Unfortunately there have been too many instances where a sports official involved in a youth game has been threatened or assaulted by a fan, coach, or athlete, simply because they disagreed with said officials’ call. It’s enough to make some officials question why they take part in officiating at all. Although there have been some talk at various levels of government about protecting the health and well-being of officials, nothing much has progressed along these lines.

That may be about to change, at least in certain states. In Washington and New Jersey, there are bills being introduced to keep amateur referees safe during youth sports contests.

In one of the most notable incidents that took place in New Jersey during 2022, a coach punched a 72-year-old (YES, 72!!!) umpire during a youth baseball game in Branchburg after arguing a call and being ejected from the game. The umpire suffered a broken jaw that required surgery.

Under the NJ proposal, someone who commits a simple assault against a sports official, coach, player, or participant at a school of community sponsored youth event in New Jersey would now face up to 18 months in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

The Washington bill was brought to light by Bob West, a former local wrestling referee who was severely injured by a wrestler in the mid-90s, who didn’t like how West was calling the match.

For over a decade, West has been proposing a protection law for referees, which will allow anyone who’s attacking referees verbally and physically to be charged with assault. If passed, the bills that will protect transit drivers, firefighters, and law enforcement officers, will add sports officials to this list. Unprovoked attacks have gotten out of hand in Washington, as well as the rest of the U.S.

Let’s hope these bills see the light of day to become laws soon, so fans, coaches and athletes can use ONLY their voice to respectively disagree with an officials’ call, and then move on with their lives.

#officials #umpires #referees

The game has come a long way from the days of the Babe, Ted Williams and the Say Hey Kid. While showing replays of pitches that may or may not have been called correctly by good, old fashioned umpires has been around for awhile, The New York Times has come up with a new “game” that puts fans behind the plate.

You Be the Ump will let you decide whether a pitch should be called a ball or a strike, and then provide the correct answer after a choice is made. Click the link below to give the game a spin:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/sports/baseball/umpire-pitch-ball-strike-game.html

This simulation is meant to illustrate what all of our umpire customers have known since their first game behind the plate – that numerous pitches thrown throughout each game can be classified as borderline.

So if you have any non-umpire friends who occasionally tell you that calling balls and strikes isn’t that difficult, send them this link so they can get a taste of what it’s like to work in your plate shoes.

#umpires #baseballumps

It wasn’t a huge game on the schedule as far as national notoriety goes. However the Washington State-Oregon game back in September may go down in infamy for action that did NOT involve any players.

It seems there was major confusion among the officiating crew as to whether a down was SKIPPED (yes, you are reading that correctly). If you didn’t see or read about the game, here’s what happened:

Washington State QB Cameron Ward threw the ball out of bounds while in the pocket and nobody was in the vicinity on first down. By rule, this would be intentional grounding and loss of down.

The referees officiating the game called it Third down, instead of second. This meant that Washington State ran a draw then punted to Oregon, the ball over to the Ducks.

After the Cougars punted to The Ducks, the referees during the commercial break explained that they messed up in making it fourth down instead of third. So, Washington State got to redo the down they didn’t get, on third and 17. They ended up punting the ball back.

It was pointed out that In the event that referees make a mistake such as this, they can go back and redo the down they skipped over as long as the opposing team does not begin their next drive. So the refs reviewed it and gave the ball back.

One lesson to take away from this blunder is the value of down indicators. But Smitteez has you covered with this. Find these and other football accessories at https://www.smitteez.com/index.php/categories/football-referee-accessories

When Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas recovered a fumble and ran it back for a 34-yard touchdown recently against New Orleans Saints, to say that his emotions got the best of him was an understatement.  Earl was so giddy and full of joy that the first thing he did after scoring was, hug the nearest referee.  The official who was the recipient of Thomas’ affection, Alex Kemp, was probably as shocked as any human could be when Thomas approached him.  After all, most of each game is spent hearing players, coaches and fans yelling at them for numerous issues they disagree with. Who would have thought an official would be getting a bear hug in the middle of a game?

Only one small problem, Earl.  Physical contact with an official is a no-no.

At least Kemp seemed to show his appreciation for said affection – tossing the flag with a smile on his face.  We’re willing to bet that was the hardest (and weirdest) penalty he ever had to call.

 

So the lesson of the day for all sports officials – be prepared for the most unusual events to take place during your game.  You never know how will people will behave during a contest (even if it’s something that makes you smile).

As a sports official, you always have a lot on your mind.  Rules and recent changes, scheduled game – you know the deal.  On top of that it seems every year there is a state or association mandated change to your uniform.  Whether it’s a color change, logo change or something entirely new to add, it can be maddening to stay on track, to say the least.

To make matters worse in some cases, there is only one supplier you are allowed to go to for these changes or additions to your wardrobe.  Some of these sources are outlets that you are familiar with and like, others you never have done business with, and may not be sure of what to expect.   We at Smitteez know it’s a competitive landscape out there, and all of us suppliers would like to do as much business with associations as possible.   With that said, it sometimes makes things difficult if you are forced to do business with a supplier that charges over-the-top prices, or has less than dependable service and turn-arounds.   What’s an official to do?  What are your thoughts?  Please let us know what you think of assigned vendors for your association. We’d love to hear from you!

Last month we told you about proposed changes that were expected to be implemented for the 2016 Major League Baseball Season.  Now we hear there are three they will emphatically enforce come the first pitch this weekend.  We will have to wait and see how often these rules will be enforced, and in the case of the “neighborhood play”, how controversial these calls (or no-calls) may be…

1. Timed meetings on the mound

The time-honored tradition of managers or pitching coaches gathering on the mound to discuss matters will be set to a timer beginning in 2016. No longer will the umpire decide when enough is enough before breaking up the party. According to the rule change, these powwows now have a maximum duration of 30 seconds.

2. Breaks between innings shortened again

Last year, MLB installed clocks to limit the breaks between innings to two minutes and 30 seconds. According to officials, this change knocked a healthy six minutes off the average game time in 2015. Buoyed by that success, MLB and the player’s union agreed to knock another 20 seconds off the break between innings, shaving it to 2:10. Now players, broadcasters, and grounds crew members will have to hustle back to their places in a flash — almost a minute faster than they did in 2014.

Although this will inevitably speed up the game (in theory), it will have a few unintended side-effects.  For example, what about all of those sing-along traditions during the seventh inning stretch?  Will they be grandfathered in, or pardoned while the other inning breaks are sped up?  We shall see…

3. Questionable slides and “neighborhood play”

And the biggest, and most closely watched for sure, given what took place in last year’s NLCS between the Mets and Dodgers, will be the takeout slides at second base.”Rolling block” slides resembling tackles are banned, as are kicks or swipes above the knee.

According to the revised rule, the player has to begin sliding before touching the base; has to be able to touch the bag with his hand or foot; must be able to hold the base upon completion; and cannot change directions to make it nastier on the infielder. Runners going from home to first would be called out on interference if the rule is broken.

While these measures serve to protect, a separate rule change on the neighborhood play will actually put more infielders in harm’s way. Instead of being able to mock the tag at second in order to avoid a runner barreling into the base, infielders must now definitively touch second to record the out. Infielders now have to touch or the runner will be safe, and runners have fewer weapons to deploy in the takeout slide.

It’s that time of the year again.  MLB teams are reporting to Florida and Arizona  for spring training, and the powers-that-be are trying to figure out how to speed up the game even more so than last year.   MLB implemented some rule changes last season to speed things up, with mixed results. Batters had to keep one foot in the batter’s box after taking a pitch, and clocks were installed at each ballpark to ensure the inning started right after the commercial break ended.

Yes, that was a commendable first attempt to relieve the boredom that creeps in to some drawn out games.  So now according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, even more pace-of-play rule changes may be coming in 2016. MLB and the MLBPA have not finalized any plans but they are working towards an agreement. It’s being reported that the two sides are focusing on two items in particular:

1. In an attempt to remove the slow walk to the mound or the stalling tactics once there, managers will be requested to make in-game pitching changes more quickly, with the possibility of having a time limit for making the decision to call for a reliever.

2. Twenty seconds would be sliced off the between-inning clock, first used last year, in non-nationally televised games. The commercial breaks in such games are 2:05. Last year, the clock was set at 2:25 at the end of a half-inning, with the idea the hitter would get in the box with 20 seconds remaining on the clock and the pitcher would deliver by zero.

Cutting down on stall tactics during pitching changes is a great idea, assuming clubs don’t figure out a way to game the system. Last season managers were told to signal for a replay challenge from the dugout in an effort to save time, though that only led to players standing around as the manager waiting for the thumbs up from the video folks in the clubhouse.

The average time of game dropped from 3:02 in 2014 to 2:56 in 2015 thanks to the pace-of-play measures. Again, MLB’s intent is not to shorten games. They want to cut down on the downtime within games. Less standing around, basically. I don’t think pace-of-play is a critical issue, but it can be improved. I’m on board.

A 20-second pitch clock was used at the Double-A and Triple-A levels last season, and the average game time was reduced 12 minutes from 2014. Pitchers have 20 seconds from the time they have possession of the ball to begin their delivery, and batters have to be ready in the box. Pitchers who violate the pitch clock are charged with a ball, batters a strike.

Many players have spoken out against pitch clocks and it doesn’t seem like we’ll see them in MLB anytime soon. They’re being tested in the minors right now — that also allows future big leaguers to get used to the rules — and will remain in place for the foreseeable future. For now, MLB will try to eliminate downtime in other ways.

So here’s to reducing the average time of a game even further , and raising the fans interest even that much more.

The NFL is going out of its way to maker sure it isn’t hit with any high-profile officiating mistakes in the playoffs. Already mired in a slew of questionable game outcomes that have coaches, players and fans seething nearly very Sunday, the league announced this past Wednesday that beginning this postseason, there will be a slight adjustment to officiating procedures.

Under the new policy, which was recommended by the Competition Committee and approved by Roger Goodell, officials will be permitted to have more contact with NFL Vice President of Officiating Dean Blandino, who’s located in New York, during games.

Previously, Blandino only communicated with game officials while they reviewed instant replay challenges, but starting next month, that will change.

Once the postseason kicks off, officials will be able to consult with Blandino on several things, including: the appropriate assessment of penalty yardage, the proper administration of the game clock and the correct down.

Officials will also be able to consult with Blandino on a few other administrative matters that aren’t currently reviewable.  The minor change in procedure won’t give Blandino full officiating power in any game though.

Blandino’s new role “will not include the ability to call or change a foul, or otherwise become involved in on-field judgment calls that are not subject to the current instant replay system,” the league’s statement said.

The NFL’s thinking here is that the change will make its officials more efficient.   As reported to CBS Sports Online,

“The committee feels strongly that giving the referee and Dean the ability to consult with each other in certain situations beyond instant replay will further support officiating in the playoffs,” Competition Committee chairman Rich McKay said. “The officials do a very difficult job exceedingly well, and we think this adjustment in the playoffs will make them even better.”

It seems to us that this more of a PR spin than anything else.  Including Blandino in certain aspects of the game, but not giving him authority to overrule calls that may be in question seems like a very useless exercise in bringing him in when he may be needed most.  Just consulting with him on non-reviewable plays seems like something the crew chief should be doing regularly before the game anyway.  We’ll see how this goes over real soon.