USSSA Baseball Question

[goro25]

So , just started coaching (assistant) 9U travel ball. First tournament this last weekend. We have a kid leading off at second base and the SS is literally 6-12 inches from my runners ear yelling, "BACK! BACK! BACK!" incessantly as loud as he can. Just Bush League garbage.

Seems that it should be obstruction to me or unsportsmanlike at the very least. With that kid in his ear, there's no way he'll be able to concentrate or hear his base coaches.

Umps let it go. Manager thought it was legal and didn't want to say anything to the ump even though it pissed us all off. This is the type of thing that would be self-policed at an older age even if it were legal.

So, is it legal? Could it be considered obstruction? Looking out for next time in case it happens again. I'm sure we'll see that team in the future.

 

[jsam21238]

So... he is 6" away from your runner's ear without touching him? That's talent.

No it isn't illegal as he could very well be talking to his 2nd baseman...

Now... I love how all of the sudden it has become taboo for the defense to chatter while in the field or the offense to make noise in the dugout... all under the guise of "sportsmanship". When you played youth ball... who didn't do the "Hey batter batter" routine?

 

[goro25]

Don't be a dumbass. I'm not talking about chatter. Yes, he was directly behind my runners right shoulder, leaning forward, yelling into his ear hole.

 

[BretMan]

If I was the umpire here I'd tell the kid to stop it and tell his coach to not have his runners do that.

Most amateur baseball rule sets have rules against verbal obstruction and unsportsmanlike conduct. Nip this in the bud before it escalates.

At this age level the players don't know what they're doing, the coaches don't know what they're doing, and the umpires don't know what they're doing. You see stuff like this that usually goes away as the kids get older.

 

[dblemup]

If I was the umpire here I'd tell the kid to stop it and tell his coach to not have his runners do that.

Most amateur baseball rule sets have rules against verbal obstruction and unsportsmanlike conduct. Nip this in the bud before it escalates.

At this age level the players don't know what they're doing, the coaches don't know what they're doing, and the umpires don't know what they're doing. You see stuff like this that usually goes away as the kids get older.

Maybe the most accurate statement ever written on SBF...

 

[rhound50]

So... he is 6" away from your runner's ear without touching him? That's talent.

No it isn't illegal as he could very well be talking to his 2nd baseman...

Now... I love how all of the sudden it has become taboo for the defense to chatter while in the field or the offense to make noise in the dugout... all under the guise of "sportsmanship". When you played youth ball... who didn't do the "Hey batter batter" routine?

This is not correct, obstruction can be verbal. If the umpire feels that he is doing this to disrupt the runner instead of communicate with his teammates, its the same as if he was physically impeding the runner.

 

[jsam21238]

USSSA does not have a verbal obstruction... it isn't in the USSSA baseball rule book and anything that isn't covered in their book is governed by OBR... and there is no verbal obstruction in OBR either.

 

[BretMan]

1) The USSSA rule says that the fielder can't "impede the progress of a runner" (if not in possession of/fielding the ball).

Nothing there says that the impediment can't be verbal.

2) I would judge getting 6"-12" from a players ear and inessantly screaming as loud as you can as unsportsmanlike.

 

[nanne1]

Runner should kick his legs back as if trying to get good traction or getting ready to run. If the SS gets a cleat in the shin, oh well.

The problem(s) with this theory is that a SS at this age is usually the most physically mature and the runners might be intimidated by his actions. So, when you're small kid is on second, don't worry about it. Wait until your biggest and meanest kid is on 2nd to have him kick back at the SS.

I've seen SS's circle in front of a runner, kick up dust around a runner, and even kick the back of a runner's heels (this crosses the line for me). A couple of times I've yelled out a kid, hey that's nice SS, we all see you kicking the back of the runner's heels. Believe, me, everyone in attendance hears it and starts looking. Funny thing is that the last time I remember yelling this was while our team was waiting to play. I just happened to notice it and it ticked me off. I'm normally very quiet during games, so all the other parents were startled that I started yelling about a game that our kids weren't even involved in.

 

[eddieq]

Runner should kick his legs back as if trying to get good traction or getting ready to run. If the SS gets a cleat in the shin, oh well.

The problem(s) with this theory is that a SS at this age is usually the most physically mature and the runners might be intimidated by his actions. So, when you're small kid is on second, don't worry about it. Wait until your biggest and meanest kid is on 2nd to have him kick back at the SS.

I've seen SS's circle in front of a runner, kick up dust around a runner, and even kick the back of a runner's heels (this crosses the line for me). A couple of times I've yelled out a kid, hey that's nice SS, we all see you kicking the back of the runner's heels. Believe, me, everyone in attendance hears it and starts looking. Funny thing is that the last time I remember yelling this was while our team was waiting to play. I just happened to notice it and it ticked me off. I'm normally very quiet during games, so all the other parents were startled that I started yelling about a game that our kids weren't even involved in.

This entire post is a prime example of everything wrong with youth sports.

 

[BigSam]

This entire post is a prime example of everything wrong with youth sports.

And from the other side of things, that was a prime example of why WE UMPIRES need to shut down idiot behavior using the rules. Because when the umpires won't call something, people dream up their own "fixes" which almost always involve some sort of soft violent behavior. Everything from fake tags and sliding with spikes up, the game dissolves into chaos.

That said, so many youth coaches need a giant **** punch. Just in general. Your entire job is to provide an environment for young athletes to grow in the game and have fun. Stop being aholes.

 

[eddieq]

And from the other side of things, that was a prime example of why WE UMPIRES need to shut down idiot behavior using the rules. Because when the umpires won't call something, people dream up their own "fixes" which almost always involve some sort of soft violent behavior. Everything from fake tags and sliding with spikes up, the game dissolves into chaos.

That said, so many youth coaches need a giant **** punch. Just in general. Your entire job is to provide an environment for young athletes to grow in the game and have fun. Stop being aholes.

Agreed. But really, if I miss an obstruction call (either because I didn't see/recognize it or because I'm a moron) that doesn't give the players an excuse to spike each other or even for an idiot parent to start screaming his fool head off.

 

[nanne1]

I totally agree with the responses to my post.

However, if the SS is kicking the heels of the runner, what do you do as an ump?

 

[eddieq]

I totally agree with the responses to my post.

However, if the SS is kicking the heels of the runner, what do you do as an ump?

Eject him and the coach for unsportsmanlike conduct.

 

[BigSam]

if the SS is kicking the heels of the runner, what do you do as an ump?

Punch him in his... no, hold on. What he said. ^