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...
All Eyes Are On You
There are close plays all over a baseball field and in every game. Half-steppers at first base. Fingertips on stolen base attempts. Pitches at...
Forgive, But Don’t Forget
We’ve all had one. Or two. Or 102. That moment when stark reality hits and you realize you have just kicked the ever-living daylights...
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...
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.”...
11 Hacks for Onfield Umpires
With a new baseball season rolling along, here are a few tips and hacks involving plate work that can help you out as an...
Video Tips for Working as the Referee with Legendary White Hat Jerry Markbreit
Jerry Markbreit is one of the most well known and respected sports officials in the world. Not just in the football community but across...
Eye Didn’t Miss It
Umpiring a baseball game is full of visual challenges. Some are unusual and others are more common. In a recent game, the uninformed runner...
Preventing Umpire Interference
The umpiring crew must be sure the playing field and other conditions are safe to start the game and all conditions remain safe throughout...
Thou Shall Not Pass
If you ever have any doubt what area of the game is going to get you in the most trouble as a baseball umpire,...
Don’t Get An ‘Oh, S—!’ Reputation
By Jeffrey Stern
I’m guessing you can fill in the blanks in the title of this post. If you haven’t used the word even once...
When and How to Give the Count
One of the most important jobs for softball umpires is game management. And one of the most overlooked aspects of game management is giving...
No-Huddle? No Hurry
The key word for officials is accommodation. You can’t deter a team from setting its own pace in a game. Teams have a right...
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:...
Still Work to Be Done When There’s a Break in Play
The referees accept the coach’s or captain’s request for timeout and blow the whistle, starting the timeout procedure. Both teams usually move to the benches for a quick...
Literally Lateral
When San Antonio Trinity University used 15 backward passes to score the winning touchdown on the last play of an October 2008 game against...
Slay the Drag-on
One of the great debates in sports these days is how long it takes to play the games. Television has been a great boon...
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...
Slot Machine
The most important job in a game, and often the most difficult, is calling an accurate strike zone. In order to be accurate, you...
Three Keys to Plate Perfection
Do you sometimes suddenly feel like you’re struggling at the plate? One game, you’re fine, and the next you’re just … off? Take a...
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...
Post-Match Pitfalls
We just want to be understood. It’s human nature, especially when it comes to officiating — we want people to know, understand and accept why we made a...
Penalize Careless, Reckless, Excessive Tackling
There seems to have grown a notion that the Laws of the Game forgives almost anything if you just get the ball.
Not surprisingly, there...
Start Your Game on the Right Track
Starting the game on the right track helps everyone get off to a smooth start. Starting on a bad note can set the tone...