Dixie Boys/Majors Baseball Umpires: Umpire Manual part 1

Every year there are aspiring umpires who attend the clinics for Dixie Boys/Majors Baseball. They come from all walks of life and ages. Some come for various reasons. Some to make extra money, or on a power trip or just be in the spotlight. The ones we look for are those who call to give something back they learned as a child or purely for the love of the game.

Rules are not complicated, as one would expect. Rules require a lot of reading and then re-reading several times to understand the intent of the rules. Never memorize the rules; just learn the intent of the rule which may apply to several situations.

After each night of umpiring, go home and look up each situation you ruled on that either was in that "gray zone" or one that you are not sure you were right on. That play may not come up again for weeks but next time you'll know you’re right.

The rulebook is broken down into three parts. First is the safety and welfare of coaches, players and umpires. The second is not to give an unfair advantage to either side. The third is the Tournament Rules, which has a combination of both parts of one and two geared for tournament play.

From the time you reach the ball field until you leave someone is observing your every move. This is why the dress code is so important. Let me put this in perspective. You are pulled over by a Policeman that is wearing overalls, a straw hat and muddy boots, get the picture? How much respect are you going to show this officer as opposed to him dressed in uniform? As an old instructor, these words ring true, "you come to the park looking like an umpire you can fool them maybe a couple of innings. My function here is to help you to fool them the other five."

Every umpire should arrive at the field no later than thirty- (30) minute’s pre-game time. There are several reasons for this. First, this gives you time to work out mechanics with your partner, discuss the rules that apply to the age group you’re calling and go over signals used umpire to umpire. Second you should walk the field to look for holes in the fence and openings (this comes in handy at your pre-game conference) look for hazards on the field. Many times there are rakes or drags left on the field in error.

Seek out the scorekeeper(s) and have them sit where you can find them. Third and last go over any ground rules you may not be aware of with the league commissioner and obtain an ample supply of baseballs for the game. There is nothing more frustrating than to show up at the park on time only to have your partner arrive at game time.

Before every game each dugout should be entered to check the equipment (Bats, helmets, face masks and warm-up bats). Some coaches are very inventive on the warm-up bats, even to the point of using a car axle that could slip out of a player’s hand and go through the chain link fence. This is the only time you should ever enter a dugout during a game until you are exiting the field after the game is completed. Always exit the "happy" side. This would be the winning side. Note: The -3 bat (National Federation Rule) applies only to the Dixie Pre Majors/Majors age groups.

Five minutes to game time you are to hold your pre-game conference with your partner(s) and both managers. How important is this conference? Very important! It puts everyone on the same page as to time limits in regular season, 10 run rule after five innings, ground rules, safety issues such as injured players and inclement weather. We will discuss the 30-30 rule in a later section. In Tournament Games congratulate both coaches at the plate when you get to the semi-final games. This adds a little class to your crew.

Having this question ask in about every clinic I've held, I'll put it in the manual. When does the umpires take charge of the field?

As soon as the home team’s batting order is handed to the Umpire-in-chief, the umpires are in charge of the playing field. From that moment, The Umpires shall have sole authority to determine when a game shall be called, suspended or resumed on account of weather or the condition of the playing field. Exception: in Tournament Play.

Two minutes to game time you walk to the plate with the game ball in your hand. The coach is at the plate still hitting infield. You inform the coach that we have two minutes to game time. He responds by "I’m still hitting infield to my team" OK, Now what? I’m a rookie and this coach is older than my dad. The solution is easy, throw the game ball to the pitcher and tell him he has eight warm up pitches beginning right now. Works every time.

Note: if the game is scheduled to start at 6:00 then the first pitch to the batter should cross the plate at 6:00.

I teach this course in every clinic. Umpiring is not limited to knowing every rule. It’s a combination of several factors. Understanding what sets people off and how to defuse a bad situation is an important part of being a polished umpire.

Any coach worth his salt will defend his team at all cost. Just because he requests time to talk to you about a call (we’re not talking balls and strikes here) doesn’t mean he’s questioning your integrity. It is human nature to "throw up a shield" when approached in these situations. Drop the shield and learn to listen. The coach may be right!

We've all seen Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Most of us know coaches that fit this description. Nicest guy you would ever meet off the field but a totally different personality on the field. How do we deal with this coach? Very simple. Always let him approach you, never go after him, rule number one.

Avoid yelling across the field at a coach. Always talk to the manager or coach in a calm collective voice. If you lose control, all that is left is mayhem. This does not give the impression that you’re timid, but it does leave the impression that you are in control.

Body language is very important here. Never take a confrontational stance while talking to the coach. What you see on TV in major league games where the umpire and the coach are toe to toe bumping bellies is simply that. It's for the TV fans and has no place in our youth games.

When a coach approaches me with that crazy look, I always stand turned a little to the side but where I can see him. I listen very close to what he says and give him about a minute to have his say. Then I smile and tell the coach, "let’s play ball Mr. Coach." It works!

Believe it or not, most ejections are caused by an umpire. Sloppy mechanics and erratic strike zones will send a coach into orbit. There are situations where no matter how perfect you are, some coaches will test you mentally.

Once you toss a coach or manager your conversation with him is over. You only talk to the next man in charge. The ejected coach is to leave the area out of sight and mind. Letting him hang around only invites more trouble. Players are a different matter. For example, you’re calling a Dixie Boys game (13-14 year old) you can’t send him to the parking lot. If his parents are present and he continues to raise a fuss in the dugout let the parents deal with him.

One thing that keeps umpires out of trouble is you never discipline a player, you talk to the coach. If they can’t remember a single call you made or that you were even on the field then you have called the perfect game.

Once a game is over and in the books leave it there. You ejected a coach last week then erase that from your memory. If he mentions it to you, simply say, "Mr. Coach, for the life of me I can't even remember that game". The point here is letting the coach know up front that you don't carry a grudge and neither should he.

An experienced umpire will rarely toss a coach, player or fan. Sometimes you aren't given a choice. An old saying is the right place for this section. "I chose who makes me angry, this option will never be that choice of the other person."

Sometimes we all forget the most important rule in the book. It's on the first page of every rulebook printed. Rule one. It's a game sports fans. No more, no less.

What you have been told over the years isn’t true. I rarely umpired a game that one of the following statements didn’t arise during the course of the game. Coaches and fans swear by them as a rule. But, it is just a myth and it isn’t so.

The hands are part of the bat. False, if he is hit on the hands while swinging the bat, it’s a dead ball strike. If he’s avoiding the pitch he gets a trip to first. All expenses paid.

The batter leaving the bat in the strike zone on a bunt is always a strike. False, he must offer for the pitch.

If a batted ball hits the plate it is foul. False, all bases are in fair territory.

If a batter’s foot touches any part of home plate when he hits the ball, he is declared out. False, the batter’s toe may be touching the plate and his heel on the batter’s box line. His entire foot must be outside the batter’s box on the ground as he makes contact with the ball.

Blue! The tie goes to the runner. No sir Mr. coach, he is either safe or out.

Umpires are part of the playing field. If they are hit by a batted ball, the ball is live and in play. Not always, umpires fall under the same rule as base runners. Did the pitcher touch the batted ball? Did it pass an infielder?

Slinging the bat. Isn’t that a softball rule coach?

Sliding into first. No advantage to the runner, but it’s legal and tends to confuse the base umpire at times.

The plate umpire can over-rule the base umpire. Not unless the plate umpire is first appealed to by the base umpire, or the plate umpire would prefer to call in a one man crew.

A balk is a dead ball as soon as the umpire yells balk. False. the ball has to reach the mitt or a glove first if not hit by a batter.

The ‘30/30' rule for lightning safety could save your life. The first ‘30' means that you need to take cover if you hear thunder within 30 seconds of the lightning flash (‘flash to bang’ ratio). Then wait at least 30 minutes after the last lightning flash or thunder in order to resume normal activity - the "all clear" signal. Lightning research has confirmed that consecutive lightning strikes can occur as much as six miles apart. People often do not perceive lightning to be close if it is two miles or more away, but the risk of the next strike being at your location may actually be very high. Many lightning casualties occur in the beginning as a thunderstorm approaches because people ignore these precursors. When thunderstorms are in the area but not overhead, the lightning threat can exist even if it is sunny at your location.

Always err on the side of caution. No game is worth the life of a child or anyone at the park. Bring this up in your pre-game conference if weather is likely to produce lightning. Let them know that you want the field and dugouts cleared immediately and get the players to a safe place.The safety and welfare of our children, coaches, parents and umpires precedes any outcome or delay of the game at hand. If the games get behind schedule, that's better than someone being struck by lightning. Don't be afraid to delay the game by stopping it. Parents don't want their children put in harm’s way no more than you do.

Bottom of the sixth, an ineligible pitcher takes the mound. He takes his warm up pitches and is caught by the scorekeeper in violation of the "rest period". Because the ineligible pitcher did not throw a single pitch to a batter nor did he perform any defensive act, he is removed from the mound without penalty. Note: the official scorekeeper is a member of the umpire crew. It is his/her responsibility to catch illegal substitution and notify the umpire. However he/she must remain silent on the wrong batter at bat because this is an appeal play.

8.96-No game will be forfeited because of the violation of one of the Dixie Boys or Majors pitching rules because it is the manager’s responsibility to both know the Dixie Boys and Dixie Majors pitching rules. The manager is to ascertain the eligibility of opposing pitchers prior to each of his team’s games. If, however, an ineligible pitcher is used during the course of a game, he shall, upon the protest of the opposing manager, be immediately replaced on the mound by an eligible pitcher and all plays occurring while the ineligible pitcher was on the mound shall become "official". The ineligible pitcher will further be ineligible from pitching in the team’s next game that he would have been eligible to pitch in. The manager will be ineligible to participate in the team’s next game. A forfeit shall not be considered to be a game in determining the next game that a pitcher would be eligible to pitch in or a manager to coach in. The discovery of an ineligible pitcher may be made and the aforementioned penalty imposed up to one-half (1/2) hour prior to the scheduled time of his team’s next game.

We've all had these batters' maybe it's because they're nervous or afraid they'll strike out or make a mistake. Players have a lot of peer pressure, parents yelling at them. Then the coach has that "you mess up look."

A batter that continues to walk out of the box half way to the 3^rd base coach will drive umpire nuts. What is the coach going to tell a batter with a full count anyway? Can I stop this? You bet! Tell the batter only you can grant time, if he just puts one foot out and holds up his hand you will give him time with-in reason to get reset. Then if he takes a stroll towards third point at the pitcher.

Always pay close attention to the batter as he enters the box. Is he in the very back of the box hoping to draw catcher’s interference by hitting his mitt? Is he crowding the plate looking for a free trip to first? Did he make an attempt to avoid getting hit? You're getting paid to see everything so never make the statement "I didn’t see it".

There will be times where a batter lays down a bunt close to the plate. As he exits the box, the catcher tries to field the ball. Now we have a little bumping going on. I refer to this as a "wreck". What it really is unless there is no intent to interfere or obstruct it is ruled as incidental contact.

It's an unwritten rule that the umpire never chats with the batter. Paying close attention to a young batter and you've noticed his knuckles are white because he's gripping the bat so tight. There is no rule that says you can't give him a reassuring smile and ask him is he ready.

That old saying "did he break his wrist" or did the barrel of the bat go over the plate has nothing to do with the most important fact here. Did he offer for the pitch is the question? If you are in doubt step out from behind the plate, with your left hand and point to your partner "did he go"? Anytime the catcher asks for an appeal on a check swing and you ruled it a ball, always go with the appeal to your partner.

How many times have you watched a baseball game or officiated in it and paid much attention to the three (3') foot running lane. The three foot lane is always the last half of the distance between home and first.

Is this lane important and should it always be marked on the field? Ok, lets look at the foul lines. They determine if a batted ball is fair or foul. I never understood why they call them "foul lines" the lines are completely in fair territory. The marked running lane has the same importance. It serves as a guide as whether the batter/runner has committed interference or not, either by running with-in the line or outside of it.

Lets put this in the real world. The batter lays down a bunt and tears out to first. He runs inside fair territory and get nailed by the throw from the catcher. Here we have interference. Another look at the same play, he runs with one foot in the lane, the left foot in fair territory. Yep interference. He has to have both feet in the lane.

The batter hit’s a long uncaught fly ball to deep center field. He runs the entire distance to first completely in fair territory. Any penalty here? No sir, the running lane does not become a factor here.

Keep in mind there are factors we live by determining if interference has occurred here. First was it a good throw by the catcher? Was the runner in completely in the lane? These are judgment calls and should be treated as such. Note: the runner does not have to be hit by the throw if in the judgment of the umpire he did in fact cause interference.

What does the Major League Rule Book tell us about the running lane?

Often referred to as defensive interference the correct term is obstruction. The Major League Rule Book describes the rule as:

Ok, we'll see how many ways we can use these pearls of wisdom. We have a runner caught in a rundown between first and second. The second baseman is running him back to first when the runner collides with the first baseman six foot off first without the ball and not about to receive the ball. What we have here is a true case of obstruction and even though the runner is headed back to first he is awarded second.

Another example is the runner is rounding second after the batter just smacked one in deep left field. The shortstop is standing in the baseline without the ball which is still located in left field. The classic wreck occurs with the shortstop and the runner in a pile. The umpire gives a delayed dead ball signal, the runner gets up and is thrown out at third. In the umpires' judgment the runner could have made it home if he was not obstructed therefore was awarded home.

Ok, we're up to the "fake tag." Is this obstruction? If it impedes the progress of any runner it is. The fake tag on either side should be followed by a warning to both teams for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The biggest controversial issue that an umpire can be caught up in is the "must slide rule" Having researched this issue from every baseball rule book known to man I have yet to find this rule.

There is however choices that a runner must make when he is going into a base and the fielder has the ball in his possession. The runner may elect to slide or make an attempt to get around the fielder.

Runner coming home and the catcher is standing in the baseline blocking the plate without the ball is one of the biggest issues we face.

What the runner can't do is crash into the fielder either deliberately or maliciously contact the fielder. In plain words, the runner cannot throw up his forearm and take out the catcher or knock him backwards or down.

Let’s put this in a situation play: Two outs, runner on third, the batter hit’s a screamer up the middle. The catcher is standing about a foot off the plate blocking the baseline nowhere close to making a play at the plate. The runner is charging down the baseline, throws up his elbow and creams the catcher, then, touches home plate. Does the umpire allow the run to score even though the runner will be ejected?

No, the runner is called out then ejected. Since this is the third out the inning is over.

Just about the time everything was getting simple, Murphy's Law says if it can happen, it will. We have a runner on first and the batter loops one into center field. The runner on first rounds second and seeing he couldn't make it scurries back to second. Now he knows what all the yelling is about, there stands the batter/runner on second.

Here's where Murphy's Law comes in. The second baseman tags the preceding runner and throws the ball to the pitcher who watches the batter/runner make it back to first safely. Case in point, nobody is out. The second baseman should have tagged the batter/runner or both if he wasn't sure. Is this an automatic out? No the trail runner has to be tagged in this case. Has this happened in the real world? You bet! Many times. The following is the Major League Rule on the above.

(b) If a runner is forced to advance by reason of the batter becoming a runner and two runners are touching a base to which the following runner is forced, the following runner is entitled to the base and the preceding runner shall be out when tagged or when a fielder possesses the ball and touches the base to which such preceding runner is forced.

This is one rule that rattles young umpires on when it should be called. Let's look at the who, when, why and how. This is the rule set forth in the Major League Baseball rules:

When calling the 13-14 year old Dixie Boys, keep in mind the "caught by an infielder with ordinary effort." Who calls the infield fly? Any umpire on the field can. When? Immediately if not sooner. Why? It protects the base runners. How? As loud as you can, it avoids confusion.

The batter hit’s a shot up the middle striking the pitching rubber. The ball bounces untouched back into foul territory between home and third. The call? A foul ball.

Rule 2.00 (Fair Ball) Comment: If a fly ball lands in the infield between home and first base, or home and third base, and then bounces to foul territory without touching a player or umpire and before passing first or third base, it is a foul ball; or if the ball settles on foul territory or is touched by a player on foul territory, it is a foul ball. If a fly ball lands on or beyond first or third base and then bounces to foul territory, it is a fair hit.

All appeal plays must be made while the ball is live. The only exception to the rule is batting out of order. Ball hit to the outfield, the runner on first misses second and is standing on third. The ball comes back to the shortstop that is touching second and makes his appeal clear to the umpire that the runner now standing on third missed that base. The umpire shall render his decision.

Ok, let’s take another view, same play but time has been called. Two things to remember here, first the runner cannot go back to the base he missed once he has touched the base beyond after the ball has become dead. Second once the umpire puts the ball back in play the appeal may be made but the runners may advance.

Protests can be made when an umpire gives a misinterpretation of a playing rule. The protest must be made before the next pitch.

Here's the situation, batter hit’s a line shot that hit’s first or second base. The ball careens into the dugout. You rule that the base is in fair territory but the batter-runner only gets one base. This is a classic example of misinterpretation of a playing rule.

There are times in Sub District, District and even State Tournaments we don't always get the best informed members to set on the protest committee. The umpire just made a call that went to the protest committee and they overruled his decision. Should he be mad? Does he let their decision cloud his judgment the remainder of the game?

Umpires are very much like Law Enforcement Officers. They are there to enforce the rules. There will be times when you know without a doubt that you rendered the right decision and was overruled by the protest committee. Trust me this will happen sooner or later to every umpire. How you handle it is what this section is about.

First of all, there are three umpires in a tournament game. Hopefully between the three of you someone will know the correct ruling. If one of you makes a decision that he is a little foggy on, it may require a huddle sports fans. Only the umpires will hold this huddle and away from the fence. The coach or manager can join you after all of you have reached what you think is right, not until.

If all of you agree that the right decision was made and the coach still wants to protest, that is his right to do so. Advise the coach to state his case to the protest panel. When the coach has done so, state your case, and move back away from the fence.