10 Tips to Move Up the College Baseball Ranks
An umpire buddy was planning a presentation to a high school umpires association on how to advance to the college level and asked me...
Coach Communication Done Well
Communication between officials and coaches is extremely important and is an essential element of a properly officiated game. Most coaches identify good communication as...
Stay Home in Primary
Supervisors want officials to master the fundamentals, creating good habits and developing a consistency to their game — characteristics shared among the elite in...
4 Habits Softball Umpires Must Have
If you took a poll of coaches and players and asked them to name the skills and habits that are important for an umpire...
Four Tips for One-Umpire Mechanics
It’s not news that budgets for athletic programs, especially in recreation and intramural leagues, have had to be tightened. Often the first items trimmed...
What Coaches and Referees Actually Agree On
In any game, coaches and referees usually agree on several things:
The time of the game
The location of the game
The teams playing...
Timing Is Everything
“Timing is everything!” That expression is cemented when it comes to baseball umpiring. You can read rulebooks, study mechanics, go to camps and clinics...
You Say It Best When You Say Nothing At All
I’ve always felt the following are some of the greatest sayings relating to speaking: “You can’t be misquoted for something when you say nothing.”...
Don’t Talk To My Kids!
"Don't Talk To My Kids!" Ever heard that shouted from the sideline? Coaches don’t want officials coaching their players. They do want officials to help their...
Bunt, Slap and Checked-Swing Quandaries
The photo above provides an interesting conundrum for umpires. While it is just a snapshot, it leads to some intriguing questions and forces us to get into the...
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...
Understand Elevator Screens
O ne of the great things about basketball is that although there are many constants to the way the game is played, there are...
Team Control Is A Moving Target
When the basketball is loose, and opponents are fighting to gain control, officials are taxed to determine team control. The difficulty often comes from the unexpected — abnormalities...
Protocols for Inadvertent Whistles
Late in the fourth quarter, the home team was up, 16-14, and the visitors lined up at the 25 yardline for what would almost...
The Importance Of Halftime Discussions
Imagine that the buzzer to end the first half has just sounded. The game is going to be a real barn burner. The teams are tied...
Get Out Of The Way Blue! What is and isn’t Umpire Interference
Know What Is, And Is Not, Umpire Interference
F
or many umpires, their definition of a job well done includes being able to walk off the...
Have Patience Considering Continuous Motion
“Two shots,” or “Going up!” Terms that are not used often enough. What many hear more often is, “No, on the floor!”
Ask yourself what...
Tips for When You Struggle on the Bases
What do you do when you’re struggling on the bases? We’re all going to have bang-bang plays where we do everything right but freeze-frame...
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...
Ballhandling Makes Your Crew Look Sharp
It was the championship game for the local semi-pro league with a crew of six officials. A pass was intercepted and the down ended...
Proper Three-Person Rotations Rely on Science and Art
As more states and officials’ associations transition to three-person mechanics, lead officials need to become more active and recognize when to rotate ball side.
Gone are the days of...
Ups and Downs of Jump Balls
Jump balls set the tone for the rest of the game. It’s the first action directly related to the game, and that first impression...
When To Stop A Game
When to stop a game because of darkness or weather are among the toughest calls of an umpire's career. Next to those, you might think...
Eight Habits to Improve Your Play Positioning
Does your association have “good umpires”? Certainly it does. But are there a few umpires acknowledged to be better than the rest of the...