How many umps in a crew?

[Old Nr 24]

I have not worked there in 10 years, and I'm not sure how it's done there now, but when I was in Anne Arundel County Maryland back in the late 90s, our association, which handled all the county school games, decided to do something different. Since we had a large association and a lot of qualified umpires wanting to do varsity games, we went to a 3-man crew for each game. This gave more umpires a chance to do varsity, not to mention providing better officiating. We worked on 3-man mechanics till we had it down cold, and presented it to the league. Now the schools only paid two fees per varsity game, but we told them no problem, our crews would simply split the fees 3 ways. Money was not the objective.

It was fantastic! Not only was the umpiring better and more consistent, it gave us the opportunity to form real crews -- 3 guys who always worked together. You got to know your partners, know their moves, their tendencies, and there was never a call to be made without an umpire's nose stuck in the middle of it. The players loved it, the managers and coaches loved it, and most of all the umpires loved it. As I said, money was not the objective, but doing the best job possible.

I'm just wondering how it is done now in various areas. How many umpires does your group use in a crew? How many of you have worked in a 3-man crew, or a 4-man crew. If you haven't I'll tell you it's a whole different world, and if done right, a whole lot better world. For me there is nothing more interesting than sitting high in the stands and watching that athletic ballet performed by an umpiring crew that knows its stuff!

Comments?

[mstaylor]

We do two man most of the HS season but go to three man on play-offs. We will do some selected games during the year to stay in practice. Also, many of our upper level guys are also college umps where they work about a 60/40 split. Conference games are all three man, most non-conference are two man. We do the same with the adult summer league. We work mostly two man but will do some three to keep the guys in practice. We hold the Eastern Regional Men's and will do that three man.

[Umpire in Chief]

In SE VA we use 2 man crews for HS until the post-season, then it gets into 3 or 4 man crews. Even with over 150 umpires it becomes tight at times to cover our regular schedule with 2 man crews. I do look forward when I get the opportunity to do 3 man.

My first 3 man experience was at a PONY league where they scheduled more umpires than they had games. And it was the field I was assigned to which didn't actually have any games. The league president told my partner and I he'd either give us the travel fee and let us go home or we could work 3 man on some of the other fields and he'd pay the full game fees for each of the games. We both jumped on the opportunity to do 3 man and split up to go to different fields. I was in my first year hadn't even gone to a 3 man clinic, but went to a field with 2 senior umps who put me in the rabbit for the first game, and were signaling me where to go when. It was a lot of fun. By the third game I had really developed the mechanics pretty well for just one day.

Unfortunately, I've done maybe 10ish 3 man games since then.

[Bigdog]

Hey all,

A) As many as possible!

As many as they are willing to pay + 1:HD:

C) Solo all the time

D) Either A or B:nod:

Local HS has 1 for Frosh & JV, 2 for Varsity.

Bigdog:cool:

[Umpire in Chief]

We use 2 for everything from Mustang/ Minors to HS. Pinto (yes they pay Pinto umpires) is single and there are 1-2 orgs out there which will not pay for 2 umps for Mustang. Heck we do 2 man on Pinto tournaments.

I couldn't imagine doing 1 man for any JV type game or higher.

[mstaylor]

They used to use one man for JV here. The year I got in the HS group they told the schools they would have to use two or we wouldn't cover their games. The schools agreed to pay two guys. That doesn't mean occasionally have a missed coverage or a shortage where one guy has to work by himself.

[bblue]

1 frosh sometime 0, 2 jv and up. playoff three man.

[BrianC14]

Colorado high schools: 2 - man crews for all games in regular season. 3-man crews for the playoffs.

[MCLEOD36]

FL HS, typically 2 man, the playoffs go to three based on tenure, testing and overall scores (points for various things; tests; evaluations at clinics).

[blindumpire99]

2 man crews regular HS season through the first round of state playoffs..

Then you get 3 man crews until the finals where they used 4 man crews for the first time ( I think, last year)...

On RARE occasions a middle school game and even rarer a JV game might only get one official but never a varsity game...

one of my fav comebacks to a smart@$$ coach who criticizes the two man system is " Coach, if you schools would pay for a 4 man crew, this woudn't happen!'

Works every time...

[BT_Blue]

SoCal HS 1 or 2 for JV. 2 always for Varsity.

JuCo - always 2

D3 2 or 3 man

D2 and above always 3