Re: whose call?

[QBUA]

Play: Runner on 2nd, 1 out.
1st play: Ground ball hit to 3rd baseman, ball thrown to first base, umpires call "SAFE, OFF THE BAG",
2nd play: B1 throws ball to third.

Base umpire has both plays.
The base umpire covers the play at 1st base, then tracks back to 3rd for the next play.
The plate umpire stands back and observes the batter-runner going to 1st for possible interference by the runner on the baseman. Second responsibility the PU has is for a possible ball thrown out of play at 1st.
Then knowing that there is a play at 3rd, observes the play at 3rd only, making sure that the runner touches the base if that runner tries to score. Also, PU has to turn to 3rd to see if the ball gets away and a possible thrown ball out of play.

I have seen the situation of 2 umpires making calls on the same play before, seen it at the U12 tournament at Indians on Saturday. This is a situation where the umpire do not or do not what to know their individual responsibilities and not having a meeting before the game to understand and work out who has what responsibility on plays.

In regards to "what if no umpire See's a play", you can not do anything really, they have to wear it, and hopefully, their call is the same as if they did see it.

Umpires only do the level O course, it is hard to fill their minds with everything in the hours we try to teach them, they may have missed the instruction. Level 1 courses cover responsibilities more, and the on field work is more intense.

We, the QBUA are always asking clubs and regions if they need some help or feed back, via question and answer days or nights.
We never get a response.

[bobbybillabong]

Feb 22, 2010 18:02:20 GMT 10 T said:

runner ends up being called safe because neither umpire saw it. <snip> what can be done when both umpires miss a play?

I wonder if it was actually that neither saw it (seems hard to credit given that they watched the throw, catch and base tag at first, but then apparently didn't watch the throw to third). Nothing happens without the ball. Perhaps each saw it, but each thought the other had the call (hence the subject line!)

The call at third in this situation is a hard one to make as a base umpire because of the distance and angle. The plate umpire has to stay at home because the runner at second might score on an overthrow to first.

[QBUA]

Bobby, I have deleted some postings as requested.
It's an unusual one hey.
Modified my reply on the play for information for who ever has a look, hopefully Level O's and 1's.

[bobbybillabong]

Feb 22, 2010 19:50:29 GMT 10 QBUA said:

We, the QBUA are always asking clubs and regions if they need some help or feed back, via question and answer days or nights.
We never get a response.

I suspect it's more a case of they don't know what they don't know, rather than anything else.
I find a lot of misconceptions about big R Rules (ie OABR) and little r rules (ie GBL bylaws & BQ rules). Some are 'legacy' things (ie this is how we used to do it, we did this in a tournament once, we did this in U16 so it must apply to U20); some are misreadings; and some are probably just persistent baseball myths (home plate is foul, wrists breaking on check swing).
No easy solution to getting clubs to be more aware of what they don't know, and hence seek guidance. Perhaps QBUA (the organisation, not the poster!) could do some friendly quality assurance visits to grounds when there are a couple of games on and club umpires working, and offer some coaching/mentoring.