-CO> hands on a rule book for MLB baseball.  It's great that you
-CO> want to
-CO> learn the rules of the game.  But don't think that it will
-CO> make it
-CO> possible to change a bad call, since you don't have any
-CO> authority to
-CO> change the call, you only can live with it.  And to bark at
-CO> the
-CO> officials is wrong, since they are doing their job.  And
-CO> you got no
-CO> right to treat them differently because of a bad call.
 
First of all, it's obvious that a fan cannot change
a call.  However, knowing the rules (including the
intracacies only found in the rule book itself) can
lead to a better understanding and enjoyment of
the game.
 
Second, it is possible for a coach to get a call
reversed if the call is based on a misunderstanding
of the rules by the umpire.   A coach cannot question
a judgement call (safe/out, out of strike zone, etc.)
but he/she can object, or argue, or protest a game
if the umpire has incorrectly applied a rule, or
misunderstood a rule.
 
At the major league level, the umps know the rules
inside and out.  At other levels (particularly in
youth leagues) they quite often DON'T know the 
rules.  Many games are tossed out in protest
because the umps don't fully understand the 
infield fly rule, or the difference between
force plays and time plays.  One umpire even
stated in here that he doesn't bother to carry
the rule book, which is a rules violation in 
itself.  And any coach worth his salt will carry
it and study it. 
 
I keep a rule book near the TV.  Most broadcasters
carry it.  It's not only interesting but enables the
casual fan to understand what's going on .
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