News for Blues CCSUA South

Transcription

1 News fr Blues CCSUA Suth February 2013 Vlume 5, Number 6 In This Issue Fcus and Preparatin Imprtant Assigners Infrmatin Fd fr Thught Reality VS. Perceptin Rules crner Mechanics Game Management Pht Crner Link t Arbiter NCAA Apprved Bat List Cntact Us CCSUA infrmatin Training questins Newsletter suggestins Rules questins MESSAGE FROM: Greg Schmidt, CCSUA Chairman, SUP Reginal Advisr Hell Everyne, the seasn is fast appraching. Nw is the time t take the test if yu have nt. Remember yu must take and pass the SUP test t be eligible fr pst seasn play fr all divisins. Test clses midnight eastern standard time n Friday, February 15. Did yu receive yur Rule Bk and Manual after yur registratin? If nt cntact Arbiter Supprt: Having prblems? Let ur supprt team assist yu. Phne sup@arbitersprts.cm Supprt Hurs Mnday--Thursday 5:00 am t 7:00 pm MT Friday 5:00 am t 5:00 pm MT Saturday 8:00 am t 2:00 pm MT Please g t the NCAA Sftball Central Hub Hme Plate. There are tw new pstings fr Prcedural Changes, a Unifrm update and Manual Mechanics update. A revised 2- umpire mechanics prtin f the Manual will be available at the end f next week, plus mre t cme! S check back ften. There is a difference in the In-Field fly signal diagrams nted in the Rule bk vs. the Manual. We will use the diagram in the Manual in all cases n the field. Anyne wh needs help r has a questin please cntact me fr assistance. Lking frward t a great seasn! Greg Schmidt CCSUA Chairman SUP Reginal Advisr (818) , rrbluegreg@verizn.net CCSUA Newsletter Page 1

2 FOCUS AND PREPARTION SEASON IS HERE! Nw that the seasn has begun Fcus and Preparatin is a must fr every game thrughut the seasn. In January s newsletter we listed several key pints that shuld be addressed each and every game: 1. Accept yur games and write them dwn in yur calendar bk. Give yurself additinal time t be able t arrive at yur games at least ne-hur prir t start time. 2. Be physically FIT!! Exercise, eat right and get rest! D nt ver extend yurself with accepting mre games than yu can handle due t wrk and persnal bligatins. 3. Prfessinalism! Dress apprpriately t all games. Preferred acceptable attire is Pl Shirt and slacks, r track Suit bttms r wind pants. N baseball hats, casual gym r heavy sweat suits attire, and n Cllege Lg affiliatin n any attire. If yu are the Plate r Crew Chief Umpire, cntact yur partner(s) and caching/event staff by several days prir t yur game. Cnduct yurself apprpriately befre, during and after yur games. Have a gd PRE-GAME AND POST-GAME with yur partner(s). Print ut the abve-three main tpics n a separate sheet and keep it in a ntebk binder alng with a pre-game and pst-game list t assist yu with being prepared fr every game. Als, include a cpy f yur schedule, which will have yur partner(s) cntact number listed. This will allw yu t cntact them immediately if yu need t cmmunicate with them n any changes that may have ccurred while yu were driving r upn yur arrival at the gamesite lcatin. IMPORTANT ASSIGNORS INFORMATION REMINDER!! Frm Janne, Jim and Rich: 1. RAINOUTS- If a cach ffers yu the make-up game and yu can wrk it, say yes and then ntify the Assignr s they can add the make-up date in the Arbiter. If yu cannt wrk the date, let the Assignr knw that they ffered yu the make-up date, but yu are unavailable n that date. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTACT THE COLLEGE CCSUA Newsletter Page 2

3 Print the Rainut Plicy that is listed in the Arbiter under LISTS/FORMS Suthern Califrnia is widespread. It may be raining where yu are, but dry 5-miles frm yu. If there are weather issues in suthern Califrnia n game day, cntact yur partner that mrning. Cntact yur partner a minimum f 3-days ahead f all games, nt just weather related. Discuss unifrm, arrival time and parking. Respnsibility t cntact the cllege: Divisin-I Crew Chief Divisin-II Crew Chief Divisin-III/SCIAC Plate Umpire n game-1 NAIA/GSAC Plate Umpire n game-1 Cmmunity Clleges Plate Umpire n game-1 As a reminder fr Cllege games: Mist...Drizzle...Rain...Wind Yu can play in MIST When it turns t DRIZZLE start t watch fr wet bases, ball slipping frm hands, unsure fting. We can t play in RAIN, r we lse the field. Pull the players in the dugut and suspend the game t see if the rain cell will pass by. Wind gusts make it uncmfrtable t play, but when it affects the student athlete s fcus it may becme dangerus. Rarely d we suspend/call a game due t wind. Dn t let the caches make the call. Of curse ne will want t quit when their team has a lead. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTACT THE COLLEGE Use the SAMPLE in the Arbiter in LISTS/FORMS and cmmunicate with the cllege at least 2- days prir t yur game. Hwever, even thugh yu started the cmmunicatin it s usually up t yu t keep it ging. The hme schl staff usually remembers t let the visiting cach knw, but they tend t frget the fficials. With an in frnt f them they will have yur telephne number easily accessible. If yu are ging t be busy n the mrning f a game, then cntact the cllege, and let them knw hw t reach yu, in case there are any changes. Cntact them n game day arund 9 a.m. Mst caches use text nw, s that wuld be a gd way t start the cmmunicatin. If yu dn t hear frm them within a few minutes, call them. If yu dn t reach them, call the persn(s listed in the Arbiter fr that cllege. CCSUA Newsletter Page 3

4 There is a pint f cntact at clleges. Here is the rder f cntact prtcl: Divisin 1 Event Manager...Sprts Inf Directr/Assciate AD Divisin 2 Sprts Inf Directr/Assciate AD...then the cach if yu fail t reach them Divisin 3 Head Cach...Athletic Secretary...Athletics Office NAIA Head Cach...Athletics Office Cmmunity Head Cach...Athletic Secretary...Athletic Office 2. GAME REPORTS - If yu are the plate umpire, yu must cmplete a Game Reprt n the Arbiter. A game reprt shuld include a quick summary f: rain issues; remval f bats; sprtsmanship issues; illegal pitches; ejectins; prtest; field/grunds keeping situatins, etc. If additinal Incident reprts need t be cmpleted fr illegal bats, ejectins r prtest, please d s within 72 hurs, preferably 24 hurs. The current BAT list is dated January 14, Please make sure that all caches have this list with their bats highlighted and the cunt nted next t the bats their team is using. Yu can remind them f this prtcl in yur pre-cntact and again at yur check-in meeting with them upn yur arrival t the field. This will help t eliminate delays when checking the bats prir t the game. Besides the bats must be nted n the list, yu must als check the bats fr cracks, dents, rattles, etc. When yu have t remve a bat fr any issue, yu must cmplete an Incident Reprt. 3. If yu are wrking the Califrnia Cmmunity Clleges, d NOT send the Incident Reprt t Dee Abrahamsn as nted n the reprt. As mentined at ur meeting, the Incident Reprt shuld be sent t either Rich r Janne. They will send the Incident Reprt directly t the Cnference Cmmissiner fr that specific cllege. 4. ARBITER. A.) If yu are assigned a Duble-Header (DH) and the psitins are nt rtated in the Arbiter, always switch psitins fr the secnd game. B.) Keep yur Arbiter updated, as there will be make-up games available due t the rain thrughut the seasn. C.) Many assignments are adjusted with changes in psitins; yu d nt get an autmatic ntice abut this. Yu need t g back int Arbiter n a regular basis and check yur schedule; d s the day befre every game. FOOD FOR THOUGHT CORNER Always knw the level yu are umpiring, but never umpire dwn t that level, as each team deserves the utmst respect and integrity an umpire demands f themselves when fficiating any game. CCSUA Newsletter Page 4

5 REALITY vs. PERCEPTION Yu re ging t get yelled at. Officials dn t care wh wins, but everyne else invlved in the game cares a lt (sme a whle lt) abut wh wins. As a result f thse facts, yu re ging t get yelled at. Yu re ging t get called sme names. It desn t matter hw right-n yur calls are, it desn t matter hw clse the scre is r what level yu re wrking, yu re ging t get yelled at. Nbdy likes getting called a name r tw r three r fur eyes. But if yu lve what yu d and yu knw that jeers cme with the territry, as lng as they dn t crss the line, fficials shuld tune them ut r better yet, embrace them. There s a saying that ges: If yu want t fficiate yu ve gt t lve it when they b. In yur next ballgame, cnsider thse jeers frm clueless fans and caches, wh ften dn t knw any better. The abve-mentined statement is anther principle frm the Referee Magazine article regarding REALITY vs. PERCEPTION. If yu are sensitive and struggle with fans that are behind a fence making cmments then maybe yu shuld think twice abut remaining an fficial, as the jeers are here t stay. Nte that there are sme jeers/cmments that are unacceptable frm any cach, player, management staff and/r fan at any time. If a fan has cmpletely crssed the line in using wrds r verbal threats r actins twards yu r yur partner(s), immediately cntact the On-Site Administratr r Game Management Persnnel t handle the situatin apprpriately. RULES CORNER The answer t last mnth s rule questin regarding what are the cnditins fr a substitute pitcher t be cnsidered fficially in the game can be fund n page 84, Sectin This mnth rule s trivia questin is: D yu knw the difference in the Effects between a Fair Batted Blcked Ball cntacting lse ffense equipment vs. cntacting lse equipment belnging t the defense? The answer will be nted in ur February Newsletter. Catcher s Obstructin: Rule states, The catcher shall nt bstruct, hinder r prevent the batter s attempt t make cntact with a pitch ball. The Effect is a Delayed dead ball (read pages 88 and 89 in its entirety t knw the ptins directly related t Catcher s Obstructin. In the Effect sectin f this rule the fllwing CCSUA Newsletter Page 5

6 statement is nt enfrced prperly and can be prtested at any time: (b) Exceptin: If the catcher steps n r in frnt f hme plate r tuches the batter r her bat while a pitched ball is n the way t the plate and there is a base runner n third base attempting t scre n a squeeze play, each runner advances ne base withut liability t be put ut whether FORCED OR NOT. This exceptin is very unique, as the penalty fr this squeeze play f bstructin by the catcher advances the base runners n matter what their base status is at the time f the bstructin, which is cmpletely different that a nrmal Catcher s Obstructin Effect. MECHANICS 2-UMPIRE MECHANICS As nted by Greg Schmidt, a revised 2-Umpire mechanics prtin f the Manual will be psted n the SUP Central Hub at the end f next week. As sn as it is psted, we will make sure t pst it n ur CCSUA Arbiter page and New CCSUA Central Hub, as all f us wrk 2-Umpire mechanics thrughut the seasn. DIAGRAMS: In the 2012 Manual the SUP prvided us with a multitude f diagrams t assist us fr varius situatins in a Perfect r Nrmal game. These diagrams have cntinued t be included in the 2013 Manual and shuld be reviewed thrughut the seasn, as they are really helpful in explaining and guiding yu t standard psitins and mvements fr game situatins. GAME MANAGEMENT Respnding Skills are the number-ne skill In reviewing ther principles frm the Referee Magazine article regarding REALITY vs. PERCEPTION, we thught this wuld be a perfect time t add the fllwing statement as seasn begins: It s nt the call yu made that will be remembered; it s hw yu reacted t the bjectins f the caches and players. If yur first reactin is t eject the cach, yu wn t have a lng career as a Cllege fficial. Yu ll be deemed unapprachable and yur assigner wn t have anywhere that he r she can send yu. On the ther hand, if yu can keep yur emtins in check, while bringing their (caches) levels f anger and frustratin dwn, yu will be a successful fficial at any level. They might still disagree with yur call, but they understand what yu saw and they will have been affrded the pprtunity t be heard. That desn t mean yu can t respnd with CCSUA Newsletter Page 6

7 thse severe penalties, but they shuldn t be yur first ptin, unless warranted. Let the cach have his r her say, respnd in an even-keeled tne and nly when he r she desn t get the pint, use ther ptins. When using ther ptins t de-escalate a situatin, always keep in mind that a warning may be suitable fr the mment at hand, unless a cach r player has ttally crssed the line in their verbal cmmunicatin; bdy language r antics, such as thrwing equipment r sliding n the grund t prve a pint while ludly being abusive tward yu r yur partner (s). If any f these kinds f actins take place an ejectin is warranted withut a warning, as nted in the Rule Bk under Sectin 13. PHOTO CORNER Thanks t Janne Venditt, Jim Jhnsn and Rich Khlen fr cntributing t this mnth s newsletter! Knwledge is Pwer and Experience is the best teacher. CCSUA Newsletter Page 7