C.26 - The One More Word Threat and Other Mistakes

C.26 - The 'One More Word' Threat and Other Mistakes 

There's one out in the bottom of the third inning. The first pitch to the hitter is low and outside; the plate umpire calls it a ball. "Come on, blue! That's been a strike all day," bellows the coach. "Wake up back there! That's terrible!"

The second pitch rides in high and tight: ball two. The umpire announces the count, "2-0." From the dugout, he hears the coach's voice again thunder with anger: "It'd be 1-1 if you got the first one right. Shake yourself!"

The next pitch catches the outside corner for strike one. Still, the coach is very unhappy. With mock applause, he tries to further drive home the point, saying: "Hey! It's about time you guessed right back there! Which side of the coin are we, heads or tails?"

With that, the plate umpire rips off his mask, takes five long strides toward the dugout and yells: "That's enough! If I hear one more word, you're gone!"

Most officials, regardless of sport, have at some point used the "one more word" threat. There's an excellent chance that you've heard someone brag at a local association meeting: "... And then I told the loudmouth, 'One more word and you're gone.' He crawled back into the dugout and I didn't hear from him again. He knew who was in charge out there on the field."

Most officials who repeatedly use the "one more word" threat fail to fully understand its ramifications. At what point do you penalize the coach after he's been threatened? Some cases offer easy answers. For example, if the coach responds, "You're an over-officious jerk," he's clearly gone too far: You have no choice but to penalize him.

But what about this one? The coach: "You're right. I apologize. I'll just coach my team from now on." Would you accept that? If you did, you backed down from your "threat." He did say "one more word" and he wasn't penalized. Yet he really doesn't deserve to be penalized for what he said. Therein lies the rub.

Whenever you threaten a coach, you've backed him into a corner, where he has two choices: Say something to show his team that he's not afraid of you, or say nothing and continue to fume in the dugout until the next perceived "blown" call re-ignites his fuse. Neither is a desirable option.

Said Jon Bible, veteran NCAA and former minor league baseball umpire: "When you start putting them (coaches) down, all you're going to do is escalate a bad situation. Does that mean you have to sit there and be cussed out? No. Does that mean you've got to be shown up? No. But it does mean you don't want to appear as the aggressor."

Bible said that if you, as the plate umpire, need to quiet those in the dugout, do that from home plate. In the process, keep your mask on so your warning isn't obvious to the fans. "Say things like, 'Hey, I've heard enough.' Don't ever say, 'One more word and you're outta here.' That's provocative. When you provoke people, they tend to fire back. That's what you want to avoid."

There are a number of other techniques that can be used to issue verbal warnings and make direct points with a coach without showing him up and without challenging him.

For example, in baseball or softball between innings, pull out your lineup card and ask the problem coach to come over to talk to you. While both of you look at the lineup card, make your point carefully, yet firmly, saying something such as: "Coach, you've had your say and so have the people in your dugout. I understand where you're coming from, but it's time to stop all the complaining and get on with the game."

By using the lineup-card technique, you've indicated that the verbal abuse has gone far enough, but you've done that discreetly, without embarrassing or challenging the coach in front of his team or any other observers.

If a player is getting on your nerves, go to his coach and ask him to handle the player. Never threaten the player, as he's bound to react to your challenge; he doesn't want to appear timid before his peers, as if he backed down.

The typical coach wants to know when his players are out of line. Quietly tell him: "Coach, number 24 is giving me some problems. I'd appreciate it if you'd calm him down." A smart coach will recognize that you're trying to defuse the situation and he will usually respond accordingly. Those who continue to challenge you are asking to be ejected. And their requests should be honored.