Verbal call guidelines

[Wesley]

Against my better judgment, I'm gonna ask another question:

 

Is there a resource for verbal calls that has a guideline for when to give a verbal call or not (i.e. no contest Safe, obvious foul ball, etc.), and with what intensity to give a verbal in various situations?  (I have JEA Maximizing Two Umpire System, but it's not exhaustive on verbal calls).

 

The clinics I’ve been to have us YELLING all the calls, which is understandable since young umpires and new umpires generally have a problem being heard.  But I’m an old guy pushing a crew in the oil patch and I can YELL.  So when I started umpiring LL and didn’t know any better, I’m YELLING every call.  After watching some local HS & college ball and lurking around UE, I now realize I’m goofing up and need to recalibrate the voice.

 

Any suggestions?

 

 

[johnnyg08]

Against my better judgment, I'm gonna ask another question:

 

Is there a resource for verbal calls that has a guideline for when to give a verbal call or not (i.e. no contest Safe, obvious foul ball, etc.), and with what intensity to give a verbal in various situations?  (I have JEA Maximizing Two Umpire System, but it's not exhaustive on verbal calls).

 

The clinics I’ve been to have us YELLING all the calls, which is understandable since young umpires and new umpires generally have a problem being heard.  But I’m an old guy pushing a crew in the oil patch and I can YELL.  So when I started umpiring LL and didn’t know any better, I’m YELLING every call.  After watching some local HS & college ball and lurking around UE, I now realize I’m goofing up and need to recalibrate the voice.

 

Any suggestions?

 

 

Experience will teach you when and how to use your voice.  

 

Obvious calls on the bases and obvious fly ball outs, no verbal.  

 

Verbalize all strikes and balls the same way.  (some will say be louder on a close ball)  I'm trying to call strikes on my close ball calls.

 

Close plays & odd plays should have a loud verbal attached to the signal.  

 

Others will certainly chime in on this thread and likely disagree.  So read all of the post and filter what you think you'll use.

[mstaylor]

Ball/s,strike, solid voice, nothing on a swung strike.

Outs at first:

  1. routine out, I show an out but wait until the runner crosses first.

  2. close but not a banger, strong verbal but not over the top.

  3. banger, obviously big mechanic

Picks at bases:

  1. easy throw, probably not even a tag, nothing verbal or mechanic. 

  2. little stronger throw, halfway attempt, slow safe, no verbal. 

  3. an A move, big safe/out verbal and mechanic. 

That's the basics

[umpstu]

 

Against my better judgment, I'm gonna ask another question:

 

Is there a resource for verbal calls that has a guideline for when to give a verbal call or not (i.e. no contest Safe, obvious foul ball, etc.), and with what intensity to give a verbal in various situations?  (I have JEA Maximizing Two Umpire System, but it's not exhaustive on verbal calls).

 

The clinics I’ve been to have us YELLING all the calls, which is understandable since young umpires and new umpires generally have a problem being heard.  But I’m an old guy pushing a crew in the oil patch and I can YELL.  So when I started umpiring LL and didn’t know any better, I’m YELLING every call.  After watching some local HS & college ball and lurking around UE, I now realize I’m goofing up and need to recalibrate the voice.

 

Any suggestions?

 

 

Experience will teach you when and how to use your voice.  

 

Obvious calls on the bases and obvious fly ball outs, no verbal.  

 

Verbalize all strikes and balls the same way.  (some will say be louder on a close ball)  I'm trying to call strikes on my close ball calls.

 

Close plays & odd plays should have a loud verbal attached to the signal.  

 

Others will certainly chime in on this thread and likely disagree.  So read all of the post and filter what you think you'll use.

 

I suggest not changing your ball call no matter how close the pitch. If it is that close that you have to sell it, better to sell a strike.

I also call every strike and every ball. It's a good practice and helps with tracking and timing. 

I call each safe and out, increasing the volume as they get closer.

On fair/foul if it is obvious, nothing. I increase the volume the closer a foul ball gets towards the line.

[Wesley]

What have you got with no runners, two strikes, on foul sharp and direct:

 

On the ground near the plate or by F2 to the backstop?

 

I assume with runners loud enough for them to hear?  Louder if they're moving?  Depending on D3K situation? ( meaning 1B open with less than 2 outs)

 

I want to get this right; thanks for the input!

[mstaylor]

I'm not sure I get your question. Sharp and direct sounds like a foul tip but then you say the ball is through the catcher, that makes it foul. On a swinging third strike I say nothing, just show a safe signal. 

[BigUmpire]

Easy.

Go watch some veterans call.

More than once.

[Wesley]

Foul tip, not caught (kind of choke on describing it like that).

 

Big: I've been to a number of Junior College games and I always sit as close to PU as possible.  I've only seen this situation a few times.  2 strikes, batter swings.  Ball ends up on the ground.  Umpire comes up immediately like a strike, but no signal, and no verbal that I can hear from the stands.  There's no D3K action so I assume it's foul.  One time with a runner on base, after a delay I saw a small one handed foul sign (at least that's how I perceived it).

 

I'm good with doing little or nothing if that's the professional way to call.  Just don't want to be a bigger idiot that I am already!

 

I agree, watch a lot of high level games, but I'm calling again tomorrow (if it doesn't rain) and I would love to get an improvement in.  Thanks.

[maven]

2 strikes, batter swings.  Ball ends up on the ground. 

 

Proper mechanics:

 

If it's a foul, a quick "time" signal is sufficient unless players are in motion.

 

If you rule that F2 caught the pitch: signal the swing and the out in your usual way. This season, I've been verbalizing "Catch!" and signaling an out. I think this mechanic has been working well.

 

If you rule that F2 did not catch the pitch: signal the swing and loudly verbalize "No catch!" and give the safe mechanic.

 

Verbal is crucial here, since the 2 key players who need to know your ruling are the ones with their backs to you.

 

If you are not in the habit of calling D3K properly, you can prompt yourself when the batter gets to 2 strikes and 1B is unoccupied or 2 outs. Make a call immediately, in order to afford both offense and defense an opportunity to respond as best they can.

[johnnyg08]

Just call foul, with both hands up. 

 

You don't need to scream it at any level.  (Except maybe on a screamer down the line, but then it would still only be on loud "foul" call) Many times the players will keep playing for a second or two but it's not a big deal.

 

After all, once the ball is foul, nothing can happened. 

[johnnyg08]

 

 

If you rule that F2 caught the pitch: signal the swing and the out in your usual way. This season, I've been verbalizing "Catch!" and signaling an out. I think this mechanic has been working well.

 

 

 

 

I've just been verbalizing "out" along w/ my "out" mechanic.  

[KLAH316]

If it's something that grandma with her cataracts can see as obvious, I'm not verbalizing it.....

[mstaylor]

Remember the obvious fouls don't call, just throw a ball back. They are what I call "no $hit" fouls. 

[coachump4]

I never verbalize balls.  On foul tips just give the signal and the out signal on a dropped third strike I give the strike signal and hold it until there is a play at 1st if out I will then give the out signal if safe I do nothing. Never verbalize anything on a swinging  strike, and on check swings if he went I say "yes you did" and give the strike signal.   Routine pop ups with no one on I say nothing, but if runners are on I always verbalize "catch" loudly along with the signal to help my partner so he will know if they tagged up properly.  If ball is an obvious foul never verbalize it but if its close I do loudly.