My daughter was at a USSSA softball tournament over the weekend. The officiating was HORRIBLE! In one game (of a double-elimination tournament) the officiating was so bad that the winning team's coach thanked the plate umpire after the game in front of both teams and their spectators. That was our first loss. We know that the umpire's can't see everything, and we don't expect them to. But for our pitcher's strike zone to be the size of a bottle cap, and their pitcher's strike zone to be just anywhere he feels like is... well, you get the point.


Four games later...

Different field with different officials. This time, the pitcher from the opposing team threw several illegal pitches that were never called by the plate ump. Furthermore, the other team's runners kept leaving the base early (before our pitcher released the ball which results in an automatic out for the runner). Our coaches called time and protested to both umpires. At which time our coaches were advised by the field ump that there was nothing they could do about it. Really? These girls are 14 and under and even they knew they were getting cheated. They're not stupid.

So the question is, what can a team's coaches do about the officials giving another team an obviously unfair advantage? Our girls work very hard to learn and practice this amazing game by giving up spare time with friends and family, then have all of their hard work and sacrifice ripped out from under them. If the coaches can't appeal to the umpires, then who do we need to see?