Several times over the years I’ve had arguments with umpires who cite parts of a rule while ignoring other critical sections.

One example involved a city fast-pitch softball game. The batter tapped a slow-rolling ball down the first-base line.

As soon as the entire ball rolled into foul territory, our catcher at the time, Jim McGraw, swatted it with his glove and, in effect, ended the play.

The ball then brushed the grass alongside the base path and rolled back onto fair territory.

Photo by Bill Hammond I made it a habit to travel with rule books for more than 50 years.

The inexperienced umpire then ruled the ball “fair” and cited the rule book passage, “settled in fair territory” as his reason.

We won that game so our protest proved unnecessary.

In another city league fast-pitch softball game, this one contested on the former YMC Field in the city’s fourth ward, a hard-hit groundball went through the legs of the first baseman and struck our runner on his way to second base.

We protested the game after the base ump ruled the runner was out for being struck by a batted ball.

That out call is correct more often than not, but not in this case. When a struck ball passes an infielder, other than the pitcher, and no other infielder has a chance to make a play, the ball remains “live” and in play.

We won the subsequent protest and when the game was later replayed from that point, we ended up winning the game.

Another softball oddity occurred when our hitter ripped a line drive at an all-star third baseman who had moved closer to home plate than usual, dangerously anticipating a bunt.

That third baseman, the quick-reacting John “Hot Dog” Tofil, jumped and deflected the ball with his glove into the third-base dugout.

The correct call would have been to award the batter two bases for sending a fair batted ball into an out-of-play area.

Only after a lengthy conversation did the three certified umpires on our team convince the beleaguered ump to change his mind.

His original decision was “foul ball.” He ruled the towering Tofil wasn’t technically in fair territory because he was airborne at the time, and the ball was foul because it never reached third base. Innovative but clearly flawed overthinking.

Finally, and most tragically, a home run turned into an out and an ejection thanks to a woefully misinformed umpire.

It was a Little League game many years ago when a 12-year-old finally smacked his first career home run, launching a long drive to left field. As he joyfully rounded third base he gave his ecstatic father, manning the third base coaching box, a triumphant high five.

The plate umpire immediately called the runner out and ejected the coach from the game. As you might surmise, chaos ensued.

The reason the umpire gave was the rule book bans coaches from physically assisting players running the bases.

That’s true when the ball is “live.” Coaches may not contact players who are running the bases. That’s coach’s interference.

In this case, however, the ball was officially “dead” once it cleared the fence.

The lengthy argument that ensued ruined what should have been the young man’s happiest memory of America’s pastime.

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DO YOU have a favorite, funny, weird, best or worst memory of amateur sports refereeing, playing or spectating? Drop me a line at mandpp@hotmail.com and let’s reminisce.

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Bill Hammond is a former EVENING OBSERVER sports editor