Calling time / Holding a tag (LL Juniors)

[Larry in TN]

I received the following question for a LL coach with whom I have worked previously.  Rule set is Little League Juniors division (modified OBR).

 

Is an umpire permitted to direct a player to either stand up or throw the ball somewhere?  For example, a runner is on base and dives back into the base.  Is the umpire permitted to tell the player to stand up?  On a similar play, is the umpire permitted to tell the baseman to throw the ball back to the pitcher?  Or to tell the pitcher to stop stepping off the rubber or stop throwing the ball to first base? 

 

If so, under what rule in the rule book is the umpire permitted to direct the player's actions?

 

If the player refuses to stand up or throw the ball back to the pitcher, then what recourse does the umpire have against the offending player or team?

 

I immediately knew which umpire he was talking about and the situation.  This particular umpire gets annoyed (as do I) when these 12-13yr olds act like they're still in T-Ball by requesting "time" every time they slide back to a base before standing up or the fielder holds a tag, seemingly indefinitely, on a runner who's already back on the bag waiting for him to call "Time" before throwing it back.  I try to teach the kids to do it right and only call time when they really need it but many coaches want them to do this "just to be safe".  Drives me nuts.

 

Anyway, my answer to the questions were that no rule prevents the umpire from directing the player to throw the ball back to keep the game moving or requiring him to grant a time out request.  If anything, 9.01© allows it.

 

Is there anything else that's applicable?  Comments on the umpire doing this to try to speed up the game?

 

Thanks...

[grayhawk]

I straight up tell the 1st baseman...don't hold it on him...you get your shot and then throw it back. I'm not calling him out. Never had a problem

Now that's coaching.

Fielders are supposed to hold it on, the problem is when runners forget they are supposed to get up.

They're not supposed to hold the tag while the runner gets up.

[DVA7130]

I straight up tell the 1st baseman...don't hold it on him...you get your shot and then throw it back. I'm not calling him out. Never had a problem

Now that's coaching.

Fielders are supposed to hold it on, the problem is when runners forget they are supposed to get up.

They're not supposed to hold the tag while the runner gets up.

...?

[BillKen]

 

Now that's coaching.

Fielders are supposed to hold it on, the problem is when runners forget they are supposed to get up.

 

They can do it all night, but I'm not calling an out unless the runner does something so ridiculously dumb that he deserves it.  It is crap coaching and crap baseball to do that and I'm not rewarding it...and I'm being honest and upfront with the doofus coach that teaches it if he needs an explanation.  It isn't coaching...coaching would be me telling the runner how to keep a hand on the bag and walk it up.