JonnyCat

I still play adult softball, have for over 30 years. Mostly men's league, but some co-ed, too. I used to play up to 4 nights a week, but now I just play regularly on my Sunday nights men's league, and sub on a co-ed team on Fridays. Rec softball at all skill levels, men's and co-ed is very popular in my area. (San Diego County). You can play every night of the week if you want to. Tons of teams, leagues, and tournaments all year round. When I first started playing, we usually had 2 umpires. now its only one. Payment differs from league to league. Some roll the umpire fees into the league fees, others is pay at the plate. In my Sunday league, it's $12.00 from each team, cash at the plate. Game times are every hour, 50 minute time limit. Sunday's games times are 1st game at 3:30pm, last game starts at 9:30pm. So 7 games per night. During the week, 4 games, starting at 6pm. No games on Saturday. So you can make $168.00 on Sundays, and $96.00 during the week. We see a lot of the same umpires. I've always played slow pitch with the mat behind the plate. Pitch arc is supposed to be between 6' and 12', but it's usually higher. You start with a 1-1 count, you're allowed one foul ball with 2 strikes, after that, another foul ball and you're out. Double safety bags at first. To score, you don't touch the plate, you cross the line at 1B extended. It becomes a force play at home. It's for safety reasons. Mercy rules apply, too. I forget what they are. Some divisions are really competitive, while others are not. I play in a lower division. It's just good fun, but you get the occasional Joe Former Minor Leaguer that still thinks he can make it to the pros at age 50. Anyway, that's how it's mostly done in my area. Not much has changed in the nearly 40 years I have been playing. I can still lumber my fat ass around the bases, so as long as I can, I'll keep playing. My 2 sons play on my Sunday night team. So that's pretty cool, too! Oh, and they serve beer at the facility we play at. We usually have one before the games, I mean, I can't play any worse!

Exactly! What is the point of not calling time? For me it's just one motion. Wait for play to be relaxed, call time while walking out to brush off the plate. Then put ball back in play. Seems like a no-brainer. And it doesn't take any more time at all. I, too, don't know where this notion came from. It's fine with me if you don't want to do it in your games, knock yourself out, but don't tell others not to do it.

Exactly! The only thing we've done is work more games with less people. Virtually nothing has been done to curtail the shortage of officials. I'm looking directly at you, NFHS.

"Northern Kentucky football officials get paid $95 a game. In Southwest Ohio, officials make $90 per game. According to Fick, officials get to a 7 p.m. game around 5:30 p.m., leaving their house at 4:30 or 5 p.m. The game lasts until about 10 p.m., with the official getting home by 11 p.m. at the earliest. The total time commitment of nearly six hours brings the pay rate to just more than minimum wage. Officials are also responsible for their own expenses, including gas, equipment and mandatory classes." Exactly what I have been focusing on for a few years now. As Independent Contractors, your time is door to door. When you factor in the taxes and the above listed expenses, it's LESS than minimum wage. Most of my baseball games are a 4-5 hour commitment. I like all the things they are trying to do to attract more officials, but none of them included more pay and less abuse. You want more sports officials? Pay more, and take concrete steps to curtail the abuse. Period. Anything else, you're just chasing your tail. Where are all the officials?

Yeah, I've read and had that discussion, too. Overly obnoxious umpire: "You don't need to call time when brushing off the plate. It's wastes valuable game time. Don't do it!" Me: "It literally takes one second to call time."

I did the same thing, too. Came up with nothing. With a little bit of research, I also debunked the myth that stickers on the helmet can cause degradation of the plastic and weaken it. Please, they come from the factory with stickers. With almost all the world's information available at your fingertips, it still dumbfounds me how people keep spreading myths. Even with a modicum of research, it takes like 30 seconds to verify or disprove almost anything. BTW, FakeBook is the worst at spreading stupid SH*# that idiots lap up and re-post without ever even thinking to verify the information.

Asking that questions doesn't magically put all the responsibility and liability on you. We only ask that question as a POE for many organizations. We're just double checking, and IMO, it's dumb as hell and not necessary. It's just a reminder to the coaches that their kids need to be properly equipped. That's all. Kind of like reminding them about sportsmanship. Are you going to be liable if a fight breaks out, because you reminded them about sportsmanship? Now if they respond "no", we probably have an issue that needs to be resolved. As long as they say yes, I don't give a F*#K what happens after that. It's the coaches responsibility, and the governing sports body for the safety of their kids. We're there to enforce the rules. I'll enforce things as necessary depending on the issue. I still to this day don't understand where this whole "liability" issue comes from. I have yet to find any evidence, lawsuit, or case study, of any umpire being sued because little Billy got hurt using "illegal" equipment. I'm not saying it has never happened, but I've never found any evidence, nor has anyone ever showed me any.

Absolutely Right! FED is terrible when it comes to these things. Like they're stuck in the 70's!

It's hard to tell, but it looks like U1 is looking at the carom of the ball just as Pham makes that move. He probably didn't see it. Agree with @grayhawk, that would be something I would expect to be called out in MLB.

I always loved that coming out from league board members or coaches. I've heard the term "real baseball" too many times to count. Is it real baseball when your players can barely tie their shoes? Is it real baseball when your kids can barely catch, throw, pitch, and hit the ball? Never understood that line of thinking. I first heard that term from a coach many years ago when I first started coaching. Get this...........from another Tee Ball coach! Actually said we need to be teaching these kids "real baseball" in TEE-BALL! Coach didn't like the rule mods I was proposing. Like everyone bats and has fun. The league rules actually had 6 runs, or 3 outs per inning, in F*#King Tee Ball! (The board took my suggestions and did modify the rules. I later became league president for 5 years and made many other significant changes and improvements to the league that are in place to this day.) The adults are usually the problem. Usually at this level, if you're going to call balks, we call them if they are what's called "elephant balks." The ones that are so obvious, everyone in the stands can see them. We normally wouldn't call technical balks at this level. Yes , the umpire perhaps got butt hurt over your comments and tried to prove a point. I think @beerguy55 has some great points and suggestions moving forward.

Love those shoes for bases! Not my size, otherwise I'd snap them up. Too bad you can't get them anymore.

I don't know why. Why are we so serious about youth sports at that age? Why do we insist on applying adult rules on kids? Is it fun to watch those games? Is it fun for the kids? Or is it for the adults. 10u. There shouldn't be lead-offs. Rules should be tailored for the appropriate age and skill level. This could all be avoided if the adults acted like adults, and didn't live vicariously though the children. Lest I digress. To answer your original question. It's a balk if the umpire calls it. To be fair, you usually aren't going to get the most experienced or quality umpires for 10u. That's just the way it is. NCAA umpires aren't clamoring to work 10u in the off-season. To be fair, you kind of opened that can of worms by questioning, most likely an inexperienced umpire. Perhaps he didn't handle it as well as he should have. Yes, you are correct, the umpire made some mistakes. Probably will continue to do so. Ask yourself, what can you do to close that circle? I've seen too many coaches and parents dwell unnecessarily on the umpires, and in turn, reflects the negativity on to the kids. I've seen other coaches and parents handle it well, keep a positive attitude, and remember to keep it fun for the kids. If you keep it fun, they will continue to play. The number one reason kids drop out of youth sports is because they aren't having fun. And most often, not always, it's the adults that don't make it fun for the kids. I'm not saying you've done any of that, just food for thought. I appreciate you coming on here to get some feedback.

At the MLB level? Immediately, or before the BR reaches 1B, for the most part. Everyone knows whats going on, and nobody is trying, or even able to at that level advance to 2B. This isn't 10u. Agree with Grayhawk. HS and above, all the time. Many times a coach is already walking out, and again, everyone knows what is going on. Below HS levels, depends on the situation, I often will wait until the BR reaches 1st base, and all play is relaxed. You have to know the situation, and the level you are working at. At more experienced levels, you can grant time before they reach 1B. Strictly speaking, yes you are supposed to wait, but you don't always have to.

Sometimes. There are many factors to consider. Sometimes I'll say, "Hey, (catchers name), I missed that one." Sometimes I won't. But it's got to be an obvious miss. If it's a close pitch that maybe I missed, and the catcher asks, I just go with what I called. I.E. "that was out/in/up/down", or "That caught plate/corner." For me it depends on the magnitude/temperature of the game. My rapport with the catcher. How bad the miss is. The level of play I'm working that day. Sometime you can get away with it and the catcher will be cool about it. Other times he just thinks you're an asshole and no matter what you do he won't be happy and think you just suck. It just depends. However, I do think it is okay to admit when you screwed up sometimes.