Association by-laws...Umpire Discipline

[FleasOf1000Camels]

We've got a problem in our local ass'n, and are looking for advise.

 

It involves one particular umpire who (no nice way to say this) just plain sucks.  He's been around for YEARS, maintains memberships in multiple local associations, and has joined and dropped out of our local several times over the years.  I won't bore you with the details, just going to ask you to believe that this guy is the laziest, sloppiest, most worthless excuse for a sports official I've ever seen...but he thinks he's God's gift to the game.

 

A few years ago a neighboring association tried to (depending on which story you believe) A: kick him out, or B: refuse to give him any games...he hired a lawyer and filed a suit claiming age discrimination. (NOTE: we've got plenty of guys his age and older).  Altho the suit was eventually dropped, it cost that ass'n considerable time, money and aggravation along the way.

 

At a recent meeting I volunteered to chair a small committee to review our by-laws and make recommendations for changes that would allow us to either decline or revoke membership.  We've come to the conclusion that declining membership to someone who holds valid State High School Ass'n credentials is just about out of the question...plus he's already on our roster.

 

Our current by-laws do NOT include any procedure for disciplinary/corrective action, or for responding to complaints from coaches, athletic directors, tournament directors or other umpires...and that's where I think we need to go...set up some sort of review procedure where an umpire gets the opportunity to correct his deficiencies or be removed from the roster for failure to do so. 

 

Any suggestions are welcome.

[grayhawk]

A couple of thoughts:

 

1.  Do you have an evaluation committee?  Do umpires get evaluated during the season?

2.  How does your rating system work?

 

The above questions pertain to using an evaluation/rating system to ensure that he is only assigned low level games where the damage he creates can be minimized.  It could also be used to put an umpire on probation, and then dismiss him if he does not take corrective action.

 

3.  A local college association here basically fires everyone at the end of the season, and then hires back those they want to keep the next season.  It's a privilege, not a right, to be a member.  You could go this route.

 

4.  I think using coach complaints to get rid of someone can be dangerous.  This could open up coaches to conspire to blackball guys they don't like, but that may be good umpires.  Don't put this kind of power in the coaches' hands.

[BigUmpire]

Retain council

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[FleasOf1000Camels]

@grayhawk;

 

I'd certainly agree with NOT giving coaches ability to 'blackball', but there ought to be a way that a coach can bring an umpire's deficiencies to the attention of the ass'n for review.   The obvious problem is with who handles the review?  The guys best qualified to do reviews are all busy working their own games.

 

I LOVE the idea of firing everybody after each season, then re-hiring only those you want to keep, but without some specific standards, how can we exclude someone?

[ALStripes17]

@grayhawk;

I'd certainly agree with NOT giving coaches ability to 'blackball', but there ought to be a way that a coach can bring an umpire's deficiencies to the attention of the ass'n for review. The obvious problem is with who handles the review? The guys best qualified to do reviews are all busy working their own games.

I LOVE the idea of firing everybody after each season, then re-hiring only those you want to keep, but without some specific standards, how can we exclude someone?

It's not a union. If the high committee or president (or bylaw standard) does not want a particular person in 'the club,' then that person doesn't get selected.

That's why the last kid picked in playground games should be happy ... he got picked

[grayhawk]

@grayhawk;

 

I'd certainly agree with NOT giving coaches ability to 'blackball', but there ought to be a way that a coach can bring an umpire's deficiencies to the attention of the ass'n for review.   The obvious problem is with who handles the review?  The guys best qualified to do reviews are all busy working their own games.

 

I LOVE the idea of firing everybody after each season, then re-hiring only those you want to keep, but without some specific standards, how can we exclude someone?

 

Well, that's the key.  You must establish standards, and they must be applied equally to all members of the association.  This means getting an evaluation committee together, and putting them to work.  Hopefully, you have a good ratio of qualified evaluators to total members, so you are not burdening a small group of guys to get out and eval a huge number of members.  We have 250 members in our association, and I was seen by evaluators twice last season.

 

You can create a tiered committee, where the top guys eval each other and the next tier down.  The next tier evals the following tier, etc.  This ensures the entire eval burden is not placed on only the top umpires.

 

In our association, the ratings committee takes the evaluations (which are submitted through Arbiter), and reviews all 250 umpires to make recommendations to the board on who should move up (or down).  The board then makes the final decision.  We are then informed around the time of the first association meeting in December.  There is an appeals process as well.

 

I am curious to know how your ratings system works (assuming you have one).  How does an umpire move up to work higher level games, and get assigned playoffs?

[umpcoachfather]

Have mandatory rules refreshers/testing and mandatory mechanics clinics, he'll either go or won't, if he doesnt you have your out (just make them mandatory in the by laws).  If he goes, maybe he'll get better.  Do evals, give ratings and stick to them for all umpires.  Be fair, cause he'll sue you for that too when he gets bad evals. 

[Majordave]

The college association I was in when I lived in Kentucky had some healthy membership dues. They used a portion of it to pay Arbiter and board members expenses and assigner's fee BUT the biggest and best thing they did was hire a senior, highly qualified and respected senior member to be the evaluator. He went to games and evaluated you. He met with us before the games and discussed what he was looking for, problems he had noticed with other umpires/trends and reviewed your past performance evals if you had any. Then, after the game he delivered a quick summary eval followed in a couple of days with a full written report with numerical and written comments. Guys who didn't improve were not renewed after board votes. Up or out. Just like the military.

[Majordave]

One more thing- anyone can sue anyone else for just about anything at anytime. The key is can they win? Most don't. Unfortunately, the majority of specious claims are paid something just to go away. Therein lies the problem.

I was in a law firm that attracted and pursued minor negligence claims. Slip and falls, fender-benders, minor injuries and it sucked for me. Caused me to leave the law industry all together.

[MidAmUmp]

It's a slippery slope to involve denying anyone membership or disciplining a member because he "sucks". Lawyers can and will get involved as you've already described.

The way I would handle it is just because anyone can join an association does not entitle anyone to game assignments. Put him down as the last person assigned - to the lowest levels you book. Throw him a bone or two throughout the year and hope he gets the picture and moves on.

If you have the Arbiter allow your members to block partners. Eventually enough people will block him and he won't be able to work.

If you are going to simply deny his membership, you'd better have solid reasons why you are doing it and I would consult legal council before doing so.

[Mad Mike]

If you have a NASO membership, you can give them a call and discuss the problem. They will provide you with some resources to hopefully solve the problem(s).

[FleasOf1000Camels]

THANKS for the responses.  There's a plethora of good stuff there already, but one glaring fact is hitting me square in the face;  my local association is woefully behind in establishing standards for membership, retention or advancement.

 

Question for site admin:  Is there some sort of private messaging system within UE that I could use to ask others for copies of various ass'n by-laws, evaluation forms, etc. to be e.mailed to me?

[BRUMP]

THANKS for the responses.  There's a plethora of good stuff there already, but one glaring fact is hitting me square in the face;  my local association is woefully behind in establishing standards for membership, retention or advancement.

 

Question for site admin:  Is there some sort of private messaging system within UE that I could use to ask others for copies of various ass'n by-laws, evaluation forms, etc. to be e.mailed to me?

 

@FleasOf1000Camels the little envelope icon near the top right corner of the website next to your user name. click on that and then compose new. 

[umpstu]

A couple of thoughts:

 

1.  Do you have an evaluation committee?  Do umpires get evaluated during the season?

2.  How does your rating system work?

 

The above questions pertain to using an evaluation/rating system to ensure that he is only assigned low level games where the damage he creates can be minimized.  It could also be used to put an umpire on probation, and then dismiss him if he does not take corrective action.

 

3.  A local college association here basically fires everyone at the end of the season, and then hires back those they want to keep the next season.  It's a privilege, not a right, to be a member.  You could go this route.

 

4.  I think using coach complaints to get rid of someone can be dangerous.  This could open up coaches to conspire to blackball guys they don't like, but that may be good umpires.  Don't put this kind of power in the coaches' hands.

3.  You are hired and released as an independent contractor.  They do not have to bring you back.  I agree with the policy and we have employed it at our hs association.

[FleasOf1000Camels]

1000 thanks.

[grayhawk]

THANKS for the responses.  There's a plethora of good stuff there already, but one glaring fact is hitting me square in the face;  my local association is woefully behind in establishing standards for membership, retention or advancement.

 

Question for site admin:  Is there some sort of private messaging system within UE that I could use to ask others for copies of various ass'n by-laws, evaluation forms, etc. to be e.mailed to me?

 

@FleasOf1000Camels, ours are online for all to see:

 

http://ocboa.com/Docs.html

[UMP45]

Might even consider filming him working  the plate and the bases.

[Jocko]

Might even consider filming him working  the plate and the bases.

better film everyone then.

[treydawgmt]

I don't have any experience with this problem umpiring, but do in the fire service. My best advice, whatever you decide to do, EVERYONE needs to be subjected to the same exact process. If you don't, you're opening the door for trouble.

[cyclonehokiece]

Retain council

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As much as this may suck for your association, it may be your best bet, even for a bylaw review.

And I am with the many others, whatever you do, it has to be equal to everyone.

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[EvilTessmacher]

May be naieve, but has anyone just sat down with the guy, and explained that nobody in the association is happy with his officiating and his personality? Asked him not to come back?

 

All this beating around the bush looks, smells, and feels too much like conspiring behind the guy's back, instead of saying to his face that he has worn out his welcome.

 

Whatever happened to being professional about things?

[Jocko]

I just had an epiphany! I know....I know.... you fkrs have em all the time.

Make this old buzzard work with @JaxRolo for a couple of tournaments. He'll either quit or stroke out! Either way, problem solved. :P

[T-Rav]

I just had an epiphany! I know....I know.... you fkrs have em all the time.

Make this old buzzard work with @JaxRolo for a couple of tournaments. He'll either quit or stroke out! Either way, problem solved.

Trust me after working with Rolando his ticker may stop, Rolando's just that bad. 

[immaculate1976]

If you hire every spring and fire after the season you are still going to have him trying to get a lawyer if you do not hire him in the spring. The court is going to want to know why you all of the sudden did not hire him. So my suggestion is this.

 

 

 

Hold tryouts for umpires in the spring.

Tryouts include

- Written test covering all age groups

- On field test (you could have practice games with teams from the league)

 

Have umpires who work college or High School come out to help you evaluate all umpires on the field.

 

Use the test and evaluation to decide what umpires to use and what age group they will be used for. 

 

Example if umpire A sucks tell him his results are low and he will only be used for T Ball or Coach Pitch.