FED rules vs USSA baseball rules

[BigUmpire]

I remember a chart that compared these two rule sets.

Cant find it- It may be inactive

 I am aware USAA rules are obsolete BUT just asking

[MadMax]

3 hours ago, BigUmpire said:

I am aware USAA rules are obsolete BUT just asking

HOLY MOLY!! A @BigUmpire sighting! Welcome Back, Cotter!

Just for clarification... are you asking about USSSA (U-Triple S-A), USAA, USSA, or USA Baseball? 

[BigUmpire]

sorry

USSSA baseball vs NFHS

[834k3r]

On 2/23/2025 at 7:28 AM, BigUmpire said:

I remember a chart that compared these two rule sets.

Cant find it- It may be inactive

 I am aware USAA rules are obsolete BUT just asking

NGL, this is what I thought of when I saw that:

[BLarson]

USSSA rules are based on OBR.

USSSA rules:

https://www.usssa.com/docs/baseball/usssa_bb_rules.pdf

This will list any rules USSSA supersedes OBR.

This site shows a good list of NFHS to OBR differences.
https://www.stevetheump.com/nfhs_pro_rules_dif.htm 

[The Man in Blue]

Another reason for my disdain for USSSA . . . 

Such great rules as

• 7.02I "USSSA will be adopting the MLB no shift rule."  OK, so when does that become effective?  You didn't say it IS a rule, you said it WILL BE.
• 7.04F "Feinting/faking a bunt and swinging away is allowed . . . "  That's not a rule.  That's a statement.
• 7.05E "We will not be adopting the MLB pitch clock rule." OK, so . . . what are we doing?  Since we are deferring, does that mean we ARE doing it since you said you WILL NOT BE (in the undetermined future)?
• Same goes for 7.05F on the pitcher disengagement rule.

Can't be bothered to actually write rules.  Or even write a proper list of rules they don't defer on.

Oh yeah, and you better wear our proprietary red shirts, which have been unofficially voted the WORST AND CHEAPEST $#!+, sorry, shirt, ever made.

[BLarson]

We do basically all USSSA games here in Omaha and I've never seen an umpire in a red shirt.

[The Man in Blue]

Well, they don't usually make it very long, anyway . . . 

 

Seriously though, I'm assuming y'all wear their black shirts then?  Looking at their site, it looks as if they streamlined when they redesigned.

When they tried to come to town years ago, they slit their own throats with the attitude over uniforms.  They committed for two tournaments and expected umpires to buy all new USSSA gear for it . . . I believe the exact words were, "THERE IS NO BLUE IN USSSA.  Red is the default." 

Sorry, Illinois was a blue uniform state at the time (and technically still is).  Guys weren't going out and buying your gear -- jacket and all -- for a dozen or so games.  They even had a cow because we weren't wearing their cheap gardener's bags for ball bags.  They wanted us to send guys home for wearing their blue jackets on a 45-degree weekend.  "Well, we can send them home.  Then you have no umpires."

They have gotten a foothold into softball thanks to a local guy who started running tournaments.  He got umpires to come by buying their shirts for them and offering to pay their registration fees.  Still red.

 

[BLarson]

For USSSA games, I would say the majority wear either black or powder (carolina) blue.   I do most of my games with my buddy so obviously we match.   But on the games I have to do with a partner I've never met, I give them the choice of color of shirt it's one of those 2.

I have a navy shirt.   I wear that when I do solo games to break up the black/powder routine.

[The Man in Blue]

Then your USSSA is a lot easier to work with than the one around here!  They are downright a-holes about you wearing THEIR uniforms.

[MadMax]

28 minutes ago, The Man in Blue said:

They are downright a-holes about you wearing THEIR uniforms.

Because it shows compliance. Same can be said about “their” rules. They (TPTB) want you (umpire) applying and enforcing their (the Org’s) rules, not strictly the “letter of the law” their rules were built upon – no no no – but they certainly don’t want you using rules from the Make-💩-Up Book, either. 

When you (umpire) stroll up with your Coleman cooler in hand, your mask in the other hand (or worse! on a belt clip! 😬), and wearin’ obvious high school uniform, and a hat from either HS ball, or some other non-USSSA hat (or worse! A competing organization! 🫣), how much does the USSSA liaison believe that you read, and will comply with, USSSA’s rules??

Now, granted… in your case, you likely have a kickback-cartel goin’ on. 👕

[Sports Officials LLC]

Umpires have it good. They take in the game, they have an opportunity to instruct and guide today’s youth as they become tomorrow’s stars, and they have the opportunity to make good pay. 

Sure, some umpires have it tough as the only umpire in a non-partner game, but it’s nothing the right positioning and angles can’t correct.

On the topic of rules, has anyone noticed any changes on rules that would have major impact to umpires from last year? 

[The Man in Blue]

51 minutes ago, Sports Officials LLC said:

Umpires have it good. They take in the game, they have an opportunity to instruct and guide today’s youth as they become tomorrow’s stars, and they have the opportunity to make good pay. 

Sure, some umpires have it tough as the only umpire in a non-partner game, but it’s nothing the right positioning and angles can’t correct.

On the topic of rules, has anyone noticed any changes on rules that would have major impact to umpires from last year? 

Something smells familiar here . . . still not doing your job for you.

I'll give you credit for trying to contribute to the conversation, though.

I will still take major umbrage with that bolded part though.  No positioning or angle will ever help that poor guy who keeps getting sent out alone by assignors who are only concerned with making a few bucks/scraping off "good" games and taking care of their friends/perceived power/selling software when they have made it evidently clear they don't know what they are doing.

If you need a partner to teach you the industry, you should bring in a partner.  ***d***n, I hate tech bro mentality; and people that get the words wrong.

 

Perhaps I am being judgmental and unfair.  Isn't that what umpires do?  😉

[Sports Officials LLC]

@The Man in Blue I’m here to grow my business and connect with umpires. Save your comments for someone else. 

Updates that you’ve found impactful to games this year what are some things that umpires have been responsive to or should be more responsive to?

[Richvee]

9 hours ago, Sports Officials LLC said:

Updates that you’ve found impactful to games this year what are some things that umpires have been responsive to or should be more responsive to?

One constant is, as a collective, we take far too much crap without ejecting. 

[The Man in Blue]

15 hours ago, Sports Officials LLC said:

@The Man in Blue I’m here to grow my business and connect with umpires. Save your comments for someone else. 

Updates that you’ve found impactful to games this year what are some things that umpires have been responsive to or should be more responsive to?

 

I can appreciate that.  I would appreciate that more if you were an umpire who had some knowledge.  I don't know you, but you are coming off as just another guy who thinks his tech idea is a right-to-profit, even though you have shown little understanding of the use or need for it.

From what I can tell, you are pitching scheduling software and are now wanting to incorporate a rules/education component into it.  These products are on the market, and admittedly can be vastly improved upon.  Have you done market research?  There is a ton of it on this site already, but you need to put in some time.

I don't find a single Google hit for Sports Officials LLC.  I seem to recall the last time you popped up that I found that you may be a finance guy who got involved with running youth tournaments or a travel organization in Pennsylvania.  I'm guessing you have a relative that is affiliated as a state director for one of the "major" orgs.  I don't recall the exact details because there weren't many.  Based on your questions here, I am wondering what that connection was beyond financing and promoting.

Maybe I am wrong on that, but at least I tried to do a little research.  You are not very forthcoming with information on what your goal is or what your credentials are, other than to sell your computer software . . . sorry, you said it was "a service."

My free advice (which you don't want): come on here.  Introduce yourself.  Identify your credentials and your purpose.  Know your goal and your shortcomings (SWOT).  Identify what you could use help with and ask for help.  Contribute and become a member of the community.  Create the value proposition.  Several folks on here have succeeded that way.

Or, just keep tech-bro-ing it.  Your call.  Pun intended.

 

 

 

[JonnyCat]

3 hours ago, The Man in Blue said:

I don't find a single Google hit for Sports Officials LLC.

Yep, me either. Couldn't find any information about his company. No website, which is surprising for a tech-bro! 

[The Man in Blue]

I can confirm he registered incorporation with the State of Pennsylvania in late December.  

This is why I make a lousy/great business consultant for people like this (depends on their POV) . . . they don't want to hear anything beyond their perceived reality.  That was never my style.  It isn't my job to make you happy, it is my job to lead you to the fix for your problems.  (And I am good at it, I just got sick of it.)

[Kevin_K]

On 3/2/2025 at 9:40 PM, Sports Officials LLC said:

@The Man in Blue I’m here to grow my business and connect with umpires. Save your comments for someone else. 

Updates that you’ve found impactful to games this year what are some things that umpires have been responsive to or should be more responsive to?

Assigners who only care about filling slots grind my gear.

After our DH yesterday, @Richvee and I had a great conversation about umpiring culture. One of the assigners was discussing the need to change the whole idea of how assigning and umpiring work (or don't). I have heard time and again from assigners that they will "work with your schedule". Until it becomes inconvenient. Often that seems to come in the form of sending the same umpire out for 3+ games a day when the umpire specifically requests to not be assigned more than 2 games in a day. The relationship seems far more based on what I can do for the assigner rather than any care for me as a good umpire or a human being who has more things to do than spend every Saturday in warm weather on a baseball field.

There are assigners in this area of the country who expect their umpires to work 4+ games in a day. I won't do that. After two times of telling a certain assigning group that I will not work more than two games in a day that group continued to schedule 3+ games in a day. I decided to remove myself from their group because they didn't listen and continued to fill slots that ran counter to my specific request. Now I have more time to do whatever I wish. 

I would happily work a couple of early games or late games. They refuse to listen.

Life goes on.