Out of Control Coach

[BabblingBlue68]

Hey everyone.

I'm new to Umpire-Empire and this is my first post. I have been using this forum for a while now and I think that this is great. I'm not a very social guy and normally social media really isn't my thing, but when I was referred to Umpire-Empire by a colleague of mine, I thought it was great. I've rarely seen such a great place on the internet where like-minded officials can share stories and advice with one another. As my first post, I'd like to bring up a situation that occured yesterday on the field. I was on the bases and my partner, a very senior umpire, was doing a great job behind the plate. This was a 50/70 Intermediate youth game, where you would expect to see a little more maturity out of coaches than at lower levels. (At least I would, perhaps wrongly.) I will add here that there were a TON of close plays on this game, though I don't think my partner or I particularly screwed up any of them. We called them the way we saw them, and usually that is enough for most coaches in our area. This one coach, though, (who I have had multiple run-ins with before) had appealed 3 calls by the time we got to the 5th inning. Two of those appeals were on judgement calls, which were not heard, as judgements are not appealable. I was in C position using big diamond mechanics with a single runner on third base. This coach was was the third base coach and there was one out. The ball was hit and the runner was retired on an extremely close bang-bang force play at first base. I called him out and the coach LOST it. He screamed at me from across the field: "WHAT?! HE'S OUT! WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! HE'S SAFE BY A STEP AT LEAST! THAT'S SO OBVIOUS!! (BabblingBlue68) I KNOW YOU DON'T LIKE ME AND I KNOW YOU HATE MY TEAM, BUT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, CALL A FAIR GAME! JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE ME DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD BE CALLING AGAINST US!" Mind, the entire stadium could hear this and I could not believe what he had just said. I called time and walked over to him. I very quietly and politely said "What, coach! That's ridiculous." And then more loudly "How dare you insult my integrity as an official! That is absolutely inappropriate in any context!" The coach fired back: "You're insulting my integrity with BS calls like this! That isn't even close. Every single call you've made today has gone against our team! Your partner too! They've all gone against us. You just have it out for us!" I was fed up: "Coach, I will give you one chance to quiet down and stay in the game, or I'll toss you." He shut up and I went back to work. Between innings, I was on my way down to the plate to return an errant ball to my partner when I was intercepted by the third base coach, who was also the manager of this team. He put his hand on my shoulder, which I very quickly brushed off, informing the coach that this was contact with an official and was punishable by ejection. "I'm sorry," he said. "I maybe overstepped myself over there. But look, this goes back a few weeks. It goes back to the time you denied my appeal over that foul ball, and the other time that you refused to grant me time to go speak with another umpire about a blown call." (I admit that these scenarios happened, but in a very different way than this coach would have you think. From an officiating standpoint, I was right in all of these situations.) "All you've done is show me a lack of respect as a coach and all of your calls and mannerisms are so obviously driven by your ego. You're like a dictator on the field. Even today, you haven't even tried to make it seem like you're calling a fair game. You don't like me or my team, and so you're calling them for the other team just to get back at me!! I've appealed three calls today and all of them have stood! That's ridiculous! I'm like, Jesus, can't we get any benefit from the umpires today?!" I just couldn't believe what he was saying. The funniest thing to me is the fact that he had just said he was sorry, and then he basically just contradicted himself by listing the reasons that he wasn't sorry! The game came to a close soon after and I felt pretty good that I had managed the situation to the point where I was able to keep the manager in the game, but the things that he said were infuriating! I have been offered bribes before, even, and my answer has ALWAYS been a resounding NO! SO for that coach to come at me and to INSULT MY INTEGRITY and accuse me of a lack of impartiality was HIGHLY offensive. I spared him ejection on the field, but after the game I did report him to the local umpire in chief, whom I hope will see to it that he will at least get a stern reprimanding. At the end of the day, if he gets under my skin, the coach wins, and that can't happen. However, the example that he sets for the children on his team by berating the official like that is terrible. Never have I been so insulted by a coach than I was by that manager. What he said was absolutely inappropriate in any context, and in a business setting it probably would have got him fired. To me, the integrity of the official is the cornerstone of the game and, along with many other factors, if the official no longer maintains an atmosphere of impartiality, the game will die with that moral. The integrity of the official is one thing that you should never touch as a coach, player, manager, fan, etc.. For most officials that I know, they live and die by their integrity on the field. Whether their calls are right or not, they will always, ALWAYS remain completely impartial. They'd sooner resign their position than accept a bribe or simply decide to turn against a team because they don't like the coach. (How ridiculous does that sound?!) All in all, now that I've had an opportunity to vent, I will try to just let this go and let the league take charge of this, but I will certainly not soon forget the manager who attacked me on a moral level.

Thanks, 

BabblingBlue68

[Scissors]

You should not have let him continue. You obviously took a lot of offense to what he was saying and took it to heart which would not have happened if you had just dumped him far earlier. This just shows the coach that he can say and do whatever he wants to officials, because more often then not they are not reprimanded by the league. I'm sure others will have some more detailed feedback, but at the end of the day you just can't let that slide. 

[SH0102]

Welcome to the site and umpiring, we need more folks for sure.  To your post:

1.  I say this as someone who has not had to eject many people.  Keeping a coach in a game is not a praise-worthy event.  While some umpires may eject for things they shouldn’t, NOT ejecting for things you should is not a compliment to you, in fact it’s the opposite.  The umpires that follow you will now have to deal with that behavior and if they toss, they get “well the last umpire let me….”

—- in line with this, the accusation of cheating is an immediate ejection. There is no warning, there is no “talking him down and keeping him in the game”.  Why?  Besides the fervent lack of professionalism and questioning your integrity, let’s say an inning later on a close play, it goes their way.  You called it based on your judgment but to the other team and fans, you made that call bc he got under your skin. Now every call is questioned, for both sides.

2)  Be careful, and do your part to educate by not allowing, what you call appeals.  An appeal is based on an infraction, leaving early, missed base, or a misapplication of a rule.  You have a banger at first, dont listen to anything other than something like “I want to check if he pulled his foot”.  Even then, if you’re sure he didn’t, you don’t allow it, but “appealing three plays” when they are all safe/out/ball/strike is not a thing, and I’d let him know (in professional wording, unlike what I’m about to say) that he’s appealed nothing, he just doesn’t like calls that don’t go his way.

[Kevin_K]

There is a reason some umpires refer to coaches as rats. This tool is a great example.

That he was around to make the second set of accusations is something that should have never been allowed to occur. Some one ought to school him on how to talk to officials. Some one ought to school him on appeals versus fishing for an answer he likes. Someone ought to clue him in that officials talk to one another. Someone ought to clue him in that bringing up perceived wounds from prior games gets tickets to the parking lot punched.

He would not have been around to start a second round if I were in your shoes. The next time I saw him he would have no wiggle room. Say something stupid, ticket punched. Dump him every time until the message is received. Dump anyone who acts like this. Your afternoon always gets better and you will become more comfortable with every ejection. There is no regret in writing an ejection report that includes everything this jackass said.

This guy should have been ejected as soon as he started with his prattling about whatever his gripe of the moment was. As our long missing friend @BigUmpire would have said, shoot one monkey and rest tend to fall in line. There is no game fee in the world that allows d-bags like this to stay with in sight and sound of a field when they are given enough rope to hang a warren full of rats.

You said you partner was a senior guy who was "doing a great job behind the plate." Where was he when clown boy was demonstrating his ignorance for all to see? I would love to know how your post game conversation with your partner went. He allowed you to get steamrolled. You make no mention of your experience, so I presume that all of this ass-hattery is something you have no experience with or have not dealt with effectively (read eject). P-shah to the moral high ground. It isn't worth diddley squat. He should have been ejected..... twice.

 

 

 

[ATXBlue]

Welcome to the boards! Unfortunately it sounds like this guy has been allowed to show up officials and do whatever he wants on the field. 
 

If this happens again I would urge you to try and not blow your shoulder out when you toss him or any other coach like him. Coaches will keep acting that way until they are stopped by officials and/or the league. 
 

It’s hard not to take offense I get that, but once he makes it personal, let alone questions you’re integrity… “You’re done Coach”. 
 

One of the best nuggets I’ve taken from my time here is something along the lines of, “the only ejection I regret is the one I didn’t hand out”. 

 

 

[Thatsnotyou]

His initial rant would have had a verbal and hand “stop”. Maybe twice. If he continues, and dugout restriction is appropriate in your area, restrict. If it’s loud enough or he gets to the point where he’s questioning your integrity, eject, walk away and don’t engage any longer, partner gets him out, move on with the game. 
 

Way too much leash. Once he knew you were essentially afraid to eject him (that’s likely how it looked to any outsiders), he wouldn’t stop. Then he started bringing up weeks ago. Don’t entertain any of it. Get away and/or assess an appropriate penalty.
 

As has been said, keeping coaches in the game isn’t praise worthy. This guy was done with you and the game that night after that last call - send him on his way. Sometimes they have to go. 

[BabblingBlue68]

Hey Scissors, SHO102, Kevin_K, ATXBlue, and Thatsnotyou!

First of all, I'm very glad to meet all of you. I really appreciate all of the feedback you've given me so far. I have had the displeasure of dealing with similar behavior before. I have had the displeasure of dealing with ejections on the field as well. They are not fun and they are a lot of work. I think what I've done, though, is I've gotten myself to the point where I want to avoid all sort of ejection in any situation, so I have been avoiding it. But I think you are right. In this situation, an ejection would certainly have been warranted. The next time that I have something like this happen, I will certainly be MUCH less lenient in how I respond to it. And this coach has ZERO wiggle room going forward. I am going to try my best going forward to have a shorter leash with any coach. I tend to be a bit lenient as far as officials go, but I also understand that ejections are there for a reason-to shut down conflict and to keep the game to a point where the umpire can shut things down if he needs to. Sometimes they can be a tool of order and peace.

I really appreciate your feedback on 'appeals' SHO102. I went back and read the rules, and you are absolutely right. There are no appeals on judgements, which is contrary to what I have always been taught. I have always been told, 'Be cool and be open-minded,' but I think that going forward I am going to start to put into practice what you are saying. The call is the call and unless there is a legitimate reason for the appeal to be heard, than appeals are simply disorderly conduct. 

To Kevin, first, I love your statement on the monkeys! It is certainly true. What I really don't want, though, is a reputation for being a 'trigger happy' umpire. However, some things, like what I have described above, are crossing the line. They just can't be tolerated. For the part of our 'senior umpire,' he certainly backed me up and was there to help me shut down the coach when he started to get out of line. He didn't do much talking, but he did get in the middle to break it up when it started to get a little more heated. After the game, he shared with me some of his own experiences and encouraged me to just brush it off and move past it. For some reason, though, I really just can't seem to let this one roll of my back. I don't know why. It just really got to me. Which, as @Scissors stated, would not have happened if I had just dumped him when he brought integrity into the situation. I suppose 'senior' could have done a bit more in the way of breaking it up in the heat of the moment and later on when the coach privately confronted me, but there is nothing to be done about that now. I think it has less to do with 'senior' and more to do with the coach who was such a d***. 

In regards to dugout restrictions, I have never known of that happening in our area, though I'm not sure it's totally of the table. I'm going to try to take this entire situation as a learning experience to grow. I don't like ejections, but I can absolutely see the coach's point of view there. When the umpire won't act on something, you are essentially telling him that he has free leash because there will be no penalties. I guess sometimes there's just no saving them. 

That said, does anyone have any advice on how you try to let careless comments of coaches roll off your back and move past them? That is a hard thing for me to do sometimes.

Thanks,

BabblingBlue68

[SH0102]

@BabblingBlue68the issue isn’t being trigger happy, and despite this guy clearly being an a**hat, you don’t want to go to his next game ready to dump him.  Every game is a new day.

I encourage you to simply work on confidence, which comes with experience, repetitions, and mastery of rules (and protocols such as what’s appealable).  
 

You are there to adjudicate the rules and keep order.  Questioning a call is not by itself ejection worthy, but honestly, 98% of the calls that elicits “oohs” and “come ons” are forgotten during the next at-bat. If you’re confident and in good position, no one really can say anything.

I suspect that as much as the coach has a reputation in your mind, you have one too. If you know the coaches, they know you too, and you self admit you take too much and shy away from ejections.  So guess what, you invite harsh treatment bc yes, most respectable coaches won’t respect you, bc they don’t view you as being competent or confident, which has nothing to do with your skill in being correct on safe/out.

Think of it this way…EVERY close call (“banger”) will upset half the people in attendance.  They happen often. So why doesn’t every single game get out of control? Bc the umpire looks like he knows what he is doing, is in position, looks the part, and is confident in his call. If spoken to, he is professional and calm, if mistreated he commands respect and ejects the person.  So they ooh and ahh and then move on.  Only the most egregious situations and weird rules that no one knows cause issues.

You don’t have to be an assbag matching the coach to get respect. You just have to be composed . You mentioned it got heated, it shouldn’t. If you have to go ape***, it long ago should have been an ejection.

 

[Velho]

@BabblingBlue68 Curious, was this a LL game or some other league?

[BabblingBlue68]

Hello @Velho. This was a LL game at the 50/70 Intermediate level.  

[BabblingBlue68]

It may further be appropriate to add that though I am new to the forum, I am not new to officiating. I have been umpiring youth games for a while now-about 200 games a year on average-up to the Seniors level. Normally, I try to be pretty tolerant because all of my training has been in de-escalating situations. The goal is to avoid confrontation. Normally since I know many of the coaches, I don’t have too much trouble with them because they have a certain level of respect. However, this doesn’t always work. I have had much worse than this coach before, but I think what I need to do is lower my bar for what deserves to be ejected. Sometimes things that I would try to look past I don’t have to look past, I guess. 

[Mister B]

2 hours ago, BabblingBlue68 said:

That said, does anyone have any advice on how you try to let careless comments of coaches roll off your back and move past them? That is a hard thing for me to do sometimes.

I checked with the fans and coaches of the other team and they thought you called a fantastic game.

On close plays, be loud and sell the call. If they ask you to get help, and you have any uncertainty in your call, get help. If you are 100% sure of you call, let the coach know that you don't need help and your call stands. 

Also, once you call, "Foul!" you can't put the cap back on the bottle. There's no appeal. It's foul. 

Finally, have a short memory for the bad stuff. Every game starts as a new game. Most of the coaches will forget what's happened in the past and so should you. I try to remember the coach's name, it's pretty disarming when somebody calmly addresses you by your name. 

[Thatsnotyou]

You don’t have to run right to an ejection - unless it’s ejection worthy. Sometimes what they do or say is grounds for an immediate ticket to their car, however. I only work to keep them in the game if I can work to keep them in the game, if that makes sense. 
 

If it’s not that, then start with warnings. And it doesn’t have to be a formal warning - I’m talking trying to shut it down early, if warranted. 
 

If it’s just a banger, and you get some harmless comments or a “no way” or whatever, I’ll generally just ignore it. There hasn’t been a question asked, nor is it crazy enough to interrupt the game. Let those go. Let them mutter and mope around. Have your ears open for something that crosses a line, but don’t overreact (or even reply) to the frustration comments. As was said, it’ll be over by the next batter and nothing crossed a line that I needed to address. If he wants to talk about it, he’ll come find me at my position. I don’t yell back and forth with coaches defending a call - that’s how we look like idiots. This goes for coaches in the box or in the dugout. 
 

If he’s absolutely screaming at me, and it’s prolonged, now, IMO, I have to respond. If I let a coach scream at me, and ignore it to “de-escalate”, he knows he’s running the show, as I’m afraid to reply. I look weak. And I probably look like I know I got the call wrong. I don’t have to defend the call per se, but you’re not screaming at me from the 3rd base coaches box, nor talking about integrity or other plays, whatever. A hand + “stop” is one of my go to moves (sometimes I’ll mix in a hand + “that’s enough”). Short, sweet, crystal clear. I don’t look like a screaming idiot like him, I’m showing him (and everyone) that I hear him and that this volume/array/length of comments isn’t going to fly here, and that I’m in control. I’m also not arguing or defending the call. My direction is clear - stop. If he doesn’t, I move on to my next step.  Everyone will hear him not stop, if it gets there. He will hang himself out to dry. 

 

I’m general, some tolerance is good. No one wants the official that’s ejecting for ejecting’s sake. But I’d raise your bar on what’s “tolerable” - and how long you let things go. 
 

In your example above, I could probably get away with ignoring his first comments about what? No way! He was safe! Let him air that out, whatever. Even if it’s “loud”. When he addresses me by name, and gets into “you hate my team”, the hard stop sign and forceful “stop/that’s enough” is coming out. I’m not arguing back, defending myself or the call, nothing. I’ve said very little. That’s his warning. Depending on how much longer it goes/what he says next/blowing through my stop signs and couple times telling him to stop it/that’s enough, he may be done. In essence you’ve warned him and did try to keep him in the game - and everyone heard and saw it. Why was he ejected? Well the umpire told him to stop, multiple times, and he didn’t/made it personal/kept yelling. No objective person would label that a bad ejection. If you let a coach continually scream at you, make it personal, etc, he basically owns you for the entirety of that game. 
 

Note, if it’s the third out of an inning (I realize this wasn’t), don’t hang around. Have your ears open, but jog out to RF. If he wants to talk, he’ll trot all the way out there (unlikely). Most times they’ll just yell from the 3b coaches box with their arms out like “aren’t you going to come talk to me?” 
 

YMMV. But that’s something that’s worked for me. You’ll get a feel for ejections, and as someone said, the ones I regret the most are the ones I missed. 
 

[Thatsnotyou]

28 minutes ago, Mister B said:

On close plays, be loud and sell the call. If they ask you to get help, and you have any uncertainty in your call, get help. If you are 100% sure of you call, let the coach know that you don't need help and your call stands. 

Only if it’s a call I’m which you could possibly need help - straight lined, pulled foot, tag, ball came out but blocked, whatever. If it’s a pure judgment call, a banger, a tag play at a base, the call is the call, even if you’re not 100% sure.
 

Coaches can’t just shop calls if they think you missed a banger. Never, ever go to your partner on something like that. If the coach wants you to ask for help, ask him what, specifically, he wants you to ask for help on. “I think he pulled his foot”. Perfect. Yup, I’ll ask. “I think he beat the play and was safe”. No, that’s not a call you go to your partner on.

[ArchAngel72]

Just based on all this taking place at the LL Int. level I would have given him the stop hand and command and then dumped him a few more words later if he did not stop.

LL does not, nor should any organizational ball, tolerate that type of insulting stuff. 

I do not think there is any umpire here who has ever said " Well I look back at that and I should not have run him"

Welcome aboard and enjoy the ride.

 

[BabblingBlue68]

Hello ArchAngel72 and Mister B!

It is nice to meet both of you. I appreciate your warm welcomes into the forum. All of your advice certainly makes a lot of sense. I never did employ the stop sign with the hand and the verbal "stop" in this situation or any other situation. I will be looking to incorporate these in problematic situations going forward and I really hope they help out. I hope that these techniques help to move the game along a little quicker too when there is conflict on the field. Often, it takes quite a while to resolve conflict in our area on the field, and I hope that we will be able to shut down this conflict with firmness. I think overall, as I have said, I will have a slightly shorter fuse than I have had before now and I hope that, as @Kevin_Kquotes @BigUmpire, I can "shoot one monkey" and the rest will start to listen a little better.

Thanks for the advice,

BabblingBlue68

[Kevin_K]

@BabblingBlue68... There is no need to shoot any monkeys until they demonstrate that they want to be.

I have ejected only a handful of coaches in twenty years of umpiring. The ones who needed to go or asked to go through their behavior were properly excused. None of them were personal. All of them, however, were deserved and I have regretted none of them . I have shot only one monkey, and the rest of the troop simmered almost immediately.

Anyone who has seen me on a baseball field knows that I am competent, confident, and willing to listen. I won't yell across a field nor would I expect anyone to yell at me. Participants disagree with me at times and I with them, but there is no need for anyone to be disagreeable. Should they use that approach I make it abundantly clear that decorum will be maintained or one of us will no longer be counted as a participant. The message is usually received fairly quickly.

You mention training in a couple of your later replies. You might do well to engage a camp of some kind that gives the opportunity for working with umpires outside of the LL setting. The perspective on relationships with managers and coaches shifts when parents are not the ones running the team. While there are arguments about calls in almost all levels of baseball, the way the disagreements are handled are much different in many cases. Others on this board have suggested embracing the ideas espoused in Verbal Judo to diffuse and redirect animated coaches. Even if it is only one skill that is improved, either of these efforts might be worth your time.

 

[dumbdumb]

come on guys, don't let this LL president and leadership off the hook. do coaches run the show in this Little League Chapter. Squeeky wheel gets the oil.

I do not think the poster would have to come here, if law ump or several others were running this Little League program/Chapter.

and Presidents of Little League chapters just love to put that on their linkedin profiles.

[HokieUmp]

@BabblingBlue68,

First thing, Imma get to the heart of the specific situation ....

22 hours ago, BabblingBlue68 said:

 The ball was hit and the runner was retired on an extremely close bang-bang force play at first base. I called him out and the coach LOST it. He screamed at me from across the field: "WHAT?! HE'S OUT! WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! HE'S SAFE BY A STEP AT LEAST! THAT'S SO OBVIOUS!! (BabblingBlue68) I KNOW YOU DON'T LIKE ME AND I KNOW YOU HATE MY TEAM, BUT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, CALL A FAIR GAME! ......

..... right about there - if not over the tail-part of that last sentence right there - the transcript of this should read "[Umpire tears rotator cuff making EJ motion while saying] You're done, Coach!" 

If you actually DON'T like him, that's a solid sign you're a good judge of character.  Dude's an asshat.  But never mind that - he's in the middle of calling you a cheat and making biased calls against him and his team.  THAT'S ALL YOU NEED TO HEAR.  Get him gone, and make your life pleasant again.  It's been addressed - "keeping coaches in the game" is a bad play, for you and those after you, and they won't take it as being nice;  they'll ramp up further.

And to the post @dumbdumbmade:  if this is a "house league," as I call it, then a report of this game should be made to the league leadership.  Since you didn't toss him, it's not really an ejection report, but an "incident report" should be done, and frankly, if there's a history of this kind of behaviour from him and/or others, it maybe should be expanded to include that.  If you have a "head umpire," perhaps escalate it through him, to get more weight on it.

But at the same time, you need to get rid of people as needed on the spot.  "Prolonged, personal, or profane" are the generic criteria, and accusations of bias/cheating are easily under the 'personal' category.  The ejections you regret are the ones you don't make.

[Velho]

51 minutes ago, dumbdumb said:

don't let this LL president and leadership off the hook

Agreed and why I asked. This in 1) LL and 2) fall ball (i.e. the rec of rec that is Intermediate LL). It's a shame.

I've personally come to the realization that we LL umps (at least in my area) take and allow too much bull-pucky. I still have not had an ejection yet* but have very much changed my mindset in the last 2 years. Not that I'm now trigger happy (obviously) but am definitely applying I-A-W-E forcefully and consistently (to success I believe. My death stare is pretty good I've been told).

Even if the president, UIC, etc. don't like it. What are they going to do? Fire me? From a volunteer job? I don't think so. 😁

 

* There are two that weigh on me. One in my first year (8 years ago) that was a no brainer in hindsight (and only 50% as bad as the OP). The other just end of last year (AS championship game) that I'm still mulling how to have prevented it getting so far in the first place. I think I could have nipped it in the bud and kept everyone in the game. 

[ArchAngel72]

2 minutes ago, HokieUmp said:

  The ejections you regret are the ones you don't make.

 

THIS is the quote and or line I was looking for.. I kicked it as per usual

[Senor Azul]

Not only should you follow the good advice given thus far, but you would also have rules support for an ejection. The following is taken from the 2020 Little League Rules Instruction Manual—rule 4.06(b) and its related Instructor’s Comments--

4.06 - No manager, coach or player, shall at any time, whether from the bench or the playing field or elsewhere –

(a)  use language which will in any manner refer to or reflect upon opposing players, manager, coach, an umpire or spectators;

INSTRUCTOR'S COMMENTS:

➔ Language from anyone that reflects badly upon opposing players, manager, coach, an umpire or spectators. Penalty is ejection.

[LRZ]

I will add that a coach like that is a terrible role model, especially for young players, like LLers. Getting rid of him might be a good lesson for them, and some of them might even appreciate how smoothly things will go without the offender.

[BigBlue4u]

I  would have ejected him without comment from right here: He screamed at me from across the field: "I KNOW YOU DON'T LIKE ME AND I KNOW YOU HATE MY TEAM, BUT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, CALL A FAIR GAME! JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE ME DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD BE CALLING AGAINST US!" 

 

!) He is screaming (your description) at you and 2) He is questioning your integrity.   The problem is, that at this level, you have a lot of inexperienced coaches /managers and inexperienced umpires.  The other problem, is that inexperienced umpires have very little game management skills.  The same goes for coaches and managers.  When a coach or manager crosses the line like this one did, your very best move is to eject him immediately.  It's something that apparently other umpires have failed to do.  At least one thing is for sure, he'll know he can't be doing that with you in the future.  A very well known major league umpire makes a good point.  "I don't lose any sleep over the managers or players I have ejected, I lose sleep over the  managers and players I should have ejected but didn't."

[Senor Azul]

More support from the LL RIM—first from the universal regulations in the front matter of the rule book and then from rule 9.02(a)--

XIV – FIELD DECORUM

(a) The actions on or off the field, of players, managers, coaches, umpires, and league officials must be above reproach. Any player, manager, coach, umpire, or league representative who is involved in a verbal or physical altercation, or an incident of unsportsmanlike conduct, at the game site or any other Little League activity including through online or social media, is subject to disciplinary action by the local league Board of Directors (or by the district, if the Senior League is administered as a district operation).

9.02(a) INSTRUCTOR'S COMMENTS:

➔ Judgment calls cannot be argued. Umpires should not engage a manager in a debate nor go to their partner for help if a manager disputes a call that was based purely on the umpire’s judgment (e.g., throw beat the runner or not, tag beat the runner or not). It is proper for an umpire to ask his/her partner for help with regard to facts pertinent to the play (ball was on the ground, swipe tag made/not, pulled foot or not) if the calling umpire has doubt. The calling umpire may seek factual assistance from his/her partner whether the Manager asks or not.