaker procedures published and made known from the very beginning. The TD gets some of the blame as he wasn't vocal about the correct procedures.

Boot laces

Upton's Rundown Here you go UIC. I have obstruction, Upton gets 3B. From the 3BU's position, the contact is hard to see. I will give him that. Possibly go to PU and 2BU for help. I really don't see how you can call him out after being obstructed like that, even though he was a dead duck. A rule is a rule.

My thoughts exactly ukce.

I'll take a stab at it and say yes. Since the throw was to 1B for the 2nd out, the force was removed from all the runners at the instance the 2nd out was made. Therefore, no force for the 3rd out, score the run.

Sorry, it was late and I didn't elaborate. Force play at third, F5 catches the ball and then R2 slides (legally) into F5. Ball ends up on the ground in front of the pile. 3 man mechanics, so BU pumped R2 out. 3BC asks him about it and he comes to me as PU. I tell him the ball ended up on the ground. We break and he signals safe. Then the other coach wants to argue that F5 caught the ball for the force then tried to tag R2 and lost the ball on the tag. I didn't tell him, but thought, "You should teach your players not to apply a tag on a force, and we wouldn't be having this discussion." F5 clearly caught the ball, but the collision dislodged the ball. My real question becomes, do you apply the definition of a catch on a force play as well? Basically, voluntary release?

So if the runner slides into the fielder and the ball ends up on the ground, he is safe? Just trying to clarify as I had this exact play in a game last week?

NFHS softball doesn't stipulate a minimum of one base. It just references awarding bases that would have been reached, in the umpire's judgement, had there been no obstruction. 8-4-3b-penalty a or c

Pics?

My thoughts exactly yawetag.