Jonump

3rd year here and when starting tried a bunch of different stuff and stocked up on the various new gear you talked about. So my beginning covers your gap. Don't have the context of the older stuff for the most part but maybe the "starting from scratch" perspective is helpful. I hope so. I had the budget to choose among the gear, so leaving that out as a factor. Varsity/mens leagues on down in ages. 1)pants GD feel a little heavier than the Smitty Polypro V2 (?) but both wear pretty light. Slight edge on smitty for the heat, slight edge to GD for the non-wrinkle capacity. Like em both, good sales often. 2) Went from the Wilson WV which seemed to be the standard mass market high end one for 2 seasons to the GD enduro. Much better fit, comfort breathability and I don't feel like I've lost any protection. Love it. 3) Again went with Wilson after using diamond and found them the most protective. Then went to Force 3 for sooo much lighter, lower profile and more comfortable feel with the same level of bullet proof protection. I've forgotten they are on sometimes. They seem to be the most well liked among the various options among a broad spectrum of umpires Feels like in general its a true statement that light tech (foam, magnesium, kevlar etc) has been able to supplant bulk in the last bunch of years.

Oops, reading too quickly and didn't realize you already gave the warning. At that point you have got to follow through unless you can legitimately pretend you didn't hear it. Time to either 1) point and give a players number to eject. I wouldn't really care who, they brought it on themselves. 2) restrict a coach to the dugout 3) go to the coach privately and say "I gave the warning, someone has to go. It can be you or a player you think said it. Got a likely suspect?" I'd probably favor #2 as the last chance to keep everyone in the game. Next time coach is tossed for failure to control the bench.

agree with the above about the effectiveness of a simple "knock off the profanity guys" and if its becoming a problem you can also couple that with a quiet aside to the coach, maybe with the lineup card out so no one is showing anyone up, where you can enlist him as an ally in whatever tone is most helpful--friendly, stern, what have you: friendly: "Bill, we don't want to go here but I'm hearing loud and clear profanity from your dugout and I need it to stop. I don't know who is doing it. I don't want to just point and toss, but I will if I have to. Can you please handle this now so I don't have to make it a thing?" 10:1 coach goes back and says "alright guys cool it on the language"

How about just saying "call is confirmed. You are out of challenges. Don't do that."

In my mind he had fallen over the fence and was clinging to it on the dead ball side so therefore touching it, and certainly went all the way over and out of the field. My mind is a weird place though, so not sure that's what OP intended as a visual

If his "entire body would be on the dead ball side of the fence" I have kill it and bump according to (FED) 5.1 (i) "leaves the field by...OR over any boundary or barrier such as a fence" Impressive feat.

Many thanks, potential significance noted.

Oops, missed the "same size you wear" on the officials depot site. still, would appreciate a real world opinion

Mr. Mad Max, How does the 44L relate to your standard size as a coat? Awkwardly phrased but I mean how would you ballpark the right size for it if you were say a little loose 42 regular? Some of the websites say different stuff. Do you buy the same size as you wear? I don't think I deserve to wear one yet, but have aspirations. They look cool and great for cold weather

With great respect for Mr. Madmax, I don't think it's a ridiculous question at all. I recognize we don't have jurisdiction beyond the fence, but we do have a game management role. I had it in a JV game with very few around in the stands except for a clearly-close-to-the-team parent who was kinda/sorta coaching the players informally doing this right behind a short cramped backstop, so about 3 feet from me and the players. Isolated, rough and ready city field. Two very rough teams, though with excellent, development-oriented coaches. No admin for miles Ridiculous and distracting. Same as relaying signs by someone in the crowd, and I think appropriate to stop. I did address it. Was going to say something to the coach like "Is that a coach over there? If not, please ask your parent to stop signaling the hitter before we continue" and he would have done it, but I opted for the low-key direct approach. Its a neighborhood where there is a LOT of back and forth at the games. "Hey man, do me a favor, can you not call out the catcher position before the pitch?" "hey I"m I'm being polite!" (which come to think of it is a slightly odd response and indicative of someone who may have had similar discussions before) "You are being polite, and I'm not asking you to move. Calling out positions is a little different and its distracting, and I'd appreciate it if you can stop" He grumbled off and I heard the coach ask him what was going on a little later, parent said "yeah, I get it actually." So, it worked. Which I recognize does NOT mean its the right approach. But I think it was right for this game. My other/next step would have been to go to the coach and say I'm going to treat your guy as a coach since I've seen him interacting with you and the team a lot today, and I need you to tell him to stop this, Or I've gotta restrict both of you. Lets not go there. I'll hold the game till he stops, and you go talk to him. Again, this approach felt right and in keeping with the vibe of the day. Have at it.

still in pilot/beta, certainly still creaky (I love the "calibrate every few innings") and definitely too expensive and unwieldly for the vast majority of youth fields and orgs...at the moment. reddit thread on someone seeing it: Give it 4 or 5 years and probably becomes pretty common, yes? "I'm sure that train on the horizon won't bother us much"--the american buffalo I'm not sure how interested I will be in standing behind a plate confirming calls. Bases would still be fun but the whole point is to reduce the need so far fewer 2 man games.

I have him placed at third. First thow by an infielder, 2 bases from the time of the pitch. Runner on first awarded third.

I have it as a balk as described, for the reason thatsnotyou stated. I had a version of this conundrum a few weeks ago in a JV game. P with pivot foot parallel would come set WITH his foot in a steppped-back-to-first base position, then would deliver the pitch. Looked for all the world like a balk but I don't think it was. He just came set in a funny position. But then sometimes he brought the foot back from that position to a more conventional set stance and then delivered, now I have it as windup out of the set position and balk. Took me a bit to process what I saw to be honest. I think I have this correct but would welcome comments

You should have restricted him to the dog-out. I'm sorry. I'll let myself out.

A few random thoughts with no conclusions: I wonder if a partial/half-pay hold would be useful in this situation? You could also have a hold and it "goes hard" a certain time in advance, maybe a day or so. I've had plenty of last minute assignments so there is certainly time to readjust on the assigners part. Arbiter has blocks and firm blocks ( I don't understand that one--override a block on me, firm or not and you are on your own) so you could have holds and firm holds. One is paid perhaps the other adjustable? Maybe do it by level? Games at a certain level or distance are paid on the hold I wonder if a bidding system could work? I wonder if you could arrange it so you could have only so many cancelled holds before the ump gets paid? Like I said, I haven't thought these through, but it feels like some creativity could improve stuff on both ends.