Wesley

I didn't see that Rich advocated doing the field prep ourselves... but maybe I missed it

Right on Big. I just about sleep with the rule book; I think I'm getting solid on rules. Been to two clinics, trying to work out the week long regional school for next year. Got Evans Maximizing the Two Umpire System and Papa Cs 151 ways to wreck a baseball game. I'm on the schedule to league-up to challenge myself. I'm trying to schedule a game with a district evaluator. I would love to qualify to work with the district tournament guys during the summer after our local ball is over. I would consider UIC, but I don't want to be the assignor... but you never know... Thanks gentlemen!

What Rich said is right on the money. I understand that, but I want to get my part right. Total LL is about 25 teams.

Unfortunately it's my kid's league. Effectively for us, the only game in town. UIC called games in jeans with a pillow. Not an umpire, a rat coach that was part of the board clique. Local rules like crazy. No clarification, minimal support. No good deed goes unpunished. But I'm not bitter! But more importantly, my kid likes that I'm actively involved in his favorite sport. And now I've got the bug so I'm trying learn as much as possible and get experience so I can move up to higher quality ball.

Good advice, thank you. Last season I was showing up from the house in protector/shin guards but the league UIC told me I "looked like I was going to a riot", even though I was wearing the gear properly under the official uniform, and that he didn't think it was professional to be in plate gear doing the equipment check. I guess I should have been tipped off when he asked me why I was doing equipment checks to begin with! Another time a board member was chatting through the fence with the grounds guy for more than a few minutes. I said, good naturedly I thought, "Hey boss, you're holding up the field prep; it's gonna be my throat if the ball game doesn't start on time!" Serious as a heart attack he says, "It's not your field unitl game time, don't worry about it!" I see I need to take command regardless of what the league guys say, because ultimately it reflects on me when the ball game starts late. Thanks.

LL, 7/8U - My problem is games inevitably start 5-7 minutes late (not just me, seems to be league wide). Weekday games start at 5:30. Dads/coaches show up 4:50-5:00. Field prep IMO is slow. Despite my polite urging, teams are lagging to get on the dirt for infield, and unless I am right there they take too long. I'm working solo, usually at 5:00 or few minutes after I touch base with VT manager for equipment inspection, then same with HT manager. Then I encourage the field prep guy (usually a coach) and ask him to let the VT know to take infield as soon as he is done. I go to the truck to get into plate gear. Even though I asked VT to take 5 minute infield and HT to hustle on immediately after, when I get back from the parking lot it seems that we are behind schedule. I learned a lesson last game: coaches knew we were behind so they insisted that we have the plate meeting while HT was finishing infield (to my shame I agreed) and despite trying to stay out of harms way, one of the coaches got hit by a ball (not injured, thankfully). Any advice to speed up field prep and infield? Do you have HT back in the dugout for the plate meeting? Help is appreciated! <><

Yes, call me James. The 1v1 is a (not so) secret message. Thanks for the input. Noted.

Advice was a great help, I ordered Maximizing the Two Umpire System from Jim Evans. We'll see how fast I can choke it down and implement it. Thanks again sdix00 and Richvee. The thread is dead, but I should mention in the OP the UIC was the UIC of the league. I was calling the game solo, but in my third game ever as an umpire I didn't feel confident to run the UIC of the league for arguing. A little discouraging when the guy who is supposed to be the final word on rules interpretation apparently had not read the rule book very much (and the same with the league board member in the second sitch). Anywhoo... I looked at the thread with the ballparks y'all have worked. I'm humbled. I'll just be quiet now and listen...

Thanks for the welcome! I'll do some shopping tonight... I think right now I have a decent handle on the rules, especially for 8U. I might be challenged at a higher level doing a good job calling balks... If the ball richocets back out of the dugout, live ball, play on... hey, how do I do that lighter fluid thingy??? oh, never mind! Thanks gents!

Little League Rule Set, 2013, pg 77. 7.05(g) two bases... "Approved Ruling: If all runners, including the BR have advanced at least one base when an infielder makes a wild throw on the first play after the pitch, the award shall be goverend by the position of the runners when the wild throw was made."

Gentlemen! The site is great! I've picked up much good information lurking around! I appreciate the experience being shared. I grew up playing PONY; I had no idea how much I didn't know about the game until I started reading the rules. My boy's LL coach-pitch team last year sends out an email shouting EVERY TEAM NEEDS TO SUPPLY AN UMPIRE. So I'm an old guy, I figure I can umpire as well as any of the other parents, so I sign up and go to the clinics. I have a habit in life that whatever I undertake I like to try to be as professional as possible (not always sucessful, but I try). I acquired my own equipment and league uniform. I did my best to memorize the rule book (still working on it). Spent the offseason lurking and reading the rule book a hundred times. I know from working in industry that the newest/most uninformed have the most difficult/steepest learning curve; that's where I am. Unfortunately my league is not the best resource: Last season, third game I called, 7U. R2, no outs, B1 grounds to F6. Ball deflects off F6 glove then hits R2 running by behind F6. I know R2 is not out, but following training, I try to slow down the call and take a split second to get my mind around whether I kill the ball or if it's live. In that split-second, UIC-HC-3BC-R1 dad jumps into fair territory and bangs out his own runner/son for being hit by a batted ball! Time! Discuss the rule with him, but R1 is already in the dugout, UIC insists "that's how we always call it". I learned some lessons that day... (I would handle it differently now) This year: 8U. No runners, no outs. B1 grounds to F4. F4 boots it, can't find the handle. No throw. BR agressively rounds 1B. Crowd/coaches go nuts. Instead of a tag attempt, F4 in a panic airmails to 1B. Ball goes OOP. Time! Put BR on 3B. Play on. After the game, league muckety-muck jams me and says I should only have awarded to 2B. I quote 7.05(g) and Approved Ruling, BR already acquired 1B prior to TOT, award therefore based on TOT. Muck continues to jack with me until he realizes I'm not going to surrender professional demeanor or doubt myself. Hands my rule book back to me and walks off. I have called 25 games and 23 have been solo. I have an opportunity to league-up and call some games with the LL District guys, but I have so little BU knowledge I'm hesitant to make a fool of myself and end up out of position (clinics offered locally have all been one-man mechanics). So I am still trying to pull myself up by the bootstraps (try to be professional) and not suck! I appreciate the input on the site. Thanks! Play on...

Swifty - I was in your shoes last season. Moved up this year to LL middle minors with my son. A question regarding this sitch: when R1 & F3 collide, F4 has not yet fielded the ball or the play is still otherwise developing, do I call OBS and then "pick up the flag" latter if F4 fields it cleanly and in my opinion would have retired R1 regardless of OBS? Or do I not call OBS unless I am convinced on the spot that the OBS cost R1 at least one base? Thanks