ZERO TOLERANCE TO BE INTRODUCED

August 24th

Baseball Victoria and the BUAV will this summer season introduce the concept of Zero Tolerance in order to ensure that Coaches/Managers take a proactive role in eliminating umpire abuse.

In this instance, Zero Tolerance will relate to all ejectable offences that include –

• Abuse of an umpire
• Dissent
• Arguing decisions (balls/strikes etc)

The most significant thing for players, coaches, managers and club officials to note, and for umpires to administer, is the fact that under Zero Tolerance rules, when a player is ejected from a game for one of the above offences, so too is the Head Coach/Manager.

Umpires are advised to meet with the opposing Head Coaches/Managers at the start of each game and make sure that a reminder is provided that Zero Tolerance will be in place for the game.  They will also remind Coaches/Managers that in any instance of the above listed offences, if a player is ejected from the game, the Head Coach/Manager will be ejected as well.

Zero Tolerance is being introduced as one of many measures to improve the quality of baseball games in Victoria . The concept has been successfully implemented in other parts of Australia .  BV and the BUAV are determined that umpires should not be subject to abuse of any kind including the above offences and now require that umpires enact the Zero Tolerance approach.

BV and the BUAV hope that all club officials, players and coaches will fully support this concept and that as a result there will be no ejections. An additional benefit to this, it is hoped, will be the recruitment and retention of more umpires to the sport.