Umpire Evaluation

Okay, been hearing lots of grumbling about umps now that summer season is about halfway over...so, my first question is, who makes the decision on what umpires work your tournament (I guess this one goes to the TD's)? are they derived from a pool of random people, are they assigned by the TD based on an ongiong reputation? (i hear alot of--"they should be retired" ramblings...is this because they ARE retired but thier name is still on the list? or just old?)

are school ball umps called in for games from the AD, or the junior high/high school coach

is there an evaluation done after the school ball game/after a travel game?

instead of random sour grapes, what can be done? grin and bear it?

then, shouldn't ASA umps be the best on the scale of sanctioning bodies? as for me, PONY umps were by far the worst I've seen, NSA has been the best this year, although we have played only one PONY tourney and about 4 NSA ones, so it's not really scientific

As a TD of 2 ASA tournaments we just turn a master schedule into the ASA assignor for Central Ohio. He then schedule what umps do what games. The assignor does not see who is playing each game only the age group for each game. He is paid a fee to do the schedule and make sure everyone shows.

I'm not sure if there is a "one-size-fits-all" answer to this. My experience has been that umpire assignments and evaluations are handled differently from region-to-region, even from city-to-city, and also differently between different sanctioning bodies.

Sometimes, the assignor has the luxury of selecting umpires from a pool of officials that he is familiar with and can cherry-pick the ones that he knows are the best. Other times, there might be a shortage of umpires and the assignor really has to scramble to fill games. In those cases, the deciding factor might be if the official is a breathing carbon-based life form...

Here are a couple of examples, from personal experience, that illustrate both ends of the scale.

For high school baseball in the central district, to become certified by the state of Ohio you must first attend a minimum of about 20 hours of classroom training, then pass a mandatory 100 question test. That gets you a "beginners" license and qualifies you for sub-varsity games (JV, freshmen or middle school ball).

If you want to do varsity games, the next year you have to attend another series of 10 classroom sessions and successfully pass an even harder 100 question test. That gets you a "class one" license and makes you eligible for varsity games.

But, before you step foot on a varsity field, the local umpire association will perform an official evaluation. You will be assigned to work a game with an experienced official as your partner and your performance will be video recorded by another official. The senior officials will complete a detailed form that grades you on things like appearance, rules knowledge, hustle, mechanics and positioning. You will also receive a copy of the video, along with a pitch-by-pitch oral commentary from one of the senior officials.

Pass all that and you will eventually be assigned varsity contests. In addition to all that, each school you work for has the ability to log-in to a special web site run by the OHSAA that allows AD's and coaches to complete an evaluation form for each umpire's individual game performance. Those evaluations play a part in future assignments and the asiignment of officials for state playoffs.

On the other end of the scale, some softball sanctioning bodies only require that you pay a registration fee and- BAM!- you are a registered official. That was the case with the most recent registration I received. I paid $35, bought a uniform and was assigned to pool games in the first tournament I ever worked under that sanction.

Unknown to me, the Tournament Director and Umpire-in-Chief observed me working those pool games. Based on what they saw, I was invited back the next day for bracket play and the semi-final games.

If you look at umpire assignments for the entire state, you are likely to find any possible combination of requirements ranging from one end of the spectrum to the other.

for instance, back at Ft. Wayne we (and several other teams) had issue with one ump's strike zone (or interpretation thereof) and instead of throwing caps and bumping chests during the game we went to the TD...well, TD was already observing said game, and came around later during another game to check on how everything was ran....wow..I can tell you that I wouldn't know a TD from the man on the moon, but she sure made herself available...I'd love to take that trip again next year based on how we were treated....

however at another tourney in (omit) TD was basically saying, "sucks to be you" and "well, don't come back here next year then." with that attitude, I'm suprised teams and orgs are willing to go through the hassle of that type of management scenario...wouldn't most TD's treat their tourney like a business? that way to warrant future success of the tourney

thanks bretman!

Heck, Ray, some business people don't even treat their business like a business!

I mean, if people are paying their hard-earned bucks to be there, the TD should at least pretend to care about their concerns or complaints...

Maybe I've just been lucky, but for just about every tournament I've worked the TD's have been both available and willing to listen to the "paying customers". Sometimes they might have to sort out the legitimate complaints from the "sour grapes" crying of a team that just got their clocks cleaned, but they should at least be willing to hear them out.

In Wilmington, I select my own umpires to which I have 16 coming from Portsmouth, Ashaland, KY and West Viriginia this weekend. I can't dig into the Dayton pool (in which I am a part of) due to tourney there in USSSA this weekend in Beavercreek. Because I have heard from teams asking, " You aren't going to have the same NSA umpires that the Heat tournament in Wilmington had are you ?"

Bretman, I need some help this weekend. Four tourneys closed down and they are flying this way..... 62 e-mails in 5 hours time.

At check in, coaches are made aware of who the umpire in charge is. Sometimes, this is also done during an all attendance coaches meeting prior to starting games. They are always very open to all coaches concerns. So far, I have seen overall fairly fair umpiring both ways. There are a couple of times I have seen what may appear as bias or very small strike zones during some games. Very very few. As long as I see it being fair and not blatant, I usually go with the situation and not complain which makes things worse. Due to the length of time I have been involved with this sport, I have gotten to know or am familiar with most of the umpires in this area and surrounding. Respect goes a long ways. Umpires are all human and will make mistakes very understandable. I try to teach my team fundamental plays that help umpires make those very close calls. Is my team all the way there yet. No. but it helps all the way around.

Jeff Klopfer
Classics 14U

The Umpires at Heat-in-up Tourney were Great. JMO. The ones that we had anyways. We pretty much had the same ones for all but 2 games. Knew all the rules and stuck by them. Even had one of the field ump between innings playing ( Rock,paper,sissors) with my outfielders I have to take my hat off to those Umpires they have it pretty rough sometimes. I mean with most of us coaches yelling at them and then you have the parents comments ALL DAY long. Thats a tough summer job. So thanks to all the umpires that make it enjoyable for us to play on the weekends.

Quakerman,

Check your private messages...

I may be going aginst the norm here, but for every "bad" umpire I have seen this summer there were 4 good ones that seem to get lost in the shuffle. People tend to remember the "bad"calls and forget the umpires that called a good game. As far as a "home field advantage" behind the plate? Many umpires are not from that area, but some coaches some seem to apply that tag when a close pitch did not go their way. I believe most of the "home field advantage" is perception based on the emotions of the moment.

Yes, I have seen blues blow calls or do not know their rules. In a game, I state my piece and go on. In rule calls, I challenge umpires to review the rules and get back with me. You would be surprise how many times an umpire would approach me later in the tournament and tell me that I was right. I have a rule book for each sanction but I find walking out with a rule book rarely does any good. No one wants to be "shown" up and to be honest, by the time I locate the rule, (while not coaching 3rd, calling pitches or dealing with strategy/lineup) there is little time to thumb down a particular rule and by that time I find it, the play is history. By the end of a game, I may have found the rule and will ask the umpire to review the rule (citing sections) and ask him/her to get back with me later in the tournament, "just in case I have it wrong". For me, this approach works better than slamming an umpire and, if you are right many will later admit it, they will be a better umpire as a result.

The bad calls, I can count on one hand - maybe borrowing a couple of fingers from the other hand. The good calls? I do not have nearly enough digits to count them. For me, that is all the umpire evaluation I need.

I'm confused about something, well a lot of things but heres one: Two tournaments that had pretty good umpiring both had the best prices for fans. Heat-In-Up in Wilmington and Worth Ohio Wave in Greenville had pretty good umps AND had no gate fees with very reasonable concession stand prices. Yet other tournaments that charged $5.00 a day with higher concession stand prices had terrible umps (like Sluggerfest). Wouldn't you think it would be the other way around?

I'm glad you brought that up, Johnnies...this post was intended for all the sour grapes people to come forward (some of them probably host tourneys sometimes through the year) and see if they've done anything about their proposed transgressions at the hands of the umps, or do they simply post here hoping for what? a blue to start tearing up and change his life?

anyway, we have had good umpiring this year across the board (yes, even at Pony's) and when you really think about it, if there was a game I was supremely salty about, it had more to do with OUR play or my DD's play more than anything else...you know, those missed oppurtunities gnaw at you if you let them....

and i also wanted to get in another good mention for Ft. Wayne and the NSA guys, which have done a great job during our games..,...and I concur with the Wilmington refs...they did a great job

as for everything else, i hate tight strike zones that force a pitcher to heave a watermelon pitch, but, then again, who does?

Of course, I was not there in Wilmington that weekend and was in Lucasville for another tournament. All I heard was Columbus NSA umpires were terrible... Well, it is always nice to hear the "other side".
I read a comment about another in the Columbus area... and then it made me worry about it all for my tournament this weekend....

The search for umpires is tough. Espcially when teams all of a sudden jump into the tournament....lol... But that is the life of a tournament director.

Johnnies: You are always welcome to bring a rule book out on my field and on the fields of any of my tournaments to any of my umpires.
The most important thing: GET THE CALL RIGHT.

If this is a problem with an umpire... based on the theory of "being showed up"... then that umpire has no place on my fields. The best umpires are the ones who walk off the field and are not noticed when he does so.

But the umpire thing is good to know. I was working around them for my tournament.

mustohiofastpitch,

I would have to say that sometimes there is no correlation between how much an umpire is being paid and how good of an umpire he might be.

I know some guys that volunteer their time to work Little League games (that is, work for free, other than a hot dog and a Coke at the end of the game) who I would put up against any umpire out there.

On the other hand, I've been assigned partners in tournaments that were being paid the exact same amount I was who probably had no business being on the field at that level.

That's why statements like, "Columbus umpires are bad", or, "Cincinnati umpires are good" are totally meaningless. You can't paint all umpires from one area with the same broad brush unless you have personally seen and evaluated every single individual umpire from that area.

Here's one of those old umpire sayings: Umpiring is one job where you are expected to be perfect your first day on the job. Then, you are expected to get better!

No matter who much I might study the rules, attend classes and clinics or work to improve my game, I know that I'm only one disputed call (even if it's the right call) away from having a coach label me as "the worst umpire he ever saw" or say that was "the worst call he's ever seen"!

I'm just as guilty as the next coach about labeling umpires. ?
I know it's a tough job. ?I know they won't always get it right. ?No one is perfect. ? I believe the main thing everyone wants is consistency! ?: This is not happening everywhere we go. ?I believe alot of the umpires that we have faced expect more out of the some of the teams based on their team name. ? >Face it, these are young ladies that are trying to be the best they can. ?Don't label them from previous teams of years past. ?Give the coaches credit. ?They may not be the same coach that the umpire remembers from that team from last year either. ? make sense?? ?Umpires are people too. ?I believe some hold a grudge against certain teams. ?

Umpires have an unforgiving job. ?They have to make split second decisions. ?Most do a good job at it. ?Consistency is a must though. ?Strike zones and close defensive plays. ? :-?

I always do my best to speak my peace and move on. ?:'( I always tell my girls that those are the "uncontrollables" that should not cost us the game. ?Keep your head up and keep playing ball. ?One pitch at a time. ?One play at a time. One out a time. ?We won't let a few bad calls keep us down.

I see from the umpire's point of view and the coaches. Many times they make the correct call , yet some parent or coach is all upset. You hear that is not what they called last game. Go to the ASA site . Print out the 50 questions from the umpire test. I would be willing to bet most couldn't get 50% of them right. The only thing I get upset with is an umpire agrees with me about the rule book and then won't call a pitcher illegal. That was the big complaint at Columbus NSA. Too bad Bretman was working the 16u's I even followed Bretman advice and couldn't get the call. If the toe is coming off by 2 " on a replant, the base umpire is blind of won't call it. Had the same thing in Elyria, her toe was not even close to the ground on the drag foot. Pitching to me has been the biggest issue this year.

I suggest that all parents of players and coaches of travel players become umpires after their DD finishes their softball career. That's what I did recently and I really enjoy it. All of you complain about the umps, as I did and still do sometimes. This is a way to give back to the sport. I figured that these girls deserve the best officiating possible and I'm determined to try my best to give them that.

Plus, umpiring keeps you in the sport. If you do it for the $ then you are in it for the wrong reason. Don't get wrong, the extra cash is nice to have for vacations and gas, but I really enjoy being involved in the game.

I put this out there as a challenge to all parents and coaches. Make this sport the best it can possibly be.

SBFAMILY said:

?The only thing I get upset with is an umpire agrees with me about the rule book and then won't call a pitcher illegal. ?That was the big complaint at Columbus NSA.

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This is news to me. No one approached me or my tournament UIC about illegal pitching.

It is kind of hard to address something if you are not made aware of it. In fact the only complaints we got was on Sunday and it was mostly nit-picking about every little thing from the teams behind on the scoreboard at the time. And yes, this happens a lot more than you folks may want to admit it. And yes, I know it goes with the 50 gallon drum of Excedrin that I wheel out on tournament weekends.

For the six games I worked out there that weekend, I didn't see any problems with pitching mechanics or illegal pitches. Didn't have a single complaint or comment from any coaches in regards to pitching.

(Of course, that was six games out of- how many?- 100? 200?)

Johnnies said:

I may be going aginst the norm here, but for every "bad" umpire I have seen this summer there were 4 good ones that seem to get lost in the shuffle. ?People tend to remember the "bad"calls and forget the umpires that called a good game. ?

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This is pretty much what I have encountered...but there is one ump that has seemed to follow us...ANd IS TERRIBLE!