The decision to eject a player, coach, manager, or other person from a game cannot be taken lightly by an umpire. The reasoning must be justifiable and followed by a thorough written report following the game. The following general principles shall be considered by umpires when deciding whether to eject a player, coach, manager, or other member of a club from a game:
- Personal insult of or profanity specifically directed at any umpire
- Whether said directly to them or within earshot of the umpire or a crewmate
- Immediate ejection
- There is a difference between an insult and / or profanity used in an argument (i.e. “That’s terrible” or “That’s horseshit”) and insults or profanity specifically directed at an umpire (i.e. “You’re terrible” or “You’re horseshit”)
- Intentional physical contact with or threatened abuse of an umpire
- Immediate ejection
- Umpires are directed to differentiate between intentional and incidental contact
- A runner adjudged to have flagrantly violated OBR 6.01(i) (Collisions at Home Plate) and / or the Baseball Ontario rule prohibiting malicious contact
- Immediate ejection
- Actions by a player, coach, manager, or other member of the club specifically intended to embarrass, mock, or humiliate an umpire
- Examples include, but are not limited to, drawing a line in the dirt to demonstrate location of a pitch, sliding into a base to re-enact a play, etc
- Immediate ejection
- A player, coach, or manager leaving their position on the field or in the dugout to argue balls and strikes, including half swings,
- Umpires shall immediately warn the individual to return at once to their position, or they will be ejected
- A player or coach leaving their position on the field or in the dugout to argue a warning issued for throwing at a batter under OBR 6.02(c)(9).
- A brief explanation will be provided to the manager, if requested.
- If the manager argues the explanation, or if the individual leaving their position is a coach or player, they shall be warned to stop and return; if they fail to do so, they will be ejected
- Refusal to stop arguing by any player, coach, or manager after the umpire has provided them adequate opportunity to make a point, especially if the argument is delaying the game
- The umpire will first warn the individual that they have been heard and that they should return to their position on the field or in the dugout.
- Failure to adhere to this warning will result in ejection.
- Umpires are cautioned to avoid warning too soon.
- Use of histrionic gestures while arguing with an umpire
- “Histrionic gestures” include, but are not limited to, jumping up and down, waving arms, demonstrations, etc.
- Umpires are entitled to immediately eject if the gesture is inappropriate or flagrant
- In all other circumstances, the umpire will first warn the offender to stop gesturing; if they continue, they shall be ejected
- “Histrionic gestures” include, but are not limited to, jumping up and down, waving arms, demonstrations, etc.
- Flagrantly throwing equipment in protest of an umpire’s call or in an unsportsmanlike manner
- Umpires will be directed to determine if the player is merely throwing the equipment out of frustration
- The onus of acting responsibly shall ultimately be placed on the player
- If judged flagrant and in protest of a call, it will result in immediate ejection
- Players deemed to have thrown equipment out of frustration, but doing so in a manner that endangers other on-field personnel or spectators shall also be ejected immediately
- Throwing anything out of a dugout shall be grounds for immediate ejection
- Making reference to having observed any form of media that purportedly contradicts the call under dispute
- “Media” includes, but is not limited to, television replay, photograph, etc.
- The individual shall be warned immediately to stop or they shall be ejected
- Any player, coach, or manager who fails to comply with an order from an umpire to do or refrain from doing anything that affects administering the rules in accordance with Official Rule 9.01(b).
- Examples include, but are not limited to, failure to stay within the lines of the batter’s box after being warned by the umpire, refusal to submit a piece of equipment for inspection, etc.
- Action penalized in the Official Baseball Rules with immediate ejection
- Examples include, but are not limited to, the pitcher possessing a foreign substance, a batter charging the pitcher, a pitcher intentionally throwing at a batter, etc.
- Behaviour or conduct not covered above that is adjudged by the umpire to violate the spirit of OBR 9.01(d)
- Unsportsmanlike conduct or language
- Attempting to incite / provoke a confrontation with an opponent
A thorough and well-written incident report will use language from the above list when justifying the decision to eject a game participant. Ejections deemed “justified” by the HBUA will be backed to the fullest extent possible.