What is the commonplace rule most coaches don't know?

[JHSump]

I know, tough question.  There are so many.

 

But I vote for 7.05g (bases awarded on an "overthrow").  This happens regularly.  But the coaches almost universally don't know the rule.

 

Had one yesterday,  11U OBR-based tournament game.  B1 hits a ball in the gap, and has a standup double.  F4 now has the ball.  He casually tosses it to F1, but throws it wild.  Ball rolls across the infield.  Everyone watches it..., watches it..., like they're hypnotized.  it gradually rolls across the 3B line, and finally enters the opening of the 3B dugout (defensive team dugout).  I am PU.  I say "Time!" point at the runner on 2B, and say, "You, Score" pointing at the plate.

 

Of course, the defensive coaches are totally surprised the runner didn't just get 3B.

[Stan W.]

Agree that "awards" are a continuing gap...........when I did more youth baseball, the difference between "Foul Ball and Foul Tip" and the status of a foul tip being a live ball and the runner stealing could stay at second always reared its ugly head..... 

[umpcoachfather]

I'd have to agree with you on that. 

[scrounge]

Three times this has occurred this season:  interference on a runner hitting/running into a fielder on the initial play.

 

"The runner has a right to the basepath"..."What's the runner supposed to do, go around?"..."He didn't mean to"....blah blah blah fishcakes....

[MadMax]

Had one yesterday,  11U OBR-based tournament game.  B1 hits a ball in the gap, and has a standup double.  F4 now has the ball.  He casually tosses it to F1, but throws it wild.  Ball rolls across the infield.  Everyone watches it..., watches it..., like they're hypnotized.  it gradually rolls across the 3B line, and finally enters the opening of the 3B dugout (defensive team dugout).  I am PU.  I say "Time!" point at the runner on 2B, and say, "You, Score" pointing at the plate.

Holy cow, get any rain in Virginia? Play on Turf? That's one fast infield! We've gotten so much rain up here, you need a WeedEater if you're a middle infielder, and a shot to the outfield dies after about two skips.

[noumpere]

I can only narrow it down to a top 10.

[SoCal Lurker]

1.00 through 8.00

[soapbox]

I've searched the Rule Book in all codes but can't find it.  You know, the one that starts something like this.  GROW UP COACH!

[JHSump]

 

Had one yesterday,  11U OBR-based tournament game.  B1 hits a ball in the gap, and has a standup double.  F4 now has the ball.  He casually tosses it to F1, but throws it wild.  Ball rolls across the infield.  Everyone watches it..., watches it..., like they're hypnotized.  it gradually rolls across the 3B line, and finally enters the opening of the 3B dugout (defensive team dugout).  I am PU.  I say "Time!" point at the runner on 2B, and say, "You, Score" pointing at the plate.

Holy cow, get any rain in Virginia? Play on Turf? That's one fast infield! We've gotten so much rain up here, you need a WeedEater if you're a middle infielder, and a shot to the outfield dies after about two skips.

 

 

We were playing on a skinned infield.  Otherwise, we would have had to use the weedeaters too.

 

We had lots of rain, but they apparently worked on the field quite a bit, and it was in very good shape by Saturday afternoon.  Saturday morning was a bust.  Sunday was fine.  But it rained Sunday night.

[JHSump]

1.00 through 8.00

haha... I would add  9.00 also!

[maven]

If I had to pick one: 2.00.

maven

[JHSump]

Three times this has occurred this season:  interference on a runner hitting/running into a fielder on the initial play.

 

"The runner has a right to the basepath"..."What's the runner supposed to do, go around?"..."He didn't mean to"....blah blah blah fishcakes....

Yeah, that's a good one also.  And it happens often, but not quite as often as overthrows.

If I had to pick one: 2.00.

maven

I see what you did there!

[Dragon29]

My vote would be for the UK3 - not so much when the runner can try for 1st or not, (though most of 'em don't know that!) but the status of other runners on base.

 

Examples:

 

A slow R1 took off very late after seeing BR take off for 1B. F2 seeing that threw to F4 rather than F3, and R1 was tagged out before 2B. His OM told me that since the BR made first OK, his R1 going to 2B has to be safe as well. Not so much, coach.

 

After an R1 has advanced to 2B when the BR took off for 1B in a situation where he was already out (w/the PU loudly calling the Out) I've had DMs tell me R1 has to go back to 1B, since the BR didn't really have a right to run. Sorry, coach - teach your players who to play on.

[maven]

 

If I had to pick one: 2.00.

I see what you did there!

 

Always nice to be appreciated.

[CentralOhioUmp30]

Three times this has occurred this season: interference on a runner hitting/running into a fielder on the initial play.

"The runner has a right to the basepath"..."What's the runner supposed to do, go around?"..."He didn't mean to"....blah blah blah fishcakes....

Had one of those a couple weeks ago. I asked the coach what he saw; his response, "my runner went through the fielder, but...." I stopped him after that.

As far as the rule I have the biggest problem with as far as coaches are concerned is the pause during the set position. Offensive coaches want the kid to stand like a statue for a couple seconds and then pitch. Never ceases to amaze me.

[Larry in TN]

.when I did more youth baseball, the difference between "Foul Ball and Foul Tip" and the status of a foul tip being a live ball and the runner stealing could stay at second always reared its ugly head..... 

 

We have a few umpires (LL, Minor/Major/Junior) who don't seem to understand that one.  They're constantly signaling the "tip" as the ball is bouncing off the back-stop fence!

 

 

1.00 through 8.00

 

I'm my son's team's scorekeeper.  The coaches definitely don't know 10.00!  Every time we get a coach for the first time I have to educate him on what the stats that I provide to him mean and why plays are scored the way they are.

[Specks]

Any rule listed in the rulebook.

[Umpire in Chief]

I just cant imagine being highly involved in a sport and not knowing the rules. Once my daughter became interested in volleyball I read the rules a few times just so I would know the game better. But I also think not knowing the rules is more rampant in baseball versus other sports.

Sent from my Galaxy S4 with Tapatalk 4.0 Beta

[MB_Ump]

9.01(a) The ump is in charge once the game starts so STFU (paraphrasing a little bit)

[Forest Ump]

I just cant imagine being highly involved in a sport and not knowing the rules. Once my daughter became interested in volleyball I read the rules a few times just so I would know the game better. But I also think not knowing the rules is more rampant in baseball versus other sports.

Sent from my Galaxy S4 with Tapatalk 4.0 Beta

 

Try going to a  Lacrosse game. Nobody knows the rules.

[Jocko]

Australian rules football. :

[renegadewolf]

9.02 (a)(b)© are some of the most commonly misunderstood rules I've come across. For some reason coaches (and players) seem to think one umpire can just overturn anothers call.  I just love when my partner bangs a guy out/calls a runner safe and I am usually at least 90 feet away or watching some other aspect of the goings on during play  and the offense/defense is asking me if I saw the play, and if i can over turn it.  happened 3 times so far this year and I've called maybe a dozen games due to Ma Natures insistence to rain down from on high every freaking day since may first.... or so it seems

[JHSump]

I just cant imagine being highly involved in a sport and not knowing the rules. Once my daughter became interested in volleyball I read the rules a few times just so I would know the game better. But I also think not knowing the rules is more rampant in baseball versus other sports.

Sent from my Galaxy S4 with Tapatalk 4.0 Beta

I have a theory about this (bold above).  Kids don't read the rules.  They learn the rules from their coaches and parents.  The coaches and parents don't know the rules because they learned the rules as kids.  And on and on it goes.

[Larry in TN]

I have a theory about this (bold above).  Kids don't read the rules.  They learn the rules from their coaches and parents.  The coaches and parents don't know the rules because they learned the rules as kids.  And on and on it goes.

 

That's "tribal knowledge".  It's passed down from generation to generation without anyone actually going back and making sure that it is (still) correct.  When we teach the game to others it is important to teach them where to find the rules so that they know how to look them up (and that it is 'normal' to have to look them up!) instead of just taking our word for it.

 

The rules of baseball are extensive and complicated.  It takes a lot of effort to learn them and understand how they are applied in different situations.  Few people will put in the required effort.

 

I just spent (what seemed like) the entire Spring LL season trying to teach the kids (Juniors, 13-15) the difference between a foul ball and a foul tip.  At the end of the season I still had kids getting it wrong and these were kids who were trying to get it right.  Bad coaching (and umpiring) had conditioned them to think that if the bat tipped the ball it was a foul tip and it was very hard for them to unlearn that.  Half the umpires in the league still signaled/verbalized "Tip" as the ball was bouncing off the backstop. 

 

Doesn't help that our LL doesn't distribute the rule books it receives from LL to the teams each season.  (Though that means I get a free copy every year because they have a big box full of them in the league office)  My 13yr old has read the complete LL rule book three times and is half-way through on his fourth.  His goal is to start umpiring pee-wee next Spring when he turns 14.

 

...and don't forget, "a tie goes to the runner" and "the hand is part of the bat"!  <-- Tribal knowledge

[VAUmp]

Tie goes to the runner!

 

His hands are part of the bat!