ilyazhito

I hope that the SC rule will match NCAA and OBR practice that appeals are allowed only while the ball is live, not the stupid practice of umpires automatically calling runners out for missing bases.

Wouldn't you be in either Deep B or Deep C? I remember that when I worked in the 3-umpire system as U3, I would be in Deep B for R1. I would be in the regular C position for R1/R3, and R1/R2(R3). The reason I would be in Deep B with R1 as U3 or as U1 in an R2/R3 situation is to be able to turn around quickly and be in position for the throw to 2B. A U2 in the 4-umpire system could be at Deep B or Deep C with runners on, because he does not have to worry about covering plays at other bases before the pitch. Would Deep C straight line an umpire the same way that the regular C position does?

Isn't "I'm on the line" an indicator that the plate umpire will not rotate to 3rd in a potential rotation situation (R1, R1/R3, R1/R2 on a tag-up)? If that is the case, "I have the line" would be less ambiguous, because the OP situation does not involve any potential for a plate umpire rotation.

If there are 3 umpires, I would expect U3 to be at C with 1st and 3rd to be prepared for the potential steal of 2nd and the pickoff at 3rd. However, I don't expect U1 in a 2-umpire game to be there, because there might also be a pickoff at 1st base that he can't leave uncovered by being in C.

Would anything after April 7 count for the next season?

If the schools care about that, they should be more consistent in providing dressing rooms for umpires. They are the most consistent at providing locker rooms for football and basketball officials. You have to request a locker room for the other sports. For other sports, I contact the AD in advance to get access to a locker room. When I also get access to a shower, that is the icing on the cake.

There is a specific exception for the visiting pitcher/catcher of record in the top of the 1st inning. If either of those players gets on base, they are allowed a courtesy runner, because they are due to pitch or catch in the upcoming half-inning.

Why would you use sneakers on the bases? I have used cleats, because most baseball fields around me are a combination of grass and dirt. Cleats give me better traction on that type of field. I had to get a different pair of plate shoes because the ones I originally had rubbed the skin on my feet and caused blisters. Don't force yourself to use uncomfortable shoes.

Pivoting is not used in 3 or 4 man. Even if the play breaks down to leave 2 umpires, U1 doesn't pivot. He glances at the touch and continues to 2B.

That makes more sense. I've never heard it called that. I've just heard that not pivoting was an advanced mechanic and a good habit to get into if working 3 or 4-umpire games.

I agree. The Golden At-Bat is nonsense, especially because this rule messes up the batting order, and in turn, interferes with the ability to enforce the Batting Out of Turn (BOOT/BOO) rule.

What is the AAA mechanic y'all are mentioning? I've seen and executed both the standard pivot and the run to 2nd base while looking over my shoulder.

That is cricket. In cricket, any outs have to be appealed to the umpires.

It depends on the rule set. In 1863 baseball, the ball has to be "pitched, not jerked or thrown". There is nothing about requesting location, just a warning if the pitcher or batter try to delay by either not throwing hittable pitches or by not swinging at hittable pitches. Between 1867 and 1887, batters were able to request pitch location (high or low).

Do any of you umpire vintage base ball? I'm asking, becaμse there is a league in my area. I find some of the rules differences fascinating (catching a ball in the air or on the first bounce for an out). I'd like to know what it is like from an umpire perspective. Is it completely different, or are there modern umpiring techniques that can help in vintage base ball? Are there techniques that old-time umpires used that are still relevant for modern baseball? Do vintage players behave differently from modern players? I'm curious, because what I've seen about vintage base ball clubs makes it seem that the players play for fun, though the games are competitive. Finally, are there any good places for a new vintage umpire to get period-specific clothes? The league I'm looking into plays by 1863 rules, so if I start umpiring there, I'll need clothes that fit that period.

Thank you for your support. I'll need to figure out if baseball will fit in to my work and offseason commitments to my two collegiate sports (I am a women's JUCO and NCAA D3 football official). If it does, I would love to come back, and perhaps work college baseball if I get that opportunity. Then I might be one of those few officials who works 3 college sports. Bill Vinovich and Gene Steratore worked both NCAA basketball and Division I-A (FBS), later NFL football.

This is for football officials. I have a chain clip for the rare occasions that I am a head line judge (head linesman).

That is really cool. I wonder if there is any vintage base ball in the DC area. It's so cool to hear about the rule differences between modern and vintage baseball.

I was trying out. The problem was that my high school assigner, who also assigned MD JUCO baseball, said that I don't have a chance working college baseball because of the amount of ex-pros. I might try out again if I get back into HS baseball (and if I get a job that will allow me to take off early to work NCAA and/or NJCAA baseball).

Are there umpires out there who used to umpire, stopped doing it, and then came back? I'm curious, because I started umpiring in 2017, stopped after COVID, but I have thought about coming back to the diamond. I currently officiate high school and college football and basketball. I tried out for college baseball, but my high school assigner at the time told me I had no chance, because of the high amount of ex-pro umpires in the college ranks. I also realized that umpiring baseball would be incompatible with a full-time job, because baseball games start early (as early as 2:30, most commonly between 3:30 and 4:30), especially on fields without lights. If you or anyone you know, came back to umpiring, how did it work? How difficult was it to brush up on the rules again, get equipment all over again, and re-start? I have thought about doing it, because my former association, MAC-NVBUA apparently has a shortage of umpires. When I was working a HS soccer game (in VHSL, soccer is a spring sport), I noticed that the baseball umpire was working by herself. If this is a typical occurrence, I feel bad for the umpires. I am an accountant, so the early part of the spring season will overlap with busy season. Luckily, a lot of VA baseball games start at 6 PM or later, because VA baseball fields are lighted, unlike fields in MD. If it won't be too difficult to get back into baseball, I might do it after I get my CPA.

I have had to explain high school rules to coaches and players in other sports too. In soccer, you can add time in games under FIFA rules (most recreational and competitive games are played by FIFA rules), but high school and college games are played with a countdown clock that stops. This means that the game stops as soon as the clock hits 0, and the referee can only stop time, not add it, in a high school soccer game. I am surprised by the lack of rules awareness that players and coaches often show.

Only if U1 goes out would there be a rotation with 1st and 3rd. Even as an inexperienced 3-man umpire, I would read the materials that my association put out, since their mechanics were in line with CCA (college) 2-man and 3-man materials.

Memory Eternal.

I am one of those who lost interest. There was a combination of factors that killed my baseball career, though I still am active in officiating other sports. First, I got into officiating as a college student. That meant that I had a relatively open schedule that can handle the crazy times that games start at. I also could work anywhere in the DC Metro Area, because public transit is good. Getting Uber or Lyft rides, or carpooling could fill in the gaps at those times when I have to reach a field that is off the public transit grid. This is important, because as I finished my undergraduate classes, I started thinking about getting jobs, and how compatible officiating is with work. Baseball is notoriously bad in that regard, because games can start as early as 2:30. Second, I got good at all the sports I can officiate in, but there are two sports where I have advanced the furthest: football and basketball. I tried advancing in baseball and volleyball, but I could not get past the high school level in either sport. The assigner I was working with at the time told me that I would not have a chance to move up to or in college baseball, because of the large amount of ex-pro umpires in the college baseball ranks. In football, I made it to the junior college/D3 level thanks to getting in touch with the local chapter and attending their tryout camp. I made it to semi-pro basketball by trying out, and I am currently trying to get to junior college and/or D3 basketball. The third factor is one everyone can relate to: the ennui of doing repeated bad games, often with partners who go through the motions. 13U and 14U games are the first time that baseball players play on the full-size field after spending most of their careers on the Little League field, so quality of play will be uneven. As the base umpire, I would not have much to do, because the pitchers would be throwing many walks. Steals would not be competitive, because 13U and 14U catchers do not have the arm strength of JV and varsity catchers. As a result, actual rotations are rare, even though they were extensively covered in training. At high school games, sometimes there are good matchups that require umpires to actually work, and 3-person playoff games provide some novelty, because the umpires actually have to think about where their partners are and what they are doing. Because I got tired of working bad games with no chance of advancement, and I was concerned that work would limit my availability, I decided to stop umpiring baseball.

The situation was R1/R2, so all runners were forced to advance. They advanced by rule, because the ball hit me prior to passing an infielder.