7/26/2019 Pre-requistes for Good Umpiring

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pre-requistes-for-good-umpiring 1/2

UMPIRE

 MANUAL

CHAPTER 1

PRE REQUISITES FOR GOO UMPIRING

Successful

 um pires posses certain comm on quali t ies. They include:

• A thorough knowledge of the rules

•

  Effective

 com munication ski lls: both verbal and listening

• Effective game managem ent, self control, and a current knowledge of ASA

mechanics.

In   short, there is no substitute for game experience. The quality of judgment is only

achieved

  through lessons learned

 in

 game situations.

The

 game

 of softball

 demands hustle

 at all

 times

 by

 every

 umpire. Athletes

 who

  play

the

  game

 o f

 softball work hard

 o n

  conditioning

  to

  perform

 a t a

 peak level, umpires

should too, Successful umpires have

 to

 achieve physical fitness  prior

 to the

 start

 of

the season to be able to move at the player's speed. R ules study and experience

won't

 cover up for an

 umpire that

 is out of position

 because they

 are not fit

 enough

 to

match

 the movement of the players.

ELEMENTS

  OF A

  SUCCESSFUL UMPIRE:

•  Professional

 Appearance

  - a clean,

 pressed

 ASA

 uniform with shoes

shined, Official ASA cap, ball  bag, indicator, plate brush  and appropriate

protective equipment for the game being played. A professional appearance

should

  be a

 habit

  you

  never break.

•

  Communications:

0 Always be business-like and professional when com municating with

anyone about

 the

 game.

0  Support your crew throughout the entire game. If an information

request comes from your partner st ick to the facts and give only the

information requested.

0

  When having

 a

 discussion with

 a

 manager

 or

 coach dem onstrate good

listening skills

  an d

 answer

 th e

 question directly using

 t he

 language

from the rulebook.

0 Verbalize loud enough for your partners to hear you when

  rotating

to cover plays. Comm unication only wo rks when i t is acknowledge d,

therefore respond to your pa rtner so that they

  know

  that they

 have

been heard.

•  Conditioning:  Maintaining

 a

 good level

 o f

 f i tness

 not

 only helps

 an um-

pire's

 mov ement but also improves

 their ability

 to maintain focus throughout j

the

 game.

• Game Management: Comes from leading by example. If you want players

to  hustle on and off of the field then you should hustle to your next posit ion

at  the end of the

 inning.

  Us e

  preventive umpiring techniques

 to

  handle little

problems such as equipment

  left

 on the field or ball players bantering, "Nip

it" early  an d  avoid problems later.

Judgment: Can be  best described   in the  saying "umpiring judgment  is

mainly experience salted with coo l headed comm on sen se." It takes years

to

 develop go od judgment. Umpires earn

 the

 respect

 of the

 players

 by

the way we render decisions. Umpires should keep a tight reign on their

temperament

 an d

  remember that

  no

 provocation,

  not

 even

 a

 physical

  at-

tack, should cause an umpire to lose sight of their primary responsibility

-  keeping the

 game

 under

  control.

 The

 players will relax

 and

 trust

 the

 good

judgment

 of the

 umpire

  if the

 call makes sense. Calls that don't make sense

put players on edge and are

 cause

 for question. To

 develop

 good

 judgment

umpires should take time

 to

 learn

 the

 common sense application

 of the

rules during game situations.

Mechanics:

 They are the backbone of umpiring. The ASA National Umpire

Staff spends

 a

 large am ount

 of

  time developing effective mechanics

 d e-

signed to give every umpire the best opportunity to judge each play. Plate

mechanics begin with calling balls

 and

 strikes

 and end

 with

 the

  required

movement by an umpire to complete their other

 duties.

 This

 includes

 the

elements

 o f

 stance,

 the set

 position,

 calling the

 pitch

 a nd

  movement from

the plate when required. Base mechanics

 begin with the

 fundamentals

 of

positioning followed

 b y

 timing, judgment, signals

 and a

 verbal call. Umpires

should work

 on

 improving their mechanics d uring every game.

Positioning:  Equals

 credibility.

  Every umpire must

 b e a

 "student

 of the

game" to prepare for every situation that may occur during a game. Suc-

cessful umpiring requires complete concentration, full energies   and  undi-

vided attention from

 the

  first pitch

 to the

  last

 out of

 each game.

 A

 current

knowledge

 of ASA

 mechanics will place

 you in the

 proper position

 to

  umpire

each play successfully.

Rule Knowledge: I s essential  for  successful umpiring.   To  develop  a

complete knowledge

 of the

  rules each umpire should study their rulebook

regularly

  and

 attend Local

  and

 Regional Rules Clinics

 a s

 well

 as a

 National

Umpire School. Umpires

 who are

 com mitted

 to

 becoming

 th e

 very best

should attend

 the

 Advanced Cam ps offered

 in

 both Slow Pitch

  and

 Fast

Pitch.

Timing: Is  essential for  believable umpiring. A call made b efore th e  umpire

has  seen the  "whole play can be a mistake. A call made after  an   extended

delay

  is

 often viewed

 as a

 lack

 o f

 confidence

  in the

 call

 by the umpire.

Calls made too

 quick

 or too late have  the same effect on

 ball

 players...NOT

BELIEVABLE Good t iming is equally important on the bases and at the

7/26/2019 Pre-requistes for Good Umpiring

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pre-requistes-for-good-umpiring 2/2

UMPIRE M NU L

plate.

 A

 successful umpire

 will

 allow themselves

  to see the

 whole pitch

 or

the

 whole play, then after

 a

 slight hesitation, make

 the

 call.

DIFFICULT

 SITUATIONS

•  Appeal plays require a thorough knowedge  of the rule. An appeal play is a

unique part of the game

 initiated

 by the offended team.

Appeals include:

1.

  Batting out of

 order

  A

 runner

 missing a

 base

 or touching the

 wrong portion

 of the double

base

 if a

 play

 is

 being made

3 Attempting

  to

 advance

 to 2B

 after overrunning

 1B

4

A

 base runner leaving

 too

 soon

 on a

 caught

 fly

 ball

Appeals

 may be

 made:

A

During a live

 ball

 or dead

 ball

B

Prior to the next pitch

C

Before the defense has left the field

D. Before the umpires leave the field at the end of the game.

•  Ejections:

 happen when

 an

 umpire removes

 a participant

 from

 the

 game.

The ejected person must leave the

 field

 and have no contact wth other

participants or umpires. The plate umpire will not restart the game until the

ejected participant has been removed. Explain the time frame to the manag-

er and let them handle the situation.

The

 ejected

 participant should be

 allowed

 to

 return

 for the

 next game

 un-

less they have physically attacked

 an

 umpire. When working with

 a

 partner,

remember that the ejecting umpire's duties are finished when the ejection

occurs.  It is now time for the partner to step in and remove the ejected

participant

 from the field and out of the park.

 

•  Forfeits: are a no win situation. If working with a partner(s) always consult

the crew before declaring  forfeit. All umpires can declare a forfeit, but be

sure

 to

 exhaust every

 option

 before

 arriving at the decision. Although the

rule book allows  the

 umpire

 to rule a forfeit if the ejected

 participant

 is not

removed

  in one

 minute

 use

 good judgment. Pulling

 a

 watch only antago-

nizes all concerned.

•  Protests: happen when a team member doesn't  understand the

 ruling

 the

umpire just made. An umpire's  top

 priority

 is to get the

 call right.

 Once a

protest is

 filed,

 notification must be given to the opposing coach

 prior

 to

the next pitch. In Championship play a Protest Committee will convene to

r n r a decision before the next pitch. If the protest is upheld the game will

resume from the point the protest was filed.