Special Article

Special Article

The Complaint Department: Professional Distance and Game Management

Norm Gordon, Situation Management Coordinator
Steve Levine, Assistant Situation Management Coordinator

One of the most important disciplines an umpire can develop is maintaining professional distance during the course of a game. Players are not our friends. Coaches are not our friends. Fans are certainly not our friends. While communication is necessary to administer a game properly, unnecessary conversation and familiarity can easily create misunderstandings, complaints, and avoidable problems for everyone involved

Umpires, coaches and players, especially Catchers and plate umpires, often establish an innocent dialogue as part of working together throughout a game. Because they rely on one another considerably to help ensure a smooth and efficient contest, these exchanges are usually limited to matters directly related to the game itself. While we do not encourage umpires to allow these interactions to expand into unrelated topics, this occasionally occurs and may be initiated by either party.

Recently, the Office of Situation Management was presented with a coach’s complaint that serves as an important lesson to all umpires.

A catcher complained to his coach that the plate umpire, during regular conversation, told him, “You don’t deserve this,” and, “You would be better off if you went somewhere else.” (regarding something they were discussing) The coach subsequently contacted the association and expressed concern that such comments undermined the school program, coaching staff, and the efforts being made to improve the student-athlete experience at the high school level.

The plate umpire denied making those statements. However, he acknowledged that the catcher expressed frustration regarding the game and mentioned a personal situation involving a requested transfer that had been denied.

The caution here is that players may, intentionally or unintentionally, misrepresent or incompletely relay conversations when speaking later with coaches, parents, or administrators. Likewise, comments made casually by umpires can be interpreted differently than intended once repeated by others. The only issue for our purposes today is that the alleged conversation itself ventured beyond matters directly related to the administration of the game.

As professionals, umpires must exercise discipline in maintaining appropriate boundaries. Conversations with players and coaches should remain limited to matters directly pertinent to the efficient conduct of the game. Even comments intended to show empathy, encouragement, or understanding can later become sources of misunderstanding or controversy.

We strongly caution our game officials to avoid any interaction with players and coaches that is not directly pertinent to the administration of the game at hand. At times, in attempting to be sympathetic to comments expressing frustration, an umpire may offer remarks intended to calm or soothe a player. However, silence cannot be misquoted.

We as umpires already face enough confrontational situations during games that require professionalism, restraint, and authority. We do not need to create additional issues by engaging in unnecessary familiarity or fraternization with players or coaches.

Professional distance protects everyone involved — the umpire, the players, the coaches, and the integrity of the game itself.

It is important, and expected, that our umpires will exhibit and maintain the highest ideals of fairness, impartiality, and cooperation before, during, and after games.