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Rules Take Many Arguments Out of the Game

There’s a nationwide shortage of officials. It’s gotten harder in all sports to get and keep officials, and softball is no exception. Criticism from...

How to Shine Behind the Plate

L et's take a look at some of the best tips and techniques involving plate work that that can help you preform, and look,...

Spirit and Intent Influence Interpretation

When considering the rules, spirit and intent influence interpretation. It would be easier if every rule was black and white. No wiggle room. We...

Stay on Script With Signals

Like it or not, we officials are on a stage of sorts, playing a role and contributing to the production. By that standard, we...

Communication on Cue Is Key

Appropriate communications (ignore, body language, non-verbal signals including whistle and general accepted hand signals and verbal) are used to match level and skill of...

An Inside Perspective On Evaluation Camps

O ne of the hallmarks of Referee is the willingness to publish articles offering advice on how officials can advance in their particular sports. In...

The Difference Between Preventive Umpiring and Coaching

T here tends to be a debate among umpires regarding what should and should not be brought to the attention of coaches when it comes...

The Philosophy Of Ball-Handling Calls

R egardless of the level of volleyball, before a match a coach may ask a referee, “Are you tight with ball handling or do you...

Video Lessons Learned Can Help Going Forward

One of the things we learned from staying home because of the pandemic was the amount of spare time one had when going out...

Aptitude Vs. Attitude

The attitude officials have when they walk onto the field will determine in part the success they may or may not enjoy in officiating...

Mental Checklist on Every Pitch Ensures Focus

The best way to stay focused and lessen the chance of a screw-up is to go through a mental checklist before each pitch. This...

Going Out in Style?

More than half of the time while working the bases in fast pitch, you’ll be setting up in position A down the right-field foul...

6 Types of Interference

1. Playing Through the Back A defender cannot come over a receiver’s back to try to play a pass. Be careful not to penalize a...

A Breakdown of Running Lane Rules

In the top of the seventh inning in Game 6 of the World Series on Oct. 29, 2019, the Washington Nationals had Yan Gomes...

Step On the Field and Handle Your Business Like a Boss

A fellow brother in blue, who passed away much too soon, had a mantra he used both in life and on the field. That mantra...

Early Movement By Either Team May Call For Flags

O ffensive players are prohibited from committing a false start before the snap. There are two movements that are illegal for all team A players:...

High Time to Talk Timing

U mpires always stress the importance of good timing behind the plate (and on the bases, but that’s a topic for another day). But to...

Take a Wedge

The evolution of the mechanics of calling plays at home plate has been fascinating to observe. Plate umpires can make decisions on 250 to 300...

A Mathematical Dive Into the Strike Zone

The softball strike zone has not changed for a long time; it is still the zone explicitly described in the rules for each softball code. There are slight...

Crews Need To Handle Double Whistles Correctly

Perhaps one of the more famous double whistles in recent memory happened in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals. To set the scene: It’s the final 40...

Manage Dead Time for the Right Pace

Baseball is played without a clock, but increasing game times are very much on the minds of many involved with overseeing the game, particularly...

Always Assume You Are Being Assessed

For roughly the first half of my amateur umpiring career — which lasted from 1966-2016 — umpires could go about their business without having to deal with rating...