Softball
50 Percent Better in 45 Minutes
Do you want to be a 50 percent better umpire in 45 minutes? It’s all right here and my unique techniques are easy to...
Make Your Move
When it comes to adjudicating plays at the plate in softball, the one-size-fits-all philosophy no longer works. Every play is dynamic and no two...
Infield Fly Factors
An infield fly situation includes many variables for umpires to take into consideration. The wind or sun affects the calling of the infield fly....
Keep a Watchful Eye on Baserunners Into Bags
Any time there is a close play at a base, umpires have a lot to focus on. This is especially true when there is...
Atypical Interference is More Than Just Runners
There have been many articles written about interference, but most predominantly cover runner interference. The other acts of interference that may be perpetrated by the offensive team are team personnel...
Keep it Between Us
Some unseen things that go on before, during and after a softball game would really surprise the casual or even rabid fan.
First is the...
‘In’s’ and Outs
There are two rules that often give umpires pause during a game — infield fly and intentional drops. The rules regarding each are relatively...
Slap-Hitters and Bunters Force You To Think Outside The Box
With first base only 60 feet away from home plate in softball compared to 90 in baseball, the left-handed slap hit is a major...
Four Steps Toward Being Truly Great
Let’s assume you are a good umpire, even an exceptional umpire. You do well on association exams and know your mechanics. Nevertheless, do you...
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...
Digging Out of a Slump at the Plate
Even the best ballplayers go into slumps. A hard-hitting batter is suddenly “popping them up.” A dominant pitcher “loses the strike zone.” An ace...
5 Tips for the Tag Play at the Plate
Atag play at the plate is among the most exciting plays in softball. The decision the umpire renders on a close play at home...
Basepath Blunders
A baserunner caught in a rundown between two bases can be among the most exciting plays in fast-pitch softball, but it also creates a...
Making Amends After a Blown Call
It’s a terrible feeling. You’ve blown a call. You know it. Your partner may or may not know it. What’s worse, the blown call...
Handling Tough Situations on Difficult Pitches
One of the toughest jobs for a softball umpire is ruling on inside pitches. There is a lot happening at once and there are a lot of moving...
Step-By-Step Focus
The pause, read and react technique has been used for many years. Some associations call that process, wait, interpret, choose. Others coin it, read,...
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...
In the ‘Try Right Zone’
The plate umpire in fast-pitch softball faces the demanding task of making split-second rulings hundreds of times each game, regardless of the competition level....
Solid Ground (Rules)
Like everyone else, I like to be prepared when someone asks a question. That is particularly true when I’m umpiring a game. That gives...
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...
Talk the Talk
F
or umpires, one of the most important skills is game management. And perhaps the most important skill when it comes to being a good...
Old Acts, New Rulings
The NCAA has again adjusted its obstruction rule, reduced the illegal pitch penalty, adopted three experimental speed-up rules from last fall and brought back...
Advanced Softball Mechanics
Today’s players are quicker, faster, stronger, smarter, more athletic and better coached. Ask yourself: are our mechanics keeping pace with the rapid development of...
When Two Umpires Converge on the Same Base
Many of us who have been umpiring for a number of years have seen the situation in which one umpire is dutifully making his...
