Situation Management: Don’t Get Stuck on One Street
MLB Umpire shares a story and an invaluable lesson
There are plays you remember not because they were flashy or controversial, but because they taught you something real. Something that sticks with you every time you step back on the field.
A few years ago, I had one of those moments. I was on the bases—this was probably seven, eight years ago—and we had a play where a runner interfered with a fielder making a play. Clear interference. Time. Runner's out.
But that wasn’t the interesting part. The interesting part was what happened next. The conversation. The attempt to communicate. The failure. And the learning.
“Try Different Streets”
Malachi Moore and I have a session coming up on Situation Management at RefMasters University Baseball—Tuesday, May 6, 3pm ET. And if you show up (which you should), you're going to hear me say this phrase a lot:
“Try different streets.”
That’s what I had to do with the manager in that game.
The first time, I explained:
“The fielder’s making a play on the ball, so the runner’s out.”
Didn’t land. He kept arguing.
Okay. Back it up. Let’s go another route:
"Just because he’s running doesn’t mean he owns that path.”
Nope. Still not working.
Alright. One more try:
“Look, I’m not saying your player did it on purpose—I’m sure he didn’t—but he still interfered. I have to call him out.”
Still didn’t connect. So… you know what street comes next: warning. Then, when that didn’t work either… “see ya later.”
But here’s the key lesson: I didn’t just say one thing and keep repeating it louder. I tried different ways of explaining. I tried to meet him where he was at. Because that’s what good officials do. We don’t just call it right—we communicate right.
You Know the Rules. Now Learn the People.
I think one of the biggest gaps I see in amateur umpires—good umpires, smart umpires—is getting stuck on one street.
They know the rule. They say it. Manager doesn’t agree. So they say it again. And again. And again.
But here’s the thing: You’re not there to prove how smart you are. You’re there to give the information they need, in a way they can understand it. That’s leadership. That’s real communication.
Sometimes, that means stepping away from the perfect rulebook language and just… talking like a person. Sometimes, that means swallowing a little pride to get through to someone in the heat of the moment.
And yeah, sometimes, it still ends with an ejection. And that’s okay too.
Funny part of that story? The next day, that same manager comes up to me and says:
“Hey, that was pretty good. Sorry, I had to get run. We were down 8-0. I needed to fire the team up.”
I just laughed and said, “You could’ve told me that yesterday!”
Join Me & Malachi – May 6 @ 3PM ET
All this? Just one play. One conversation. One moment. And we’re going to break down a whole lot more of these in our RefMasters University Baseball session on Situation Management. This isn’t some surface-level stuff—we’re going deep. Real games, real scenarios, real takeaways.
🔗 RSVP for the session here
🎓 Join RefMasters University here
Whether you’re a weekend warrior or chasing the pro path, we want you in the room.
Until then, RUN THE GAME.
— Brennan
RefMasters in June
Can any case be made for an obstruction here? Let me hear what you got!
Run the Game, Don’t Just Survive It: What Officials Must Master at the End of a Half or Game
Let me start with a confession: I’ve never met an official who feels totally calm in the final 20 seconds of a close game.
You know the moment. The play ends inbounds. No timeouts. Players sprint to the line. You’re trying to spot the ball, reset the crew, nail the clock status—and oh yeah, make sure everybody gets set and is onside.
It’s not chaos. It’s officiating.
That’s why we built the LAST framework:
Look at the clock.
Anticipate complexity.
Sell it with conviction.
Team communication.
This isn't just a catchy acronym. It’s fundamental to the craft. And we spent our latest RefMasters University session unpacking how and when to apply it—when the lights are brightest and the margin for error is paper-thin.
The Culture of the Game Loves Drama—But It’s On Us to Manage It
One of the most important takeaways from the session came during our breakdown of this three-play sequence to end the first half. The offense moved the chains, and the clock temporarily stopped. And right there, around 10 seconds into the clip, we paused.
I asked the crew, “What do we owe the game here?”
That’s when we dove into the nuance of being game- and situationally- aware. The defense is tired. The offense is organized. The clock is about to start. You can wind it as soon as the umpire sets the ball—but should you?
I told the group, “The culture of the game wants the offense to have a fair shot to get this play off. It’s not our job to make that happen—but it is our job to facilitate it.”
So I offered my own mental benchmark: Let the play clock tick down to around 32 before winding. If the offense is ready, they lose almost no time. If they’re not, well, that’s on them. But we preserve the integrity of the moment.
That clip isn’t just about timing. It’s about poise. Look at the crew. No panic. Everyone doing their job. That’s what LAST looks like in practice.
The Spike, the Flag, and the Clock That Shouldn’t Have Started
Here’s the scenario: Offense is organized. They snap and spike the ball. But the defense never got back onside. Officials ruled it a live ball foul. They enforced the penalty. And then… they wound the clock.
It was a mistake. One of those layered, pressure-cooked moments where multiple timing rules, foul possibilities, and procedural pathways intersect. I actually spoke to one of the officials involved afterward, and he owned it completely. He went too fast. We’ve all been there.
This play gave us a teachable moment—and also the part I’d encourage every official to rewatch in full.
Here’s what we discussed: When you’re not comfortable, that’s the moment you need to slow down—not speed up. Stick to your process:
Was the foul live or dead ball?
Did it stop a running clock?
What’s the result of the play?
Start there and we'll find our way.
Replay Adds Layers. Communication Keeps It Together.
We also looked at this situation where replay overturned a first down under 10 seconds—triggering an automatic 10-second runoff with no option to decline - only to avoid by using a timeout. Most fans (and coaches!) don’t understand that nuance. But we must.
And we’re not just managing the rulebook. We’re managing expectations.
That means telling the coach, “Here’s why this happened and here's what happens next.” It means someone is keeping the crew calm while the referee explains what’s next. It means making sure the quarterback knows he can’t spike the ball if there are only two seconds left (under NCAA rules).
That’s why the “T” in LAST—Team Communication—is so critical.
Want to Be Great in the Big Moments? Practice Like It Matters
Here’s the truth: you may only get a few true “LAST” moments per season. But they will be the ones you remember. The ones that shape the evaluation of the crew's performance. The ones that make your crew better—or worse.
At RefMasters University, we train for those moments. In our classroom sessions, we don’t just review tape—we simulate what it feels like in real time. We role-play communication. We challenge assumptions. We contemplate mechanics and rules applications.
Because to run the game, you have to train like it matters.
Want In?
If this sounds like the kind of work you want to do—if you want to elevate your craft alongside passionate, experienced officials—join us at RefMasters University.
Sign up for a free 30-day trial here:
We’ll see you in the next session. Until then, RUN THE GAME.
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