Seen in a game this weekend.

[Crabby_Bob]

A $200 membership fee plus a 10% assignor's fee is highway robbery. If they're giving you 16 hours of instruction, at least a portion should be on a field to work mechanics for plate and base.

 

[Gags]

Not trying to doubt anyone, but the USSSA page is showing a fee of $105, which includes insurance. Or $40 if you provide your own:

USSSA - United States Specialty Sports Association

usssa.com

Are there local fees as well?

 

[ang2bmd]

Our rec league plays during the spring instead of the summer when the high school girls are playing and practicing 6 days a week. If they would play during the week in the summer there would be lots more opportunities for our girls to umpire. As it stands practice doesn't even get over in time for them to do the early game and they do have to do homework sometime


Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[flash277]

Not trying to doubt anyone, but the USSSA page is showing a fee of $105, which includes insurance. Or $40 if you provide your own:

USSSA - United States Specialty Sports Association

usssa.com

Are there local fees as well?

Oh yes, I have to pay that too. In an umpire meeting I once asked the guy who runs the organization I work for about his $200 fee, he had no good answer. I said I don’t understand paying to work, to make him money. He tried blowing it off saying I’ll make that back in 4 games (55 a game) and plenty more games after that. And some umpires were backing him. It was kind of insinuated that this is the way it is, if you dont want to pay, you don’t get games.

 

[Gambler Bob]

Depends on the situation; if the umpire is in perfect position and has all the elements of the play in front of them; you might as well stay where you are. If the umpire is in position, can see the ball, the runner, the plate and the fielder, then they have all the elements to make the call.

If you think there is an element they missed - you politely come out, say something they can check on - "I believe your view of the tag was blocked, can you see if your partner had a better angle' if true is a good one. "Runner never made the bag" is also a good one. "I believe the runner touched the bag with her outside foot and you were blocked from seeing that" might be a good one. "Your angle makes it difficult for you to see a pulled foot" is a very good one. These all say that the judgment call didn't have all the information needed to make the call.

"You got it wrong"... REALLY not a good one. "The tag was high" not a good one. "She beat the tag or throw " or "She already touched the bag" not good ones. Just saying "Can you check with your partner" is also a terrible one - because I am going to ask "What would you like me to check with my partner on" because I need to hear the element I was missing so I can get any additional information they may have on that element.

You HAVE TO give the umpire a legitimate element of the play that they couldn't see and take into account - that you just saw the call differently to the umpire is not enough.

Great post. It is amazing the amount of coaches that do not understand that you can't argue judgement calls such as, a force out at first base. In my experience, the two calls that I end up asking for an umpire to get help on are plays were a first baseman pulls their foot off the bag on a force play, or tag play where the fielder drops the ball on the tag but the umpire did not see that ball pop out.

 

[radness]

the two calls that I end up asking for an umpire to get help on are plays were a first baseman pulls their foot off the bag on a force play, or tag play where the fielder drops the ball on the tag but the umpire did not see that ball pop out.

imo
Reasonable 2 things.

 

[eddieq]

In regards to training and working on your craft, as an umpire, I have received very little formal training since I started in 2012. I made it a point to work with one of the local UICs to basically observe him and a couple others and ask questions before they put me on the field. I did sign up and go to an ASA National Umpire School and always attend the local "clinics" we hold annually, but most of that is power point presentations and some rules interpretations. At the NUS and at a regional clinic I attended one year, we did actually go out in the gym and work on field mechanics which was great. At the NUS, they had pitchers from the host university's softball team throwing at us to give us live pitching experience (aside - as someone who at the time had seen mostly 14u and 12u pitching, D2 pitching was an eye opener). I have several friends I have made online that I communicate with over rules and mechanics questions as well.

Anyway, as I ramble, one of the things I enjoy is going and watching softball games or watching them when NCAA games are on TV. I live across the street from one of the local schools where the middle school (7/8 grade) plays. Since I've been working from home and have a flexible schedule, I enjoy just going at watching the game, but I pay attention to the umpires and their mechanics taking mental notes on what they do, how they do it, etc. If I notice what I perceive as a flaw, I note to myself to work on that in my own game. I also keep my opinions of the umpire to myself, as it does nobody any good to hear more complaints about umps. Especially in my small town where people who know me know that I'm an umpire.

I know my area has a shortage of umpires. I've been given a free hand to "self-assign" any community games I want in town as there is literally nobody left from my small association (died, moved, retired, etc.). I love the game and since I no longer play and my kids are older and no longer play, I decided to become part of the solution a few years ago and get behind the plate.