Chapter XVII: Section 1: The Umpire is the sole and absolute judge of play. In no

instance shall any person, except the Captain of the competing teams, be allowed to address him or question his decisions, and they can only question him on an interpretation of the Rules. No Manager or any other officer of either club shall be permitted to go on the field or address the Umpire, under a penalty of a forfeiture of a game.

SECTION. 2. Before the commencement of a Game, the Umpire shall see that the rules governing all the materials of the Game are strictly observed. He shall ask the Captain of the Home Club whether there are any special ground rules to be enforced, and if there are, he shall see that they are duly enforced, provided they do not conflict with any of these rules.

SECTION. 3. The Umpire must keep the contesting nines playing constantly from the commencement of the game to its termination, allowing such delays only as are rendered unavoidable by accident, injury or rain. He must, until the completion of the game, require the players of each side to promptly take their positions in the field as soon as the third man is put out, and must require the first striker of the opposite side to be in his position at the bat as soon as the fielders are in their places.

SECTION. 4. The Umpire shall count and call every "Unfair Ball" delivered by the Pitcher, and every "Dead Ball," if also an unfair ball, as a "Ball," and he shall count and call every "Strike." Neither a "Ball" nor a "Strike" shall be counted or called until the ball has passed the Home Base. He shall also declare every "Dead Ball," "Block," "Foul Hit," "Foul Strike," and "Balk," "Infield" or "Outfield Hit," as prescribed in Rule 45, Section 9.

CALLING "PLAY" AND "TIME."

RULE 57. The Umpire must call "Play" promptly at the hour designated by the Home Club, and on the call of "Play" the game must immediately begin. When he calls "Time" play shall be suspended until he calls "Play" again, and during the interim no player shall be put out, base be run or run be scored. The Umpire shall suspend play only for an accident to himself or a player (but in case of accident to a Fielder "Time" shall not be called until the ball be returned to and held by the Pitcher, standing in his position), or in case rain falls so heavily that the spectators are compelled, by the severity of the storm, to seek shelter, in which case he shall note the time of suspension, and should such rain continue to fall thirty minutes thereafter, he shall terminate the game; or to enforce order in case of annoyance from spectators.

RULE 58. The Umpire is only allowed, by the Rules, to call "Time" in case of an accident to himself or a player, a "Block" as referred to in Rule 35, Section 3, or in case of rain, as defined by the rule.

INFLICTING FINES.

RULE 59. The Umpire is empowered to inflict lines of not less than $25.00, nor more than $100.00, for the first offence, on players during the progress of a game, as follows: