Officially starting my little league umpire journey tomorrow

[orangebird]

Alright, drumroll please...tonight was my actual first game behind the plate. Had an issue with the mail being outrageously slow with a couple items for my previously scheduled first game behind the plate but that got resolved and tonight was the plate debut. Let's review!

• The zone you're meant to call at this level vs the what the "actual" zone would be if we used rules for HS or older tripped me up from the first pitch. I was definitely squeezing the kids, but it felt easier to call a tight zone that I knew felt consistent instead of trying to figure out how large I should make the zone. The ball trajectory + amount of times a kid failed to catch the pitch are definitely things you can't be trained for until you see them for 2 hours. I still think I'd rather oversee a walkfest than call strikes on balls a kid can barely put in play. Neither coach had any huge complaints or anything so that was a relief.
• Clean game besides that! No appeals on tag-ups I didn't see, no kids getting hit in the face with a grounder and worrying if I called time too early. No obstruction, no runner interference, only one ball thrown out of play as best I can remember.
• No particularly close plays again, I could figure this out after the first game but it really doesn't seem anything put in play will make you break a sweat on the call at this age level and being rec and not travel. I did have to tell a kid a HBP isn't an automatic one-base advance if you're on second with first base empty and sent another kid back to his base trying to advance once the pitcher had it near the mound, which makes it dead for this level.
• There was a catcher who took a low pitch to the CP and it knocked the wind out of him and he had to stop catching for at least the rest of the inning. Realized our league didn't give any instructions for if the new catcher should get a warm-up pitch or two to settle into catching, but I decided that giving him two warmups was a reasonable compromise.
• As for the gear: nothing hit the mask, one clean shot to the CP that didn't hurt, think the leg guards protected a couple wild pitches but nothing stood out there. Also this is org #1 and they gave us just a normal 8-stitch hat and there was no way in hell that was gonna work facing forward for 2 hours so I just put it on backwards lol.
• Overall I felt like I handled the game fine, a consistent hitter-friendly zone is better than guessing how much I should expand it to be forgiving to kids in year 1 or year 2 of kid-pitch, but yeah I can't say that calling balls and strikes on 9-year-olds is super enjoyable lol

[Velho]

Good on ya.

43 minutes ago, orangebird said:

but yeah I can't say that calling balls and strikes on 9-year-olds is super enjoyable lol

Had a game last week. Felt like my zone was poor most of the whole game.

Then I went from that 10U game to a decent 12U game (+15mph) a few days later - zone felt a TON better. LOL.

[orangebird]

Also just occurred to me: the no new inning/hard stop limits go up by 15 minutes for each age group which makes sense but also feels kinda brutal that the level that'll have the most walks gets the least amount of time to try to complete 6 

[stevis]

10 hours ago, orangebird said:

Alright, drumroll please...tonight was my actual first game behind the plate. Had an issue with the mail being outrageously slow with a couple items for my previously scheduled first game behind the plate but that got resolved and tonight was the plate debut. Let's review!

• The zone you're meant to call at this level vs the what the "actual" zone would be if we used rules for HS or older tripped me up from the first pitch. I was definitely squeezing the kids, but it felt easier to call a tight zone that I knew felt consistent instead of trying to figure out how large I should make the zone. The ball trajectory + amount of times a kid failed to catch the pitch are definitely things you can't be trained for until you see them for 2 hours. I still think I'd rather oversee a walkfest than call strikes on balls a kid can barely put in play. Neither coach had any huge complaints or anything so that was a relief.
• Clean game besides that! No appeals on tag-ups I didn't see, no kids getting hit in the face with a grounder and worrying if I called time too early. No obstruction, no runner interference, only one ball thrown out of play as best I can remember.
• No particularly close plays again, I could figure this out after the first game but it really doesn't seem anything put in play will make you break a sweat on the call at this age level and being rec and not travel. I did have to tell a kid a HBP isn't an automatic one-base advance if you're on second with first base empty and sent another kid back to his base trying to advance once the pitcher had it near the mound, which makes it dead for this level.
• There was a catcher who took a low pitch to the CP and it knocked the wind out of him and he had to stop catching for at least the rest of the inning. Realized our league didn't give any instructions for if the new catcher should get a warm-up pitch or two to settle into catching, but I decided that giving him two warmups was a reasonable compromise.
• As for the gear: nothing hit the mask, one clean shot to the CP that didn't hurt, think the leg guards protected a couple wild pitches but nothing stood out there. Also this is org #1 and they gave us just a normal 8-stitch hat and there was no way in hell that was gonna work facing forward for 2 hours so I just put it on backwards lol.
• Overall I felt like I handled the game fine, a consistent hitter-friendly zone is better than guessing how much I should expand it to be forgiving to kids in year 1 or year 2 of kid-pitch, but yeah I can't say that calling balls and strikes on 9-year-olds is super enjoyable lol

Why squeeze the kids?  The pitchers are on pitch counts these days, and I promise you the next kid isn't better.  Ring people up, put heads on pikes early to encourage the others.  Swinging and balls in play is better for everyone's development at this age.

Giving the catcher a couple of warmups is reasonable and a good thing.

Unless the org is going to freak at you not wearing their logo, invest in a shorter hat for plate work and wear it forward.   Just not a 2-stitch.

 

[orangebird]

33 minutes ago, stevis said:

Why squeeze the kids?  The pitchers are on pitch counts these days, and I promise you the next kid isn't better.  Ring people up, put heads on pikes early to encourage the others.  Swinging and balls in play is better for everyone's development at this age.

Giving the catcher a couple of warmups is reasonable and a good thing.

Unless the org is going to freak at you not wearing their logo, invest in a shorter hat for plate work and wear it forward.   Just not a 2-stitch.

 

1. Yeah I understand all of that, trust me haha, just felt like one of those things where it's one thing be taught what the zone should be and another thing to try to apply it seeing it live for the first time in your ump career. I know I could've started expanding it once I realized how many walks I was giving out but wanted to err on the side of game-wide consistency. Also I don't think this league uses pitch counts, 2 kids can go 2 innings is the only rule I'm aware of there but point taken regardless. 

Consistency vs encouraging balls in play is really the central conflict for me with this, I felt like my "these would be MLB strikes" zone was pretty accurate, where trying to expand it would have me worried I'd call a strike on a pitch over the middle that was at a kid's head. 

2. That's good to hear, our scheduling service (Horizon Web Ref) has a little forum thing to discuss any situations so I posted it there to see if the assigner or the the ump who led the training has any guidance there

3. I loved you in the Wizard of Oz

[BLWizzRanger]

41 minutes ago, orangebird said:

Consistency vs encouraging balls in play is really the central conflict for me with this, I felt like my "these would be MLB strikes" zone was pretty accurate, where trying to expand it would have me worried I'd call a strike on a pitch over the middle that was at a kid's head.

FWIW, you know why you don't lie?  Because you have to remember what story you told in making up the lie. 

I think of expanding my zone for younger ages to that of a baseball world lie. Its not directly using the plate and I've got to remember what zone I used on the other batters to be consistent.  And, that makes me frustrated and apprehensive and think too much. Its not natural like the first time you lied to your mother - is she going to find out?. When, in fact, your mother (or coaches) know that you lied but let it go (sometimes they call you out on it though).

But, I 'lie' (probably) at the HS age (giving one or two balls in and out), but, now, I am a habitual liar at that age group and feel much more comfortable in telling that lie.  My lie is consistent and I don't feel frustrated or apprehensive.

And yours will be too with telling the same lie in the next game. 

ahhhh, it's one way to look at it... YMMV.

[orangebird]

16 minutes ago, BLWizzRanger said:

FWIW, you know why you don't lie?  Because you have to remember what story you told in making up the lie. 

I think of expanding my zone for younger ages to that of a baseball world lie. Its not directly using the plate and I've got to remember what zone I used on the other batters to be consistent.  And, that makes me frustrated and apprehensive and think too much. Its not natural like the first time you lied to your mother - is she going to find out?. When, in fact, your mother (or coaches) know that you lied but let it go (sometimes they call you out on it though).

But, I 'lie' (probably) at the HS age (giving one or two balls in and out), but, now, I am a habitual liar at that age group and feel much more comfortable in telling that lie.  My lie is consistent and I don't feel frustrated or apprehensive.

And yours will be too with telling the same lie in the next game. 

ahhhh, it's one way to look at it... YMMV.

 

Yeah I like that perspective.

Maybe this isn't perfectly apples to apples but it feels like teaching preschool or kindergarten and being told "eh it's okay if they say 2+2=5, let them build up their confidence at this age" where I understand the idea of wanting to be forgiving to kids just starting out but all your instincts are saying "this is incorrect regardless of how inexperienced you are"

Now that I know what to expect I hope I should feel more comfortable starting my next game with a bigger zone, just hope it finds the middle ground of creating balls in play without frustrating the batters into feeling like they need to chase everything where I hand out 2 walks but have 10 K's swinging 

[stevis]

4 hours ago, orangebird said:

1. Yeah I understand all of that, trust me haha, just felt like one of those things where it's one thing be taught what the zone should be and another thing to try to apply it seeing it live for the first time in your ump career. I know I could've started expanding it once I realized how many walks I was giving out but wanted to err on the side of game-wide consistency. Also I don't think this league uses pitch counts, 2 kids can go 2 innings is the only rule I'm aware of there but point taken regardless. 

Consistency vs encouraging balls in play is really the central conflict for me with this, I felt like my "these would be MLB strikes" zone was pretty accurate, where trying to expand it would have me worried I'd call a strike on a pitch over the middle that was at a kid's head. 

2. That's good to hear, our scheduling service (Horizon Web Ref) has a little forum thing to discuss any situations so I posted it there to see if the assigner or the the ump who led the training has any guidance there

3. I loved you in the Wizard of Oz

In Little League brand Little League, the strikezone is officially defined "between the batter’s armpits and the top of the knees." MLB strikes doesn't seem to me to be a good metric at 9U. 

But work with what the org wants. 

[Velho]

One other thing to point out (in case your training wasn't explicit @orangebird) the left/right of the strike zone is the ball passing over any part of the plate. Remembering the ball is just under 3" wide, the box chalk lines (4" off plate at 12U (at least in LL) and 6" for ages above that - if done right*) are often used as a measuring stick.

In other ways, a ball totally inside the lines as a strike is a very safe protocol.

* Local private HS redid their turf. The boxes are 4" off the plate. D'oh!

[orangebird]

35 minutes ago, stevis said:

In Little League brand Little League, the strikezone is officially defined "between the batter’s armpits and the top of the knees." MLB strikes doesn't seem to me to be a good metric at 9U. 

But work with what the org wants. 

I agree, just struggled with balancing my instinct of what the zone feels like and what the guidance is for this level, will definitely try to get more comfortable expanding it for the rest of the season

28 minutes ago, Velho said:

One other thing to point out (in case your training wasn't explicit @orangebird) the left/right of the strike zone is the ball passing over any part of the plate. Remembering the ball is just under 3" wide, the box chalk lines (4" off plate at 12U (at least in LL) and 6" for ages above that - if done right*) are often used as a measuring stick.

In other ways, a ball totally inside the lines as a strike is a very safe protocol.

* Local private HS redid their turf. The boxes are 4" off the plate. D'oh!

LOL the chalk for our batter's boxes was gone so quickly I'm honestly starting to question if it even existed at the start of the game but I'll def try to use my assumption of where it is at least 

[834k3r]

16 hours ago, orangebird said:

I still think I'd rather oversee a walkfest than call strikes on balls a kid can barely put in play. Neither coach had any huge complaints or anything so that was a relief.

Rule 1 for Umpires:  Strikes lead to outs which lead to innings, which lead to games, which leads to beer. And trust me:  no one wants a walk-fest. Not fun for anyone--players, coaches, parents, or umpires. I'd loosen up your zone as @stevis recommended, but not just north and south. Don't forget to widen the zone to include "the river" or "the channel"--the area between the batter's boxes and the plate.

16 hours ago, orangebird said:

Also this is org #1 and they gave us just a normal 8-stitch hat and there was no way in hell that was gonna work facing forward for 2 hours so I just put it on backwards lol.

Practice wearing your hat forward, not backward, until you can take your mask off (remember, with your left hand) smoothly. It'll soon be second nature.

[Richvee]

I always tried to envision the little guy's strike zone more like a stop sign, or oval. Where the top and bottom sides of the octagon (armpits and lower knee) are the width of the plate, and the in and out sides line up a good six inches off the outside, and a little less off the inside. If they're up, or down AND in or out, ball it. Center cut...The plate is much wider there. 

[Velho]

[BLWizzRanger]

1 hour ago, Velho said:

Would I ruin it for you if I told you he has a large slit up the side of his coat?

[orangebird]

Alright org 2 has started scheduling so I'm checking their league-specific rules, can't tell if I think this is a good idea to speed up the game or a bad idea because everyone should get the chance to see at least 3 pitches 

Quote

If the coaches agree, a game can be played where all batters will start with a 1-1 count.

They also have a modified type of stealing rules for 9-10, you can steal 2nd and 3rd once the pitch crosses the plate...but you can't steal home and you can't advance on an overthrow from the catcher

[834k3r]

8 minutes ago, orangebird said:

Alright org 2 has started scheduling so I'm checking their league-specific rules, can't tell if I think this is a good idea to speed up the game or a bad idea because everyone should get the chance to see at least 3 pitches 

They also have a modified type of stealing rules for 9-10, you can steal 2nd and 3rd once the pitch crosses the plate...but you can't steal home and you can't advance on an overthrow from the catcher

Those rules--especially about the 1-1 count--are similar to local rules we had when I was doing LL. I imagine they're pretty common.

[Velho]

Good org to get your feet wet.

Get to "real" baseball (even the LL 12U kind) ASAP.

[834k3r]

Just now, Velho said:

Good org to get your feet wet.

Get to "real" baseball (even the LL 12U kind) ASAP.

💯

[Velho]

Just now, 834k3r said:

are similar to local rules we had when I was doing LL

Heresy to the Williamsport PTB!

[orangebird]

11 minutes ago, Velho said:

Good org to get your feet wet.

Get to "real" baseball (even the LL 12U kind) ASAP.

Yeah org 2 will seemingly assign us both 9-10 and 11-12 where org 1 is strictly plate 9-10 and base 10-11 (you go up age levels each year you work 4 games) so I will hopefully get some 11-12 reps in soon

[orangebird]

Alright game 2 of plate umpiring seemingly went better!

• I felt way more comfortable expanding the zone outside if it wasn't also super high or super low. High pitches and low pitches I felt I was still guessing on a bit more just because of the pitch trajectory that comes a 9-year-old trying to get it over felt but still think I called more of those strikes than last time. There was also what looked like a pretty clean strike the catcher got out of the way of just due to being 9 and inexperienced I guess lol and I still called that a strike which the hitting dugout let out disgruntled murmurs about. Not sure I'm ever going to feel totally comfortable with the top and bottom of the zone as long as kids are throwing lobs and if I can at least feel confident about expanding outside then that's a good start.
• Also had my first genuinely bang-bang play at 1st, ruled out, hitting team didn't complain, baserunner didn't complain so that's a good enough endorsement to me. 
• Did have my first "coach, that's the rule" situation where they made a play to get the force at second and then threw it home out of play and the fielding coach seemed to be confused about my awarding two bases and I explained it's from the time of the throw if it's the second throw of the play (I'm pretty sure it was the second throw at least 😅). Wasn't sure if he was confused about where the runners were during the throw or just assumed it was two from the pitch anywhere in the infield but it didn't lead to an argument or any further escalation so no harm, no foul.
• First foul ball off my hand, my right index finger hurts a bit but nothing too serious.

Definitely felt like I improved from how I handled the first game behind the plate and when my tally of career plate games is currently two, feels like that's all you can ask for.  

[dumbdumb]

if you have the time, would recommend you try to get to your final goal ASAP. whichever the level of speed you have chosen as your final resting place, full stem ahead. school level ball usually offers the most protection for unsportsmanlike coaches and the competition is usually good. going to a lot of clinics and volunteering for all the spring games you can get, might even help you skip a level, or do a half skip. use the other side leagues for only if you want to, and check very closely at their deportment and how they/leadership clamp down on the win at all cost, sportsmanship be damned leagues. good luck.

[orangebird]

10 minutes ago, dumbdumb said:

if you have the time, would recommend you try to get to your final goal ASAP. whichever the level of speed you have chosen as your final resting place, full stem ahead. school level ball usually offers the most protection for unsportsmanlike coaches and the competition is usually good. going to a lot of clinics and volunteering for all the spring games you can get, might even help you skip a level, or do a half skip. use the other side leagues for only if you want to, and check very closely at their deportment and how they/leadership clamp down on the win at all cost, sportsmanship be damned leagues. good luck.

Think anything above high school would create travel that I wouldn't enjoy regardless of any raises it'd come with.

I found a form for the org that covers my county and gave them my contact info but didn't get a confirmation e-mail or anything like that so hopefully it worked. Probably will make a separate thread at some point asking for what you'd include in an email to them basically saying "hey I know I'm a little too late to be trained for this year but would still like to know more about the process for next year"

[Jay R.]

On 4/2/2025 at 1:54 PM, Richvee said:

I always tried to envision the little guy's strike zone more like a stop sign, or oval. Where the top and bottom sides of the octagon (armpits and lower knee) are the width of the plate, and the in and out sides line up a good six inches off the outside, and a little less off the inside. If they're up, or down AND in or out, ball it. Center cut...The plate is much wider there. 

Similarly, I have told 10U rec coaches (if they ask nicely) that I call the zone for that level in something like a diamond. If it's chin high or mid-shin but down the middle of the plate, it's a strike. If it's between the batter's boxes at the belt, it's a strike. Most react pretty positively to that.

[Richvee]

4 hours ago, orangebird said:

Did have my first "coach, that's the rule" situation where they made a play to get the force at second and then threw it home out of play and the fielding coach seemed to be confused about my awarding two bases and I explained it's from the time of the throw if it's the second throw of the play (I'm pretty sure it was the second throw at least

Well done. Just remember it’s the second “play”. Not necessarily second throw. Tagging a base, or trying to gag a runner is play one. 
Having a grasp of this rule, and enforcing it correctly puts you ahead of a ton of rec league umpires, and almost all Daddy coaches. I had to explain it to my partner after a varsity game. R1. GB to 3B. F5 throws off line to 1B, BR is safe. R1 continues around 2B for 3B, F3 throws to F5, out of play. Partner couldn’t figure out why I have BR 3B.