Plate Conferences

[yawetag]

Mine is pretty simple;

Introductions

Lineups

Ground Rules

Make sure managers are aware of any special promotions/events

???

Jax, the coaches need to know the chicken dance is between the 3rd and 4th innings. This way, they can make sure they're nowhere to be found at the time.

[BigSimonia]

I use the acronym LEGS (Makes me think of ZZ Top)

Lineup Cards

Equipment - properly attired, legally equipped

Ground Rules

Safety

Simple - but I always let BU add his $.02

[yawetag]

Simple - but I always let BU add his $.02

I hope most of them keep quiet.

[kylejt]

Unless something glaring was missed, base umpires should simply say "good to go".

Some parks run games/promotions during the changeovers, just like at many MiLB parks. It's good to know in advance, and let the managers know, too. We've had MiLB and MLB mascots, Dizzy bat, frozen t-shirts, etc. It's nice to know when that stuff is going to happen.

[mstaylor]

Michael,

Sportmanship and jewelry is required by HS. ...

While I concur with the "sportsmanship" part, is the jewelry thing a Maryland thing? Because NFHS certainly doesn't dictate it be specifically mentioned at the plate conference.

JM

As noted by others, it helps to head off problems later. I still go through the warning before ejection procedure. If I have to remove jewelry after I mentioned it the PM, I am not happy. I will step out, tell the coach he better check the rest because the next leaves. I have only thrown one kid after a formal warning. The manager was stupid enough to complain. It was a very short conversation where I asked him where was confused, at the PM or when I gave him the formal warning? Then I walked away from him.

In soccer they used to get sent off and play short until the next substitution, second offense was a red card. Now they get sent off, they play short and the coach gets a yellow card. In volleyball it is a point awarded to the other team. Simply put, NFHS wants the jewelry off, so off it comes.

When I coached PONY, I had one kid that tried every game to wear his necklace. I told to go ahead, but he would have to enjoy his time on the bench because he wasn't walking on the field with it on.

[tiger49]

Mine is pretty simple;

Introductions

Lineups

Ground Rules

Make sure managers are aware of any special promotions/events

???

One of the leagues I do, our local team is the only team in the league who does promotions in between innings. It is more to make sure the pitchers and catchers know they have extra time. Also televised games have the full 2-minute break in between innings.

There has also been a concert in between games of a DH, which made the break in between games a full hour instead of 30-minutes.

Team management also has a history of forgetting to communicate these things to the crew and the visiting team. So if we can get the home manager to give us that info it is a bonus.

They also run a few promotions that won't allow for the players to warm up during the promotion. As you can see in this clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QDLc4ZRuWM

[noumpere]

I will mention it as we are breaking up and usually it will get the coaches to announce to their players to check it. It's almost inevitable that I will see a kid take a necklace off or something. Not required but may save a little time later.

So, after you mention it and you discover a player wearing jewelry, you warn them? It seems like you warned both teams, via their coaches, when you mentioned it.

Why mention it in the first place?

FED specifically says that the mention at the plate meeting does not constitute the warning required by the rule.