Umpire not ready for pitch

[Guest Aaron]

I've had this happen a couple times and not sure what the proper call is.  Especially early in the season.  This is 9-10 year old Little League.

 

Ball is live, let's say after a passed ball and throw to 2nd on a stolen base, I've moved out from behind the plate to let the catcher get the ball and make the throw.

 

Then the pitcher gets the ball back, the batter is unusually ready fast and in the box, I'm not yet back  behind the plate with mask on and here comes the pitch.  I don't consider it a quick pitch per rules since the batter is ready.

 

I've been calling time, no pitch.  Or once, just let the pitch go and tried to make the call from out of position.  Also afterwards talk to the pitcher to let them know to wait for both the batter and umpire.  But I'm curious what the proper ruling is.

 

- Let the pitch go and try to make the call out of position.  Giving preference in the call to the batter.

- Call time.  (I don't like this since if there is a pitch and hit, then a mess would insue)

- Let the pitch go, but call ball unless there is a swing or contact.

 

Thanks,

[grayhawk]

 

 

In the increasingly rare event I work a 1 man game, I just tell them at the plate conference that I'll do my best to watch all action but it's a special ground rule is that it's an automatic dead ball whenever I turn back to return to the plate.

Really?

 

I have heard of this practice on more than one occasion. If the umpire is in the middle of the field when play has ceased, then it is a dead ball while said umpire hustles back to the plate.

 

 

We should not take the ball out of play unless it's necessary.  It's not necessary to take the ball out of play to hustle from the infield back to your position behind the plate in a solo game.

[Mike Prince]

And every time we unnecessarily take a ball out of play, we have to unnecessarily put it back into play.  IMO proper mechanics as described in this thread can solve the problem before it happens.  NEVER turn your back to the ball...

 

I said previously to call time as needed.  This should only be necessary if you have an over-eager F1, and you should only have to do this once.

[shane1]

DON'T GET CLOSE TO THE PLATE WITHOUT YOUR MASK ON  IN YOUTH BALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

And don't get out of the car without your cup! Even in the field...DAMHIK

[scrounge]

 

In the increasingly rare event I work a 1 man game, I just tell them at the plate conference that I'll do my best to watch all action but it's a special ground rule is that it's an automatic dead ball whenever I turn back to return to the plate.

Really?

 

 

Absolutely...I bust my butt in 1 man games, I'm working as hard as I possibly can. But I can't see everything and I won't allow anyone to try and pull a sneaky boy in the event I'm returning to the plate. It's not like this happens every play. If I'm 5 ft in front of the plate, of course I'll back out while watching the action. But if I just trailed a runner all the way around for a double or maybe a triple and it's 90 degrees and I'm running my butt off, heck yes I might turn back after I'm satisfied action is over. And the ball is dead at such time. This might happen a handful of times a game, it's not a big deal at all.

 

And as an aside, for what it's worth - and I realize the answer to that is 'not much' for many - it's explicitly mentioned that way in the NFHS Umpire's Manual (pg 38, 1 man mechanics): "Also tell the coaches that whenver you brush off home plate, or are moving back to the plate from the infield, time is automatically out."

 

As long as I'm satisfied I'm working as hard as I can, I do not see this as a big deal and will continue to do so.

[Replacematt]

In the increasingly rare event I work a 1 man game, I just tell them at the plate conference that I'll do my best to watch all action but it's a special ground rule is that it's an automatic dead ball whenever I turn back to return to the plate.

Really?

 

Absolutely...I bust my butt in 1 man games, I'm working as hard as I possibly can. But I can't see everything and I won't allow anyone to try and pull a sneaky boy in the event I'm returning to the plate. It's not like this happens every play. If I'm 5 ft in front of the plate, of course I'll back out while watching the action. But if I just trailed a runner all the way around for a double or maybe a triple and it's 90 degrees and I'm running my butt off, heck yes I might turn back after I'm satisfied action is over. And the ball is dead at such time. This might happen a handful of times a game, it's not a big deal at all.

 

And as an aside, for what it's worth - and I realize the answer to that is 'not much' for many - it's explicitly mentioned that way in the NFHS Umpire's Manual (pg 38, 1 man mechanics): "Also tell the coaches that whenver you brush off home plate, or are moving back to the plate from the infield, time is automatically out."

 

As long as I'm satisfied I'm working as hard as I can, I do not see this as a big deal and will continue to do so.

A. The FED manual is toilet paper, and stating that a time is out in a mechanics manual is meaningless.

B. The ball's not dead unless it's made dead by rule. There's no rule that states the ball is dead when the umpire is in a certain position. Leaving it up to a concept of "If I'm doing this, the ball is dead" leads to the participants having to make that determination for themselves--which is why they pay you.

If you need to call time, go ahead and do it to get back home. Note, though, that it's only on a need basis. Those times you describe are good examples.

[scrounge]

A.  You're absolutely free to wipe your butt with whatever you'd like. I'll go ahead and use the resources I deem useful.

B.  Very true, it's not dead unless by rule. In this case, a ground rule. They paid me, I made the ground rule.

 

As I stated and you acknowledged, these are rare occurrences, but it's really not a big deal at all. In fact, mentioning it as a special ground rule AND quickly calling time out in those rare instances is good duplication - nobody can say they didn't know. This is a molehill, not a mountain.

[basejester]

I don't want to get into the drama of this, but my opinion is that it avoids trouble to make explicit declaration of time any time you are effectively making the ball dead.

[noumpere]

I don't want to get into the drama of this, but my opinion is that it avoids trouble to make explicit declaration of time any time you are effectively making the ball dead.

I agree.  And, I do make the ball dead *most of the time* when I'm working alone -- if you hustle out to rule on the play, it's quicker to make the ball dead, hustle back, and make it live rather than crab-walking back to the plate.

 

Of course, when I work alone, its at ages where there's not the "let me dance off the base and see if I can get the 10 year old to make a stupid play".

 

And, the call is reasonably stron in the first couple of innings, then a more casual call after that -- once the players are used to the rhythm.

 

ymmv, of course

[JaxRolo]

Do not kill the ball solo or not. It is not necessary!!

[MEBlue]

As others have said, never get behind the plate without your mask on. If you need to take it off, get down the line out of the way and hold up the pitcher until you are ready to go. 

 

Step out firmly and tell the pitcher, "you need to wait for me" and they should get it. A good coach or even parent will yell out "wait for the umpire Jimmy" and you'l; be all set.