Part XX of Why Youth Sports Umpires and Referees are Calling it Quits!

For what is often called “a simple kid’s game” baseball has a lot of rules, some of which don’t come into play very often. Things like the “infield fly rule” or “slide or avoid contact”, among other rules, are often misunderstood by coaches. Sometimes, even veteran coaches are misinformed, and when they question an umpire, become argumentative when the umpire explains the rule, and the coach insists he’s right and the umpire’s wrong.

In a close game with one out and runners on first and second, the infield fly rule was in effect. A low, flare-like popup landed on the infield between the pitcher, second baseman and first baseman. The batter made it to first and the runners advanced easily. For an “infield fly rule” to be called and enforced, it must be a fly ball that is considered a routine catch. If a fielder has to run and make a spectacular, diving catch, that is not considered routine. In this case, if anyone had been able to make a catch, it would not have been considered “routine”. Immediately, the coach yelled “THAT WAS AN INFIELD FLY AND THE BATTER SHOULD BE OUT!”

When the umpire tried explaining the rule, the coach defiantly said to the umpire “You’re wrong, it was a fly ball that landed in the infield and the batter should be out! After going back and forth a couple of times, the umpire said to the coach, “We’re done talking about this, check the rule and you’ll see I’m right!” Fortunately for the coach, he didn’t continue arguing about this or might have gotten himself ejected from the game.

Umpires are usually more than happy to explain a rule to a coach, but it’s very aggravating to umpires when an unnecessary argument ensues because a coach doesn’t understand a rule, but insists he does. Contrary to popular belief of many casual observers of baseball and all youth sports, most umpires and referees do not like having heated discussions with coaches or spectators, and dislike even more having to eject anyone. Having heated discussions and having to eject coaches or spectators who can’t behave are reasons why we have such a shortage of officials today. You’ll notice I haven’t mentioned umpires having to deal with players who don’t behave properly. In my opinion, and in the opinion of most umpires, players are rarely the problem. Although there are occasional issues with players, far more often parents and coaches are the problem.

Next time I’ll talk about a coach who got ejected from a game for a completely needless argument over a rule he didn’t know.

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Randy Corwin is a veteran Massachusetts youth baseball umpire and author of the book, OBNOXIOUS PARENTS AND RUTHLESS COACHES, which is now available at Amazon Books, Barnes and Noble’s online bookstore, and at Escape Into Fiction in Franklin, MA. This post is part twenty of a series of articles based on the book.