Game Max Per Day

[Thunderheads]

OK ....

 

Jocko brought up a good topic about BEING PREPARED .... but he made the mistake of saying that he was doing a 'marathon' tournament and the topic got pushed to what should be this topic .............

 

Therefore:

 

How many games is your max per day? 

 

Why?

 

And are there any exceptions? 

 

Please feel free to discuss all options, thoughts and personal opinions but PLEASE DON'T turn it into a pi$$ing match if you disagree with someone.   Discuss, and I'm sure everyone (whether your max is 2 or 6) will gleen information and insight from this thread/poll.

 

Enjoy!

[Welpe]

I answered all of them because I could (just kidding but it is tempting with these kinds of polls).

 

I put 2 down. It's not my absolute maximum but it's the amount I prefer to limit myself to. After 2 I think I lose focus too much and the quality of my umpiring decreases. With a young family it is also an easier time commitment for me.

[Umpire in Chief]

I much prefer no more than 2, but 3 is my max.

[scrounge]

I will take the classic, weasel answer of "it depends"

 

If it's 13U or under, time-limited tournament ball, not super high pressure or anything, I have no problem doing 4 games. Maybe even 6 if I haven't done much the day before. If you're looking at 1.5 to 2 hr games, then 6 to 8 hours - WITH proper food and drink and breaks - is entirely feasible.

 

Now, older kids, higher competition, longer games? Probably 2 or 3, especially if it's later rounds where the stakes are higher and the emotions even more so. I owe it to myself and the participants to maximize the chances of being in top form. I've done 4 games in a day before for U18 tourneys, but only in the early rounds. More than a day or two of that and it's max of 2 on later days.

 

This is one of the topics where your age, condition, context of the participants, etc., makes an enormous difference. There simply isn't a fixed answer - and anyone who deigns to say there is and that anyone who disagrees is lazy or putting the integrity of the game at risk for a paycheck, whichever side, is simply an arrogant fool.

[maineump]

Depends on the level HS or College 2 games

Younger 2-3 (only 1 plate please, I'm getting old)

[UmpJM]

I put down "3" in the poll, but I actually prefer to only do 2 in a day. I'm happy to do 3 if my assigner needs me to, usually during tournaments.

 

The most I ever did in one day is 5 - all solo.

 

My opinion is that the quality of one's umpiring declines with fatigue, and after 4 hours, you're definitely going to feel some fatigue.

 

JM

[Trakes2]

I love nothing more than rolling out and doing 4-5 games. Espically when I'm working with my "Regular" partner. We pretty much have it down to a science, and we keep each other going.

 

I know all you "old" guys talk about "Fatigue" but truthfully I don't have a problem with it.(Some RedBulls in the cooler, with a couple of enegry bars do the trick for me just fine.)

 

When we get rolling in Tourny's with some quality teams its no problem to roll out and do 4 or 5. At the end of the day its great to gear down have a sandwhich talk about the day...Go home have a couple 'Pops' and get ready to do it all over again.

 

As I write this, my fingers are starting to itch just thinking about getting back out there!

[Welpe]

I know all you "old" guys talk about "Fatigue" but truthfully I don't have a problem with it.(Some RedBulls in the cooler, with a couple of enegry bars do the trick for me just fine.)

 

Look here whippersnapper (  ), I am just pushing 30 but even in my early 20's fatigue after that many games was a factor. I might've thought I was fine and of course the younger body can take it but it is rare that an objective observer can say say you're doing as good of as job at the end of game 5 or 6 as you are game 1 or 2.

 

That said I can only speak for myself, so I don't presume to tell you what to do but to dismiss "fatigue" in quotes as you do is a little shortsighted.

[Thunderheads]

I know all you "old" guys talk about "Fatigue" but truthfully I don't have a problem with it.(Some RedBulls in the cooler, with a couple of enegry bars do the trick for me just fine.)

 

Look here whippersnapper (  ), I am just pushing 30 but even in my early 20's fatigue after that many games was a factor. I might've thought I was fine and of course the younger body can take it but it is rare that an objective observer can say say you're doing as good of as job at the end of game 5 or 6 as you are game 1 or 2.

 

That said I can only speak for myself, so I don't presume to tell you what to do but to dismiss "fatigue" in quotes as you do is a little shortsighted.

I think what Trakes2 is saying is .....

Not that "fatigue" doesn't come into play because as you said Welpe, that's impossible(little shortsighted)    but moreso, .... he's prepared for it and has learned to focus and work through it so it isn't a huge factor ....it's there no doubt, but ...........

[T-Rav]

I choose 6 in a day, sure it's a long day but if you split up the plates it can be done with proficiency. The key for me is that I am in college, in pretty good shape, and stay properly hydrated and nourished. The thing that suffers is my game management because I am at my cooler every half inning, not for too long but this certainly is a requirement for me to stay properly hydrated.

 

And my assigner doesn't let us do "superman's" were we make out deals like you do 6 plates on Sat and I'll take them on Sun and I will not be moving from home.

 

This being said I have seen partners and other umpires go down because they are not in the proper state of hydration and frankly are not physically fit enough to officiate 2+ games.

[Thunderheads]

I posted on Jocko's original post with a little about THIS topic ..... so I'll just copy what I said over to here .....

 

I have done 6 games before ....but not that many times ....brutal, but it CAN be done .....

 

I've also had my fair share of doing 5 games, MUCH easier, but still a long haul.   My preference for a longer tournament is 4.  It's funny, but the difference between 4 and 5 is exponential!  It's only one game, but wow, what a difference, and I realized that last year!  The other thing I like about 4 is that you can kind of plan your day out in your head, ... 2 plates, 2 bases, ....done!

 

All that said, I must add a few points .................

 

1) money is always nice, but if you love the game AND YOU CAN DO IT,....why not take the most you can do??

 

2) Proper preparation for these tournaments is paramount!  If you don't prepare, you'll fail miserably!

 

3) As mentioned by Rolando in the 'boy scout thread'  ...a lot of areas don't have the amount of umpires needed, either by number or quality, to cover a tourney ....if you're willing, you'll get the work.

 

4) Is it tiring, ... sure, ....it's kind of like real estate (location, location, location) ....   prepare, prepare, prepare ...

 

IT CAN BE DONE, and NO, it's not for everyone .....  my .02, YMMV

 

[Trakes2]

I know all you "old" guys talk about "Fatigue" but truthfully I don't have a problem with it.(Some RedBulls in the cooler, with a couple of enegry bars do the trick for me just fine.)

 

Look here whippersnapper (  ), I am just pushing 30 but even in my early 20's fatigue after that many games was a factor.

I was not dismissing anything, and I am not much younger than you either. I have no problem telling you that I'm 26, but yes Thunder was correct. I know what I'm going into and I am focused and ready for it! I know my limits and I work within them. Thats all...If you perfer 1 game or 6, my opinion is go out and rock it! Know what you can do. 

[Dannytheman]

Like others have said, I like no more than 2, but will end up at 3 on a weekend day.  But it sure depends on the weather and length of games.

I just don't have it anymore to do more and give 100%. 6 hours of games in the heat is a miserable day and I am sure I don't hussle the same in 3 as I do in 1.

The players deserve better than that!

[Thunderheads]

Like others have said, I like no more than 2, but will end up at 3 on a weekend day.  But it sure depends on the weather and length of games.

I just don't have it anymore to do more and give 100%. 6 hours of games in the heat is a miserable day and I am sure I don't hussle the same in 3 as I do in 1.

The players deserve better than that!

Ok, ...

this is NOT directed at Dannytheman directly.  I've seen this comment before and it kind of bugs me ....it's as if we're going out there to DO A DISSERVICE to the teams.

 

Remember folks, ...when it's hot and muggy, and you've been out there all day in a tourney, ...both teams are dealing with it too so it all affects them also....

[Rook23]

I'll agree with a previous post - it's pretty much relative to the level/time limit you're doing.  

 

This weekend I did 2 high school JV games on Saturday that went around 2:30 each and I was gassed.  On Sunday I did 6 12U games with a 75 min time limit and almost 30 mins between games where I got to sit in a raggedy but indoor lounge and still had some left in the tank when I was done.  

 

I don't think I'm so sloppy after 4 12U games that I'm doing a disservice to the game or the players.  I take umpiring very seriously so even 5/6 games in, I'm staying locked in and hustling.  Yeah the mind starts to wonder when you're in the field when the games getting sloppy, but I'm not missing calls, rotations, outs, because of it.  I'm not costing a kid a scholarship and it's not game 7 of the LL World Series.  

 

I feel confident in saying I get an overwhelming majority of my safe/outs correct, and lets be honest, at 12U, you're having to "find strikes" 75% of the time anyways.  

 

Also If my assignor says I need you to work 4-6 games and I say, "Nah...two's my limit," my phone's not going to ring too many more times.  If I don't do it, someone else will and that person's going to end up getting my games.  That's not the reason I take a large workload, but it's on my list of factors.  

[BalkHawk]

I chose "4" games per day...

I do four a day, five days a week, in July, in the sub-tropics. I never skip rotations, I never compromise positioning. When I mess something up, there is a very good chance I will get to correct it the same day. When its a marathon, I prefer to stop at four, but if I can sleep the following morning, I will do 5 2-hour games. 

 

I take hydration seriously. Coconut water when I wake up. I like to drink the top off a quart of sports drink in the locker room, then fill it up with water, every game. More coconut water that evening.

 

SPF50, arms, neck and face, every game.

 

I'm fortunate to work out of a locker room. I shower every two games and this can really bring you back to life. Not to mention half an hour in the a/c with the gear off between every game.

 

Finally, I'm in my twenties; I know I won't always be able to keep this up. Plus, I held a job as a land surveyor for many years. There, I would strap on twenty pounds of tools and forty pounds of wood lathes and stomp around some swamp or shade-less mine pit for 10-12 hours a day, without breaks and showers, earning half the money I can umpiring. 

 

When coaches ask how may I have that day, I used to tell the truth. Now, I think it is better to answer vaguely. 

[Richvee]

3 on a weekend day is great for me. I often do 3 on a Saturday or Sunday. I don't do many weekend tourneys. We're not in short supply of umpires for the  few tourneys I've done in the area, so I've never had the opportunity to do 5 or 6 in a day.

 

One Saturday this past fall I did 4. A 9AM 14U travel playoff game, a 1PM 13U DH, and as a favor I took a 12U small field solo game at 7PM. Maybe it's because the 7PM game was horrible baseball, (bad pitchers, bad hitters, even worse catchers), that I couldn't wait for it to end. It was an effort to squat for each pitch, even more of an effort to move out from behind the plate in the rare event a batter didn't strike out or walk and actually hit a ball into play. I'm sure if the 4th game was decent ball, it would have been fine. Even so, I don't think I would have been mentally as sharp for that 4th game no matter what.

 

Now if I did 4 a day more often, maybe I build some stamina and the 4th wouldn't be bad. But for me, at the age 51, I feel great doing 3 games, 4 is pushing it for sure.  That's not to say I don't sleep like a log after a 3 game day! 

[Magic]

I am 40 years old. and 3 games is the max I will do. I prefer to just do a DH. But sometimes they won't give you 2 if you can't do 3. When I was in my 20's I had no problem doing 16 games in a tournament weekend. But having played 12 years of football, my body feels the aches and pains. I don't bounce back as quickly as other people now.

 

As far as giving your best, I don't think anyone here steps on the field not trying to give their best. Does that mean there is not a difference between game 1 and game 3? No, and anyone who says they are just as effective in game 1 and game 3 is not being honest with themselves. But the fall off is greater for some than others. Most of you at 90% of your umpire capabilities is still better than 90% of the umpires that are just out there for a paycheck. I think I lose 5% from game 1 to game 2 and probably 10% more from game 2 to 3. But I am confident enough in my ability to state that 85% of my ability is still pretty darn good and better than the paycheck umpires. Now if you are in your 20's or in great shape and workout 5-6 days a week, you might lose less off your top game. But for other people to come on here and try to say umpires are doing a disservice working that many games are wrong. Only the person working the games knows how their body is feeling and how there mind is feeling and what their limit is.

[BalkHawk]

I feel better for game two than game one.

[Pops]

A doubleheader is my maximum, but I'll do a third if my assignor is desperate.  It's a quality issue with me. 

[grayhawk]

There are many variables to this question, as other have stated.  I read a post by sdix a couple of days ago that described his "ideal" day umpiring and I agree with him 100%.  I answered 6 as the max, but it's certainly not what I seek.  I don't umpire for the money, but if I am giong to drive an hour to a game site (I know, that's a short drive for many but it's a long one here in socal), then I would prefer to make a day of it.  USSSA tends to work us hard.  Even if we finish a game quickly, they want us getting the next game going ASAP.  There is rarely time to get much of a breather between games.  If doing u-trip or AAU, I like 4 or 5 games switching out after the third game.  I like double headers for Pony or other off-season HS stuff.

 

And Jeff, I have to respond to this:

 

Remember folks, ...when it's hot and muggy, and you've been out there all day in a tourney, ...both teams are dealing with it too so it all affects them also....

 

I have no sympathy for them.  Each team gets to sit in the dugout (many times in the shade) each half inning.  There's only one person (or two for 2 man) that never sits down, and often times can't find a sliver of shade - the umpire(s).  We're the hardest working team out there and never forget it! 

[Thunderheads]

There are many variables to this question, as other have stated.  I read a post by sdix a couple of days ago that described his "ideal" day umpiring and I agree with him 100%.  I answered 6 as the max, but it's certainly not what I seek.  I don't umpire for the money, but if I am giong to drive an hour to a game site (I know, that's a short drive for many but it's a long one here in socal), then I would prefer to make a day of it.  USSSA tends to work us hard.  Even if we finish a game quickly, they want us getting the next game going ASAP.  There is rarely time to get much of a breather between games.  If doing u-trip or AAU, I like 4 or 5 games switching out after the third game.  I like double headers for Pony or other off-season HS stuff.

 

And Jeff, I have to respond to this:

 

 

Remember folks, ...when it's hot and muggy, and you've been out there all day in a tourney, ...both teams are dealing with it too so it all affects them also....

 

I have no sympathy for them.  Each team gets to sit in the dugout (many times in the shade) each half inning.  There's only one person (or two for 2 man) that never sits down, and often times can't find a sliver of shade - the umpire(s).  We're the hardest working team out there and never forget it! 

I'm not arguing with that brother!!!

[Umpire in Chief]

For me the quality of my umpiring is not the issue, it is an issue of enjoying it. I love umpiring, but after so many games I'm over it. 

 

Here's a weird analogy. I love Rally's Banana Milk Shake. About 2 weeks ago I was out with the kiddos. I bought a 44oz banana shake intending to share it with them. Well my daughter decided she was too cool to share, my son only had 4-5 oz and he didn't want any more. I'm a complete glutton so I drank the rest and it tasted so good. But a short time later it hit me and I felt sick as a dog. Same can happen with umpiring.

[mjr_2013]

Some may remember that I have, in the past, done a 12 plate 10U tournament weekend (2 Fri, 6 Sat, 4 Sun).

 

Now, in the future, I would not do this again... While I know I COULD do it again (i.e. I wouldn't have a heart attack after game 7), I wouldn't... What I found most annoying of it was that when teams lost multiple games, they looked for a constant, and I was the constant... It led to one ejection, one should-have-been ejection, and one fan removal. Yuck.

 

That said, I voted six, and I would do a six game day again ***IF*** it was split bases and plate, I had at least a little time to rest between games, and it was a lower age level (preferably 70' basepath or less)... I'd also like to know my partner, venue, and TD beforehand. I don't want to be stuck with chirping and annoying fans and coaches, a totally unorganized event, or a smitty through and through for 10-12 hours.

 

I have enough endurance and youth (not calling ya'll old!!!!  ) that I believe that YES, I can give as much effort and concentration to pitch #1 as to pitch #1000. And if I ever DIDN'T think I could, I wouldn't do it.

[guyinaredhat]

USSSA Tournys run maybe 48-50 weeks out of the year so  there is always a need for quality umpires.  Max games we get in a day might be 5 for a busy tournament but more like 4 each day.  Umpires games are capped around 12 or less for a 3 day weekend and around 7-9 or less for a 2 day weekend.  

 

A 2 break 2 schedule is my ideal umpire day,  but routinely work a 3 break 2 or 4 straight.  

This weekend we are looking at 2 break 3 and then 4 straight on sunday,   6 or 7 inning ball, 1.50 time limit, and run rules in effect  ties in pool play but not brackets.