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101 Tips

Tips for Baseball Umpires

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20 views18 pages

101 Tips

Tips for Baseball Umpires

Uploaded by

John Holland
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF or read online on Scribd
FREE RESOURCES | FROM REFEREE cow | \ ow ae aa PEN (4 a» 1, ka gy C= UT 9 (I MPIRING FROM REFEREE AND THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SPORTS OFFICIALS BASEBALL 101 TIPS FOR BETTER UMPIRING by the editorial staff of Referee Design and layout by Dustin Brown, graphic designer, Referee Copyright © 2018 November 2018 Referee Enterprises, Inc, 2017 Lathrop Ave, Racine, Wisconsin 53405 Allrights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, except for the inclusions in a review of brief quotations, without permission in writing from the publisher. ISBN-13: 978-1-58208-407-7 Printed in the United States of America CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE Well Before the Game ............+++. 5 CHAPTER TWO Just Before the Game...............4. 8 CHAPTER THREE During the Game - Basics ............ 13 CHAPTER FOUR During the Game - Plate............. 19 CHAPTER FIVE During the Game - Bases ............ 26 CHAPTER SIX After the Game ..............:ceeee ee 30 UNA ERY AM EL) REFEREE MAGAZINE 100r, featuring 84 pages of the latest officiating ‘news and information, ® RULE CHANGES You will always find the most up- ‘SPORT SPOTLIGHTS: Every issue digs ddeop into the sports you officiate with dedicated sections (on Football, Softball, Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer and Baseball. @ HOT TOPICS Ne SUBSCRIBE TODAY REFEREE con [BASEBALL OR CALL 1-800-733-6100 CHAPTER ONE Inventory your look. Before the season starts, takea complete inventory of your equipment and try on uniforms. Ensure that ‘your gear is clean and in good condition and that your uniforms fit and aren't in need of tailoring, There's no worse time to discover a broken strap on your shin guard than when you're suiting up t the field for your first game of the season. New shoes, particularly plate shoes, sometimes need breaking in. { Don't wait for a game to wear the shoes forthe first time, Let your feet get used to new leather. Then, when you wear them on the fleld, you will have fewer problems with blisters or soreness. (Order and pack spares. Even if you inspect gear before the season and regularly during the season things can break. And Murphy's Lawr ‘guarantees those items will break the mast inopportune moments usualy right before a game. As such, it behooves you to carry spares of items that could break or get lost. Having a spare indicator plate brush, shoelaces and even some extra shin guard strapscould bea figurative lifesaver ‘You must train for what is required of you in your game. Just ‘because you lift weights in the gym and keep. fairly trim body Goesn't mean you're ready for the season. You need todo specific training for your sport. In baseball, lunges and squatsarea must. A ‘well-rounded workout plan is a good thing for officials to maintain during the season and offseason, but focusing on the specific needs of your sport is also critical. Consulta doctor before starting any fitness program. Solve cap and mask problems before your first game. Practice removing the mask with your left hand so your hat will stay on your head. You don't need the distraction of your hat coming off ‘when you have a play to call. The mask remains in your left hand ‘when not on, including when signaling safes and outs. ‘Check with your partner. Even if you work with the same partner regularly, always call, text or email a few days before the assignment to confirm details, decide where to meet, what ‘uniform to wear lf that'san issue) and who will work plate and bases, That's a good time to make sure you have each other's cell phone numbers ‘50 you'll be able to contact each other if something happens on the way to the ‘game, such as mechanical troubles, traffic delays or a delay caused by going too fast and getting pulled over. Look over contracts, Thisis especially important if you get assigned vviaa phone call or online assigning system, and the school sends out, a separate contract. Sometimes those details can get little mixed ‘up. Or they can charge at various stages inthe process. I there isa discrepancy, you want to notice that early, while there's plenty of time to reach cout to the assigner and/or school to verify where you're supposed tobe. elsewhere are blocked. Declined assignments or turnbacks will happen, and most assigners ae understanding about that it's {infrequent Bat ifit becomes the norm, you can expect your flow of game ‘assignments to become trickle. Ifassigners are using online scheduling, keep your schedule up to date, including making sure dates you can't work or are working Study the ralebook. No matter how many years you've been doing this, there's always something new to learn or something you can learn better Ittakeseffort to maintain mastery of the rules and ‘you can't expect todo that by sitting daven and reading the rules Jn one siting takes study. Take a small chunk ofthe rulebook and rea it. “ink about scenarios that would play out. Think about how the rule applies. Look atthe casebook for examples and further guidance. Especially with NFHS rules, the casebook may outline things that arent spelled out in the rulebook {for example that malicious contact supersedes a TK), Rules mastery willeome by taking the rules in chunks versus doing one big session. ‘yourself after that umpire, That will take abit of work because rot only do you want to look at the umpire asa role modelon the field but off the field as well. Pay attention to the vray the umpire handles «coaches, carries himself with a purpose and his mechanics, Also, watch the way the umpire actsin the locker room, the way he comes dressed to the field, how he treats game administration, Umpiring at the higher levels s not about balls ‘and strikes or outs and safes, Instead its about game management and the ‘off the field" behaviors. Finda mentor. f you have someone in your area that is an established umpire and you like the way he works, try to model ‘Teach If you really want to master the rules, try teaching them to new officials. There's no better way to learn a particular topic than having to present it to others. ‘On the way to the game or while waiting for your partner(s) to arrive, visualize yourself calling plays. f you're due to work the plate, imagine fast bas, sliders, changeups and curves being thrown to upright and hunched-over batters. "See" pitches just nicking the plate's corners or the bottom of the batter’s knees as well as being slightly out of the zone. If you're working the bases, imagine yourself watching the pitcher's motion. Think about whackers at first base — hovr you'll listen for the ball smacking the glove while watching the runner's foot. Once you're in the game, you have already visualized and thought about situations so carefully that your performance and consistency can't help but be better. ‘Make a final check of weather. Check out the forecast so you'll ‘have an idea of what to expect. Forecasts can be wrrong, but you should be aware of what's expected in the area. If the games. ‘supposed to start at 5 p.m. and bad weather isn set to move in until midnight, then all is well. But if weather is supposed to hit twohoursafter the first pitch, you'd better know what to do when it does hit, Adjust your attitude. There's an old officiating axiom: “If you go to the game with a bad attitude, youl ave a bad game, If you go ‘with a good attitude, you'll have a good game” Your attitude affects those around you. A positive atitude helps you perform cifficult tasks. What is attitude? For an official tis perspective, disposition, epproach, outlook, manner and demeanor. If you've hada bad day on your job or «driver cuts you off on your way to a game, set aside minor frustrations and strive to develop a positive attitude toward the game, Working gamesin hot weather? Here'sa way tocxtend the life of My your hat. Before you pack your hat after the game, place a couple of dryer sheets into [Link] sheets vill absorb much ofthe moisture, Scented sheets will also help eliminate odors. The sheets should be effective for several games. ropin new onesas needed. Careful changing Baseball umpires aren't as fortunate as basketball officials in having a locker room to change before the game. With rare exceptions, the parking lt is our locker room. That means be modest when changing — don't expose anything you shouldn't! Also, remember that after the game, your locker room isnt always very private. Be careful how loudly you talk about plays if you're in earshot of others. Checkin with game management upon arrival. That's probably the home coach. But when both youand your partner have arrived, let the coach know. Nothing more than going to the fence, getting his attention and giving a quick wave of the handis| needled, butt reassures him that the crew isthere and that things will get started on time, Pitchers especially at higher levels, havea set routine they ike ‘follow in warming up and they want to know the game will start on time so they can begin warming upat the appropriate time. When a coach assumes the {umpires are on hand but they're running late due to traffic or cutting i close getting off work, the game will tart late and the starting pitcher will warm up enly to have tostop, cool off and then start again. That can be more than a inor itant that can carry over tothe field. Have a pregame with your partner, No matter how many times ‘you've worked vrith a partner, it’s good to review signals, coverages, mechanics. And that's especially important when you're working with someone new. Ityoure new toa field, take a moment before the game to walk it. Get to know the nuances of the fencing, location of tarps that ‘could interfere with a play, holes under fences other unique features such as power lines or overhanging trees. Better to know about it in advance — and ask about it during the ground rules — then get surprised by something during gameplay. Makea casual visual inspection of players beforea gameand you can avoid a future headache. If you see a player who is wearing Jewelry or illegal gear, point it out to the coach. That will give the player time to make an adjustment or take off the illegal iter, © ‘Watch em warm up. Make use of that dead time before the game, ‘Watch players warm up and get a feel for their capabilities. Does the center-flelder have an absolute gun for an arm? How does the first baseman react toa throw that’s offline? That kind of information can come in handy during thegame. Xeepit businesslike when you walk to the plate Problemscan arise ‘when you stop to chat with players and coaches, especially the hhome teams because the visting coach, especialy ifhe doesnt know you, will notice that familiarity. Everyone knows that coachesare paranol, and they wor't say anything to you about it— ow can they, ‘without risking ticking you off? — but theyl filet away in their memory bank and maybe use it against you ifa funky play happens. Coaches can form {impressions of umpires with whom they're not familiar by watching their body language as they walk tothe plate. Either they convey the impression that they re ready for prime time or they dont, and those first impressions can lst forever. At the plate meeting, keep it simple. Review the lineup cards. Let the home team coach go over the ground rules. Ask the required ‘question: “Are all of your players properly and legally equipped, and does all of your equipment meet rule specifications?” When ‘the coach answers, "Yes" and only then, make a mark in the upper right-hand comer of the lineup card. That way you'll know you asked and should there be an issue, the mark will remind you that you did so, NFHS rules also note the “umpire-in-chief should emphasize expectations of "good sporting behavior” Address any other questions and then get the game going. ‘The plate umpire must review each lineup card. Start with the nine fielding positions. If there isa DH, announce to the coach, “You have Smith DH'ing for Jones in the four spot! The only positions that officially matter are the pitcher, the DH (if one is being used) and the player being DH for. But checking forall the positions helps ensure the coach didn't include two first basemen in his lineup and leave out his slickfielding shortstop. Then quickly scan the names, again looking for same last ‘names that might need first initials. Although numbers re not required, look io make sure they are listed and there are no duplications, Substitutes are not required, but t does make it easier if they are on the card. Be careful not to holda rules clinic atthe plate conference. ‘Coaches don’ want to heart and the more you gocon and on about this or that rule, new or old the more they will et antsy and their eyes will glaze over. Worse, the umpire who prattles on endlessly creates the perception that he isoneof those hyper-technical umpires that coaches eannot abide. The reality, ofcourse may be thatthe umpireis trying to engage in preventive umpiring by ralsing ssues so as to avert problems Iter on. Admiable goal but ashas often been sai, the negative perception created will be far more important than the reality. ‘games may have to end ata certain time due toa travel issue or field availablity. Umpires should review the game-ending rules with coachesat the plate meeting before the game, They should be acknowletiged and agreed upon by both coaches. There should be no surprises when enforcing a special, game-ending rule Depending on the level, there are often special rules for ending. ‘games, such as the 10-run rule or a halted game rule. Additionally, Never allow ground rules that conflict with official playing rules, For example, ifa fence isan extremely short distance from the plate, a ground rule may be proposed to award the batter only one ‘base. Or it may be suggested that three bases be awarded ifa batted ball rollsintoa drainage ditch ina distant area of right field. There ls no provision in the rules for such modifications — don't allow them. (an ‘Tidy up. When brushing the plate prior to.a game, clean off the 28 corners ofthe plate and smooth the dirt between the plate and ee ge ere Dee aerate fe the play, but not the call ~ i's smart to consider where likely plays will unfold and plan for moving into position. That ‘will help you keep from getting caught off guard and improve ‘your final positioning when it's time to get where you need to see the action. But never anticipate the call itself. What looks like a good, clean out can fall apart at the last second as the ball dribbles out ofthe glove while you're already signaling what you anticipated would be the outcome. ‘Angle, then distance. If you've been at this long enough, you've probably heard that adage spouted at training and in umpiring books hundreds of times. While it seems cliché, i's critical point, especially in the two-umpire system we're commonly going to work. We often can't get as close tothe [Link] we would like, but we should sacrifice trying to gain distance to establish a good viewing angle. We dontt want to be blocked from seeing critical elements of the play, such as the fielder’stag or the runner's foot touching the base, Worry about angle first, then distance. a Move on from mistakes. Remember, you only have control of the present moment. The call you made five minutes gos beyond your control and the future is always out of your reach. Keep an_ active mind and stop yourself whenever your mind wants to shift back toa ‘mistake’ or worries about what's goingto happen. Consider the count, Beyond the obvious, you need to know the count toanticipate the next pitch or play Ifthe countis 0, n most cases the batter is taking and the pitcher will throw a “get-meover” fastball to avoid the walk. Ifi's 0-2, the pitcher will often throw a “waste” pitch, hoping the batter will chase it Neither is automatic, but it happens often enough that you have aleg upin preparing for what's coming next. With a full count and two out. runners may be moving on the pitch. The pitcher may hold inhhs stretch longer, hoping runners will break early so he can step off and attempt a pickoft If the pitch results in a hit, you can anticipate the base at which a play may occur based on the heat start of the runner, Focus throughout. Focus nd keep your attention on the task at hand — the game you are working, Whether it isa blowout or tight ballgame, keep your concentration. If you feel yourself becorning, distracted, mentally tell yourself to focus, You can also make ita ‘point to focus on specific mechanics during a game. By telling yourself you need to improve a specific part of your game, it will help you to avoid being distracted, Players and coaches will push the envelope if you let them, ‘Address bench decorum before it’s too late. You should expect some comments ~ that's part of the emotion of the sport. But asic ‘yourself: Did you let the coaches go too far? Did you ignore too many snarky remarks from substitutes? True, no one wants an umpire with rabbit ears, but you bring on your awn troubles i you let things go too far. ‘Be ready to step in, If you see your partner is ina heated situation ‘with acoach or player and is ready to eject the individual, beready to stepin between your partner and the person who was ejected. ‘That allows your partner to regain composure and the person who ‘was tossed a chance to vent to someone other than the ejecting offical. 44 asebatt 101TH Work every game like there is someone watching, Whatever level youare working, you need to give a complete effort with proper enthusiasm, Umpiring isa privilege, and you should work every game as if itis the most important game in your career. Whether it Isa state tournament game or a freshman game, you never know whois watching in the stands or what coach is respected by a conference supervisor. ‘Umpires communicate through the use of signals. The lessa signal is seen, the more effective is when used. Do not draw attention to ‘yourself by overusing, misusing or needlessly using any signal. If there is no play ora ruling isobvious,a call or signal isnot needed. ‘your partner(s is vital toavoid confusion over coverage or responsibilities. Umpires cannot take their eyes off the ball to see ‘where their partners) are, so verbal communication is key. Don't be afraid to let your partner know that you're on the line or that the fly ballis in your coverage area. Communication with Work hard. Hustle plays a major part in the game, Not only does it help you get into position to ge plays right, but it also instills respect among players and coaches. If you hustle throughout the {game as opposed to walking and meandering around the field, a coach will give you the benefit of the doubt on a close play. Instead of arguing, he night stay in the dugout, Or instead of going ballistic during the argument, he snight come out just asking for information. Hustle isnt ust running toa spot for anangleon a play or making sure you get out fora tough catch/no-catch in the outfield. Italso means sprinting between innings back to the lines if you are ‘working the bases or making sure your mask is on and you are ready to go to ‘work before the pitcher even has the ball at the end of a play. It your association allows umpires to wear sunglasses during games, remove them when conferring with a coach. Shoulda coach enter the field to question a call, remove your sunglasses and put them in your pocket during the discussion, Do not place ‘your sunglasses on the top of your head or attach them to your shirt or belt at any time, which gives off an air of casualness. ‘Avoid false hustle Officials must be wary of “false hustle" — energetic movernent during live-ball coverage that serves no purpose other than to demonstrate the official ean move rapidly, ‘The real problem with false hustle is ne officiating is accomplished ‘while the official is showing how fast he can run, One example isthe base ‘umpire who, with no runners, takes the batter-runner to third onan extra base hit and moves so fast that he doesnt get a good look at the runner touching second base. Closely related to false hustling is hurrying. Many clinicians will, use the phrase “hustle, don't hurry’ That term isoften not explained and the officials left to figure it out himself Consequently, the phrase can be more confusing than helpful Hurrying is impulsive behavior — rushing when there's no need for either making a rapid judgmentor getting to. particular place Itcan. also be excessive or extraneous moverrent,or simply overzealous decision ‘making. The distinction between hustle and hurry is best explained through examples. An umpire hurries when he calls the play before it happens, While some calls can be changed, other calls, such as that of afoul ball, cannot. There is no advantage to hurrying a call Don't give ultimatums. Avoid threatening coaches and players. Giving ultimatums in wordsor in actions will place officials in corners. Whenever you use, “One more word ..” the coach or player has two choices: say something and show the team there is ‘no fear, or say nothing and continue to fume until the next situation refgnites the flame, Neither is desirable. Even worse, an official who gives ultimatums without following up undermines hisor her credibility. Ofer latitude at times, When a coach complains, ask yourself if ‘you got the call right. f you think the call was questionable, give the coach some latitude. Dor't allow him or her to interfere with, ‘your concentration, but lend an ear. When you feel you got the call correct, your limit on what you'll hear goes down. Most importantly, don't be afraid [Link] warnings. Those warningscan prevent situations from escalating further. ‘When a game administrator is not available, use a coach for help ‘when dealing with an unruly fan. In many offseason tournaments or lower level games, a game administrator isnot readily available within the gym to deal with an overzealous fan. [fa parent or spectator begins to cross the line and becomes unruly, use the coach to help you. address the behavior. A simple, “Coach, can you give me some help with that spectator?” will often work, What have you got to lose? Many times, the coach ight be just as embarrassed by the individual's behavior and can use you as the conduit to address how embarrassing it isto the team. Willit work all ofthe ‘ime? Probably not, You'll have to pick your spots but keep it in your arsenal asa tool to use should the opportunity present itself Comfort partners, A partner just made an obvious but harmless ‘mistake, like punching out a batter on a 2-1 count. If you can detect that the mistake is bothering him or her, talk with the official during the next break and share a quick story of your own brain lock. That should help ease the frustration of your partner and let him or her now that it happens to everyone. More importantly, your partner will be on the right path to regaining focus on the game at hand. Act in control, Project confidence even if you dor feel it. You ‘might be nervous about the rivalry game that is about tostart. You might bea little unsure if you're ready for your first varsity game. No matter what doubts you have, come across with a belief in your abilities. If it’s a close cal, sell your decision. even if you're unsure about it. Participants don't need to know what's going on in your head, Its OK to fake it if youhave to. ‘When standing between innings or during breaksin the game, stand straight up with your weight on the balls of your feet. ‘Standing in that manner gives off positive nonverbal ‘communication about your attitude. If you stand ina slouched rnanner or have your weight on just one leg, itcan give the wrong message. Ifthe FA Ispiping in bouncy music, tap your toe tothe beat It shows others that you're appy to be at the game, the ball if it were hit to you. Similarly, an umpire should thinkc about where the ball might be thrown depending on which fielder ‘makes the play. With a runner on second only and a ground ball tothe left side, ‘you can think about the more likely play ~ the one at firs. Runners don't tag up ‘on popups, but they [Link] deep fly balls. Get yourself into position to watch the players most likely to be involved in the play on the batted ball as well as any succeeding play. fe'"~ Understand what's logical. If you played the game, you remember ( 4g) a coach telling you to thinkabout what you were pong todo with ZA exweeninnings Ter plenty tine for umptst tak ore ( 4g) andar gancTheyshouldet ced get egos betreen \ innings However tear tines when youdo redo ray ‘wees _ information to your partner. In those cases, the communication should be quckand umpires shoul return other normal postions beeen ining Trt isnot the tine odes where youare gang for nner or the fanny fte hat you herdat he ofice > ttn rete te ( 0) hands, sure, but some umpires put their arms around coach's (GO) sirens cnr SF SEE el ee Sea ciegua meatreniorae cia bene ecitpea Do you sometinesofcateto the level of you partner? Ofiiate (24) your eam. even vinen working witha partner whois obviously (oD) ecsintereted in the task at and than you. Do nat drop to the Nee jevelof your partner. It your partners doing a poor jo as far a8 communicating with you or hustling to be in postion, maintain your game or stepitup if youare uneomfortable you have to work that much harder despite Your partner Maintain stay focused. call your primary and when necessary, Bp leuptommanage he game 8 CHAPTER FOUR URING HE GAME - ‘Tracking pitches. Most umpires, other than those trained at a good ‘umpire school, track pitches the same way they did when they batted as players. That means they have acquired the dreaded malady of “tunnel vision" Tunnel vision occurs when an umpire lboks down the tunnel to the pitcher's release point with his or her eyes fixated ahead and allows the ball to passthrough the tunnel while reading the pitch the same way they did asa batter. Batters must read pitches that way while ‘attempting to hit the pitch. Umpires have the luxury of only having tocall the itch. When an umpire has tunnel vision, he or she decides the status of the itch by predetermined destination. That is where the umpire expects the ball to ‘0 based on his or her read from in front ofthe plate. The umpire should track the ball with his or her eyes the way into the catcher's glove before making a ecision, That’sa huge difference. Tracking a pitch with the eyes takes practice and constant self-reminding. See the outside corner of the plate with both eyes and try to stay ‘on’ the pitch to the end, That will help to see talls and breaks of he ball when it passes the plate, ‘what you are doing, you are just waiting longer to make a bad decision because you judged the pitch too soon. Two methods of ‘timing your call: 1. The sound technique — Listen for the sound of the glove, walt a prescribed amount of time and then make the call.2. The whisper technique — Wait forthe pitch, listen to the ball hit the mitt, whisper or say to yourself, “That pitch was a strike (or ball)’ and then make the call. ‘Timing techniques. Timing goes hand in hand with tracking. ‘Timing isnot waiting longer to announce your decision; if that is ‘who was ejected, the reason, what was said. That will be helpful later, when it's time to write the repori. Another things to note: if there's serious injury. Use the lineup card for more than just lineup changes. If you have an ection, takea quick moment to note the key details, such as ‘how you did things in training will help you reset and focus on the important things. When you're struggling is not the time to try something new. A new stance or other adjustment that's not part of your routine ‘will only throw you off further. Instead, focus on getting back to your usual routine. That's the best way to get back on track. If you're struggling behind the plate, go back to the fundamentals. Remember form training: "On the mound, set, call it” Going back to Calling the pitch, Timing i critical on the pitched ball. Watch the ball with your eyesall the way to the glove, and watch the catcher catch the ball, Then make up your mind on the ball’ location and call the pitch: ball or strike Ifthe pitch did not eross through any -partof the strike zone and the batter did not swing, it isa ball, Tocalla ball, remain in your stance and call, Ball? The call should be loud enough for the pitcher, catcher and batter to hear, Only after you've made the call, should you come out of your stance. Ifthe pitch did cross through any part of the strike zone and the batter did not swing, It isa called strike. Tb calla strike, come out of your stance and cal, Strike” Again, the call should be loud enough for the participants tohear. In conjunction with your call, you should make an arm motion. 2 BASEBALL 101 TIPSFOR Strike three mechanic. Most plate umpires enjoy calling strike three, The problem occurs when their strike three mechanic (or dance steps) takes them out of the action. A plate umplre should be careful not to turn away from the playing action with runners on. base. Ifthe batter interferes with the catcher on a stolen base attempt, the plate umpire must see that. pitchers and take away your slot space. Batters will crowd the plate and take more ofthat space from you. Some catchers, especially those ‘with litle experience, work high and block your view of the plate. As you gain experience, youll read those situations and adjust your slot postion to

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