Biscuit

I'm gonna take a slightly different approach because most of the most important stuff has been said already. This is your first game. Understand that and don't hold yourself to a super high standard. It can be really hard to come to terms with this, but your first game, heck, your first year plus, you probably won't be that good. It's not impossible, especially if you get in the book and learn your mechanics, just unlikely. I don't say this to try to discourage you. In fact, it's the exact opposite. The first two year is easily the hardest year for anyone that gets into officiating. The attrition rate in that time is astronomical. A large part of that is because there is no really good way too ease someone into officiating. So I'm encouraging and pleading with you: stick it out for the first year at least. Don't let a single bad game or flubbed calls (or a series of either!) knock you out. Now, I want to be very clear, even when you're starting out and you feel like a chicken running around with your head chopped off, it is still incredibly fun and rewarding, as long as you have a baseline understanding and you are constantly trying to get better. If you don't know the rules or the mechanics and a basic level, you will feel lost on the field. That's the worst feeling you can have. If you ever stop striving to get better, especially when you are just starting out, you will start to beat yourself up over the missed calls instead of using them as learning opportunities (which is what they should be) and you'll stop having fun. The worst thing you can do is stop having fun. So, in summary, get in the book, get out there, have fun, and realize you'll make mistakes. The good news is, you're on this site. That means you care and are trying to learn. It's an amazing resource. Use it, ask questions, read old threads, and have fun. Oh, yeah, and if everyone else hasn't beat it into your head yet, see everything you need to and slow down.

But the standard is that the action must be an unmistakable act of appeal (in this case, of the runner missing 3rd). Yes, especially if I have deduced that the coach or player is especially baseball savvy, I may assume that they are appealing the miss of 3rd, but it's still definitely possible that it is something else, especially since 90+% of the time they would tag 3rd instead of the runner for this appeal. In addition, without there being a verbal appeal, I probably would not see this as an appeal at all! How often do you see the ball thrown into second (even if maybe it'd be quicker to throw it elsewhere) and then F4 or F6 tag the runner for no reason? Regardless, what is the harm in asking what they are appealing? If they're appealing the thing you think they are, it doesn't matter whether you ask or not. If they're appealing something you DON'T think they're appealing, you've just saved yourself embarrassment, or potentially tipping off (or calling) an appeal that never happened. That's a LOT worse than taking the 2 seconds it takes to ask what they're appealing. I really see no risk with asking a clarifying question. In fact, I think it's your duty to do so.

I wore the V2 Smitty's this summer for the league I worked, and while they were fine, I MUCH prefer the Majestics. While a vast improvement over the V1s (of which I only own one), the V2sstill aren't as light, they don't breath quite as well, and they wrinkle a little easier in my experience. If I didn't have Majestics I would think they're a great shirt... But I do have Majestics, so I only see them as a good shirt. As to the pants, I do like the Smitty Poly Spandex pants, but I really don't have experience with other pants. My only real complaint is that they often feel a little too baggy, which is very noticable on windy days. Definitely go with the standard waist band though. Far prefer to the expanders.

Spray painting home is good... As long as it's done 45 minutes before game time, not 5.

The way it's taught at pro school is to 1) point to the right, snapping the hand from chest in a sideways motion (almost like a half safe) 2) Verbalize "no catch" 3) Take a step or two to your right, so you can see a potential quick tag by the catcher. 4) If the runner gets out of the immediate vicinity of the catcher (approximately the dirt circle, if you have one), step back to and straddle the line, while giving a safe mechanic. 5) Help with pulled foot, swipe tag, and RLI as you would on a play on the infield. If the ball gets past the catcher, you may have to modify positioning such as to not be in the throwing lane. This takes a little practice to get right, but if you nail it, it looks really good.

I want... But I'll be gone from umpiring for 2 years... Ugh.

Losing assignments/slowing down my progress as an umpire

I've had conversations with conference coordinators, really high level college umpires, and professional umpires that has made it clear that in college and professional baseball, they want warnings if at all possible. There is an informal list of automatics. If it is not one of those (even if it is similar to one of the automatics in nature) you need too warn first, or it will be frowned upon, or at least, not seen as well as it could be.

I've wondered on this before and have never been given a good reason why we verbalize all out calls at first, but I have been told that we do verbalize all out calls at first. I've gotten to the point that I just shrug my shoulders and do it because that's what's expected, and it doesn't hurt my ability to umpire well.

Wait, so line drive down the line, hits a bird in flight over fair territory, then falls foul because of that, foul ball?

Because on an ejection report, you are almost (added for the same reason you did) always protected if you warn first.

I'm honestly kinda surprised with how many people are saying they'd jump straight to ejection. Like, yeah, this is obviously unacceptable, but I fail to see how it warrants an ejection without a warning. The conversation is absolutely over, and the coach is getting a stern warning, but I just don't see the reason for the ejection. That being said, this feels like a situation where an ejection is probably going to happen, and it time might be counted in seconds rather than minutes.

A ball that leaves the field (potential homerun) is the exception. NCAA may have a provision for changing a foul ball in the outfield to a fair ball, but I can't remember.

Luckily, this seems to be somewhat assuaged as you work higher levels of ball. Not always, but often. There's a Juco coach in a a conference I work who has a bit of a reputation (though it seems, and I've been told, he's cooled off a bit in the last couple years). First time I had him, I was on the dish at his place. His team is losing by a couple runs going into the bottom of the 9th. To keep a long story short (and hopefully unidentifiable), he came out, I thought there was a very non zero chance I might have to eject him, but instead he came out to compliment me and tell me he had texted my assignor telling him I'd done a good job. I was caught off guard, but it really changed how I see real coaches. Since then, I've had a number of college/summer ball coaches compliment the crew in games they've lost, and it really means a lot.

Started last June...

That's a bit of CYA I'd say. Dude cones off and they tag him, now Cora comes out and says "you were making an out signal towards him! Of course he thought he's out!". If you tell him to stay there and he then steps off, that's on him. It's a confusing situation. This was a part of Tumpane (who like... Wow, what an umpire. This at was awesome) untangling the situation for all involved

How do you sign up? I may be interested in some of their stuff a ways down the road, but I'd rather have the ability to whenever I want.

This is not true in pro ball, and there may be limited scenarios outside of pro ball using OBR where that's the case. In fact, if you said "this is your warning" in pro ball or at school, is bet it wouldn't go well. If you're calling FED or NCAA (or youth ball using OBR) though, this is certainly true.

You know, this is a good question. I have a feeling that it stems from the people making mechanics books wanting to draw arrows in the book, but as Matt (and others) have said, it's U1's until called off. There's not a great way to put that in a mechanicgram, so I imagine that's why.

There seems to be some misunderstanding with how the 2 umpire system works. In 2 man, you can only go out from A, never B or C. Perhaps you mean you step up to the grass dirt line (or approximately so if there is no infield grass)? That would not be considered going out, and you would still be responsible for the plays at all bases. Also, this sounds like it should absolutely be your ball. Even if F9 takes a step or two to the line, it won't be challenging fair foul barring some weird alignment by the outfielders. Technically, by the book, yes, that would be PU's catch no catch. In practice, unless it's challenging fair foul, U1 should take it. On a screamer, I can't imagine a scenario where it would be PU's, except that if he were to dive somewhat back towards the wall you may get blocked out. But I don't think I've ever seen that before.

A Carlucci. They were custom made by Mr Carlucci for each person. You went to a tailor and sent him the measurements. The holy grail of CP's.

In practice, I agree. If he is going straight in and his hip is a little outside the 15" when contact is made, I'm not calling a violation. But by the rule, yes, you could call a violation on that. But you'd better start thinking of a new hobby.

For both FPSR rules (FED and NCAA), the runner must slide with everything, legs, trunk, and arms, in a straight line between the two bases (usually first and second, but applies elsewhere). If any part of him is to the right of the bag (assuming that's where the fielder is) he is liable to be called for an FPSR violation.

I was at that game, about 400 fett away, directly down the right field line, and noticed it. Looked pretty good from what I saw, even if I'm still getting used to the look of it. I'm still going to wait for it to become more mainstream before adopting it myself, but I'm interested in using one in the future.

For the record, we never covered this situation at pro school this year.