July/August 2019 - 19

of it. They're doing their best to promote fairness and
sportsmanship.
But they're not perfect, and they miss calls. It's human
nature for coaches to remember the calls that go against
them, but in most cases the number of missed calls for
and against any given team even out. Be aware of this
bias, and take it into account when you think the other
team is benefitting from all the close calls. Officials
usually know when they missed a call or had a bad game,
and nobody feels worse about it.
Coaches should realize that some calls are missed
because of the limitations inherent in the job. Consider
this situation with a two-person crew in baseball: Bases
loaded. A long line drive to the gap in left-center, and the
centerfielder attempts a diving catch. The base umpire
must watch the ball, determining whether the fielder
caught it and retained control throughout the momentum
of the entire play. Or, if there's no catch, they must watch
whether the ball bounces over the fence or lodges in it.
That makes it difficult to fulfill another responsibility,
which is watching the runners touch first and second base.
The plate umpire can try to help, but their priority is tagups
and touches at third base. It may not be possible to see
all touches. If a coach or sharp-eyed assistant sees the runner
miss first base and makes an appeal, it could be denied.
Don't go ballistic; the umpires missed the infraction because
of the limitations of the two-man crew, and not negligence.
Every sport has situations where priorities determine
what officials watch and what they ignore. Likewise, a
coach has a better angle than an official on some actions.
A wrestling official moves in close to get their best look at
whether a wrestler's left shoulder is on the mat. Now the
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July/August 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July/August 2019
