North Kitsap Little League Umpire Introduction to Umpire Basics 101

Philosophy It’s not about you It’s not about the parents It’s not about the manager or coach It’s not even really about baseball It’s about kids and character development using baseball as a tool Rule 1.01: Baseball is a game…

You are the Role Model Be a professional Dress Decisions https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=soy8ppBkvsE Be helpful and instructive https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WEp7JBcDwQE Set the example and enforce the rules, keep your eyes open https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=utBBCHBozpI https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9UywRu8QPXA

Outline What you need to do before a game How to make calls correctly …how to tell everyone what you decided How to make correct calls …where to stand as you decide Leaving early …the runners, not you

Some Terms Batter Runner (R1, R2, R3) Batter-Runner (BR) Fielder (F1-F9) Protest Appeal (Gripe)

Pregame: Gear Plate Umpire Base Umpire Hat Shirt Slacks Belt Indicator Water Ball bag Mask Chest Protector Shin Guards Cup Plate shoes Hat Shirt Slacks Belt Indicator Water Cleats/Turf shoes Red Flag Plate gear in the car! Impressions demo.

Pregame: Partner Meet 30 minutes before the game. Discuss your game plan: Coverage—who’s looking for what. Signs: Infield fly, #outs, count, 1st-to-3rd, etc. What you’re working on improving; ask your partner to help you watch. Do this every single game. Be done by 15 minutes before game time.

Why the partner meeting is important: We want to have an odd number of 1 umpire making a call. We really don’t like it when this happens: The pre-game meeting to review responsibilities can avoid this…

Pregame: Equipment Bats Catcher’s gear Gloves Uniforms Baseball bats for baseball, softball bats for softball BPF 1.15 (1.20 for softball) unless wood Composite bats must be on the approved list The manager must supply the list No bat rings, (donut style bat weights), sleeves OK Batting helmets: look for cracks Catcher’s gear “Long model” chest protector no longer required Dangling throat guard Gloves Uniforms Jewelry: watches, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, etc. Broken bat example

Pregame: Field Bases... Double first? Foul lines Live ball/dead ball territory Pitcher’s mound/rubber Home run fence

Pregame: Teams Adults may not warm up pitchers Before a game During a game After a game Players standing near the bat during fielding practice must wear a catcher’s helmet. Teams should leave their gear out of bags ready for inspection while they take infield practice.

Pregame: Plate meeting Umpires and 2 managers (only!) Quick! Start 5 minutes before game time. Collect lineups Umpires control the game starting at this point You are THE Little League Representative now Only you can stop a game once you take the home team lineup Brief synopsis of ground rules (specific to the field) Get game balls Confirm that all players are legal and properly equipped Expectations: Hustle between innings (warmup catchers!) Respect for players and umpires Warm-up areas

Preparation Matters! Be ready, speak carefully and confidently. Know the rules. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu9p9ykT8r8 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hhoWM42StvM

Between innings Quick drink of water Quick chat between umpires if needed NEVER after a controversial call, it gives the appearance of a lack of confidence in the call. Just to clarify a signal or rotation. Anything more can wait until postgame. Control the time Returning pitcher only needs 5 pitches, allowed up to 8 By rule, teams have 1 minute from the last out of the half inning to get ready.

Starting the game 9 or more players on each team. Fielders (except catcher) in fair territory. Batter in the box. No one on deck. All other offensive players in dugout. Base coaches Can be players! With helmets! One adult in the dugout always! 3-coach limit Defensive manager location

Live ball/Dead ball Ball becomes live when the umpire points at the pitcher and says “Play!” Wait until the pitcher has the ball on the rubber. Wait until fielders are in fair territory. Wait runners are on the correct bases. Usually wait for a batter to be ready. Ball becomes dead when the umpire says “Time” or “Foul.” Sometimes it’s implied or obvious, stadium calls, hard off backstop… Nothing can happen when the ball is dead. Almost. No one except the umpire can call time. The offense will not be granted time-out to confer with a player more than once per inning (except for injury). Drew (->7:00)

Balls and strikes It’s a strike if: Otherwise, it’s a ball The batter attempts to hit the ball and misses. The batter hits a foul with less than two strikes. Any part of the ball crosses any part of the strike zone before hitting the ground. Otherwise, it’s a ball

Hit by a pitch The ball is always dead (“Time!”) Usually, the batter goes to first If the batter swung, it’s a strike If the ball was in the strike zone, it’s a strike If the batter didn’t attempt to avoid the ball, it’s a ball The batter was born with hands. The bat wasn’t. If it hits the hands it is dead ("Time") No runners may advance even if stealing

Fair or Foul? If the ball is in flight until after 1st/3rd, it depends on where it first touches a person, an object or the ground. If the ball settles or is touched before it passes 1st/3rd, it depends on where it is touched or settles. “Touched” means by a person or a foreign object. There are no foreign objects in fair territory. If the ball bounces before 1st/3rd, but passes the base before it’s touched, it depends on where the ball is when it passes the front edge of the base.

Fair or foul?

Catch or No-Catch? It’s a catch when the ball is in flight and the fielder shows: Secure possession of the ball in the hand or glove. Complete control of the ball. Voluntary release of the ball. It’s a no-catch once the ball is no longer in flight: It has hit the ground. It has hit the fence or any other object. It has touched any person other than a fielder. When it’s a catch, the batter is out. It can be a catch in foul territory (ball stays live).

How to call safe and out Order is important! Play is about to happen: stop moving. Play happens: watch. Think about what you saw. Find the ball. Make sure it’s where you think it is. Decide what your call is going to be. Announce the result to everybody “It ain’t nothing ‘til I call it.” Basic 2, 10 minutes

Basic 6 Some calls are rare: once per season, or once per career 6 calls happen over and over again every game: Ball Strike Safe Out Time Foul

How a Runner Can Be Put Out Runner is tagged while off a base. Runner or next base is tagged when runner is forced. Runner passes a preceding runner. With a fielder waiting to make a tag, runner goes more than 3 feet to the side of a line from the runner to the base. Runner abandons the bases. Runner slides headfirst while advancing Runner fails to either slide or attempt to get around a fielder waiting to make a tag Missed touching a base (appeal play: later). Failing to retouch after a catch (appeal play: later). Interference (later).

Force Plays A force starts when a batter hits a fair ball. A runner is forced if he must advance to make room for the BR going to 1st, or for another runner who is himself forced. A force ends when the runner in question reaches the next base or when a following runner is put out. Example: R1, R3. When the batter hits the ball, R1 is forced to 2nd, but R3 is not forced. If the BR tries for 2nd, R1 is not forced to 3rd. If the BR is put out at 1st, the force on R1 is removed. A forced runner can be put out either by tagging the runner or by tagging his next base. To tag the base, the fielder needs possession of the ball (in hand or glove) and contact with the base.

Tag plays Unless forced, runners can only be put out by being tagged. A tag requires control of the ball by the fielder. A tag may be made with the ball itself or with the glove when the ball is inside. If the ball comes out during the tag, the fielder didn’t have control.

Scoring runs Usually, a run scores when a runner touches 1st, 2nd, 3rd and home in order. No runs can score on a play involving the 3rd out on the batter before reaching 1st or a force play. Tagging a forced runner is a force play. If the 3rd out is not a force, runs count if the runner touches the plate before the tag happens. Appeals covered later…

Leaving Early On 60’ diamonds, runners must maintain contact with their bases during a pitch. Requirement starts when ALL of these are true: Pitcher has ball and is in contact with the rubber (softball: in the circle, not threatening to make a play) Catcher has his mask on and is behind the plate facing the pitcher The runner is not currently advancing. Requirement ends when EITHER: The pitcher disengages the mound The pitch reaches the batter Or in softball, on the release by the pitcher

Leaving Early: Softball Immediate dead ball ("Time!", no pitch). The runner is out. If two or more runners left early, you can only call one out. Pick the most advanced runner. Majors and higher: Runners may leave when the pitcher releases the ball

Leaving Early: Baseball If any runner leaves early, all runners left early. When the play is over and nothing else is going to happen, call time. If the batter hit the ball, the plate umpire judges the base value of the hit. Don’t give the batter extra bases because of errant throws or because he advanced while a play happened. Be guided by where the batter was when the ball was thrown back to the infield. All outs stand. Return all runners to their starting bases unless this would push the batter further back than the value of his hit.

Questions? Credits WA-D9 and Drew Carlson without which this would not have been possible. D9ump.org