Tips to Help Sideline Officials Look Sharp
When I was a deep official, I would catch flak from my linesman and line judge crewmates. They told me they do most of...
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...
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...
Flopping for Fouls has Repercussions
The NBA continues to have a real problem with “flopping.” League officials recently levied some fines and penalties for “faking being fouled,” and the rampant problem...
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...
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...
Equipment Commitment
The NFHS Softball Rules Committee made two significant changes to player equipment, involving the wearing of head coverings and beads, and approved six other...
The Art of Dealing With Coaches
By Jay Miner
I’ve read every umpire manual ever written back to Hank O’Day’s turn of the century (20th) handwritten notes. Manuals are good and...
Unexpected Calls Require Strong Voice, Signals
We are all taught early in our umpire training that some plays will occur that need to be sold harder than others. The type...
Double the Trouble
Unlike in football and basketball where referees must determine the legality of athletes crashing into each other on almost every play, baseball is a...
3 Times When You Can Take Back A Flag
Once a flag is thrown, there are circumstances when it can be picked up — disregarded if you will. Except for some very specific...
Safe or Out, There Is No Tie
Fans, players and coaches are often heard yelling from the stands, “Tie goes to the runner!” However, no rule in baseball or softball has that phrase. A few...
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...
Official/Player Communication Influences Conduct
Trying to manage a football game would be nearly impossible without effective and pointed communication. Although managing players is primarily the responsibility of the coaching staff, officials can facilitate the...
3 “When In Doubt” Judgment Guidelines
According to Webster, judgment is the ability to make a decision. An official’s judgment calls will be questioned more often than his or her...
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...
Keep Focus Sharp at the Buzzer
Most of us are well aware that bad judgment or lack of focus in the last minute of a game can destroy the other...
Strong Signals Can Defuse
Reporting fouls to the table is a time to project strength and believability. Your signal should lend credibility that you stand by your call...
Michael Stephens: His “Rhode” Through Providence
When you talk to people who know Michael Stephens well, they’ll tell you he learned at the feet of the masters — from big-time Division I college basketball officials...
8 Ways to Avoid Perception Issues
It’s always useful to review a few perception issues that can get umpires off on the wrong foot at the start of a contest or create negative feelings...
Prep for Bang-Bang Plays
Crashes should not catch basketball officials by surprise. That’s a mantra from Jon Levinson, NCAA women’s basketball secretary-rules editor, and assigner for the Patriot...
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...
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...
Infield Flies not on the fly
One of the more difficult situations in softball are those involving the infield fly rule. While all the codes agree on when the rule...
