Little League Baseball & Softball Beginner Umpire Training Patrick O’Rourke, Umpire in chief, Redmond West [email protected] George Cannon, Umpire in chief, Kirkland National [email protected] Steven Kehrli, Umpire in chief, Kirkland National [email protected] Agenda Actions: • 1. Provide your name, email, mobile, League, Division / team Pre-game • e.g., Joe West, [email protected], 425-123-4567, • Safe and out RWLL BB Coast / Braves • • Appeals E.g., Jill East, [email protected], 206-123-4567, KNLL SB AAA / Vision • Obstruction / interference 2. Complete background check by March 11 • Fair ball, foul ball 3. See welcome email from Arbiter and log-in; edit your profile 4. Sign-up to umpire games • Strike and ball 5. Get a hat for your league (RWLL, KALL or KNLL) • Time • Arbiter system • Appendix: 58-71 Version Feb. 27 “It’s about kids and character development using baseball as a tool” Terms • Batter • Batter-Runner (BR) • Runner (R1, R2, R3) • Fielder (F1-F9) • Protest, Appeal, (Gripe) Websites for learning http://www.littleleagueumpiring101.com/ http://umpirebible.com/rules.htm http://www.littleleagueu.org/quiz/2016/06/02/LLU+Umpire+Quiz+101 Youtube: search “little league umpire” 3 Pregame: Gear Home Plate (HP) Umpire Base Umpire • *^ Hat • *^ Ball bag (black, grey) • *^ Hat • *^ Shirt (same • *^ Plate brush • *^ Shirt (same color as HP) color as bases) • *^ Chest protector • Grey slacks • *^ Mask • *^ Shin guards • Black belt • Grey slacks • Cup • *Indicator (optional) • Black belt • Plate shoes (optional) • Water • *^ Indicator • Small pencil • Cleats/Turf shoes • Water • Lineup holder • *^ Red flag (baseball only) (optional) • Plate gear in the car! * RWLL provided ^ KNLL provided 4 Pregame: Partner • Check the rainout line • Hartman Park: Call (425) 200-0076 (Mon-Fri 3:01pm; Sat-Sun 8:01am). Or use “rainoutline.com 2017” app for iOS and Android • Big Finn Hill Park: 206-205-3893 • Juanita Beach & 132nd Square Park: 425-587-3345 • Meet partner 30 minutes before the game. • Discuss your game plan: • Coverage—who’s looking for what. • Signs: Infield fly, number of outs, 1st-to-3rd rotation • What you’re working on improving; ask your partner to help you watch. • Be done by 20 minutes before game time. 5 • Lineup card, pitching changes, work with scorekeeper • Balls and strikes • Catch / no catch on fly balls Home Plate • Fair / foul (HP) Umpire • Ensure base coaches in position before first pitch Responsibilities • R3 tagging up on fly ball • Runner touching 3rd base on way to home plate • Infield fly • Game management (pace of warm-up pitches; play; manager visits) Keep It Moving! • Control the time • Returning pitcher only needs 5 pitches • By rule, teams have 1 minute to get ready. • An extra 2 minutes between innings is more than 20 minutes per game. This is a full inning! • If a ball goes foul or out of play, throw another ball to the pitcher and ask the catcher to get the foul ball. • Do not let batter leave batter’s box • Visits to pitcher • Note visit on lineup and scorebook • HP umpire brushes off plate • Then slow walk to mound • When you reach the mound, visit is over 7 • Safe and out at 1st, 2nd and 3rd • Runners touching 1st and 2nd • Runners retouching 1st and 2nd (fly ball) • Batted balls that touch batter in the box (foul!) • Interference (by the runner on the primary Base Umpire fielder) • Obstruction (by a defense player on a Responsibilities runner/batter-runner) • Runner leaving early at 1st, 2nd and 3rd (use peripheral vision; eyes toward batter) • Keep an eye on the dugouts for an adult in the dugout Base Umpire Positioning • “A” position • Behind first base, in foul territory • No runners • “B” position • Behind second baseman • R1 only • “C” position • Behind shortstop • The rest of the time 9 Base Umpire Rotation • Inside-out: • When the ball stays in the infield, the umpire stays outside the diamond • Outside-in: • When the ball goes to the outfield, the umpire moves inside the diamond 10 Pregame: Field • Bases • Secured, break-away • Double first for softball • Foul lines • Live ball / dead ball territory (dugout and cement path to dugout) • Pitcher’s mound/rubber distance from point of home plate • 46-feet baseball • 40ft for Majors softball; 35ft for Coast/AAA softball; 42ft for Juniors • Home run fence (gaps) 11 Pregame: Teams • Adults may not warm up pitchers • Before a game • During a game • After a game • Players standing near the bat during fielding practice must wear a catcher’s helmet. • Teams should leave their gear out of bags ready for inspection while they take infield practice. 12 • Bats • Baseball: USA Bat logo for aluminum or composite only, or a wood bat; 2 5/8" diameter or less; 33” or less in length • Softball: BPF 1.20, 2 1/4" diameter, 33” or less in length • No dents or splits in bats Pregame: • Illegal bat must be removed from play • No bat rings (donuts)! Check player • Batting helmets: look for cracks • Catcher’s gear equipment • Mask with dangling throat guard • Uniforms • Pitchers can’t have white sleeves showing • No neoprene sleeve on pitching arm; arm sleeves must be uniform color • Jewelry: no watches, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, etc. 13 Pregame: Plate meeting • Umpires and 2 managers only. • Use managers’ first names • Start 5 minutes before game time • Provide heads-up to managers 5 minutes prior to plate meeting • Collect lineups • Umpires control the game starting at this point • Time limits • Generally, no new inning after 2 hours; stop at 2hr, 15 mins • Brief synopsis of ground rules (specific to the field) • Player with mask/catcher’s mit to warm-up pitcher • If the field is too wet to play the game, umpire decision from this point forward to suspend play. • Get game balls (2-3; more on a wet day) • Confirm that all players are legal and properly equipped • Confirm which players aren’t eligible to pitch 14 Starting the game • 9 or more players on each team. • Fielders (except catcher) in fair territory. • Batter in the box. • No one on deck. All other offensive players in dugout. • Base coaches • Can be players with helmets • One adult in the dugout always! • Limit of 1 manager plus 2 coaches 15 Agenda • Pre-game • Safe and out • Appeals • Obstruction / interference • Fair ball, foul ball • Strike and ball • Time • Arbiter system How to call safe and out Order is important! 1. Move into position [angle more important than distance] 2. Play is about to happen: stop moving. 3. Play happens: watch. 4. Think about what you saw. 5. Find the ball. Make sure it’s where you think it is. 6. Decide what your call is going to be. 7. Announce + signal the result to everybody (if not obvious) 17 • Runner is tagged while off a base. • Runner or next base is tagged when runner is forced. • Runner passes a preceding runner. • With a fielder attempting to make a tag, runner goes more than 3-feet to the side of a line from the runner to the base. How a Runner • Runner abandons the bases. Can Be Put Out • Runner slides headfirst while advancing a base • Runner fails to either slide or attempt to get around a fielder waiting to make a tag • Missed touching a base (appeal play: later). • Failing to retouch after a catch (appeal play: later). • Batter-runner touches the ball outside of the batter’s box (usually running to 1B) • Interference (see later slide). Catch or No-Catch? • It’s a catch when the ball is in flight and the fielder shows: • Secure possession of the ball in the hand or glove. • Complete control of the ball. • Voluntary release of the ball. • It’s a no-catch once the ball is no longer in flight: • It has hit the ground. • It has hit the fence or any other object. • It has touched any person other than a fielder. • When it’s a catch, the batter is out. • It can be a catch in foul territory (ball stays live). 19 Tag plays • Unless forced, runners can only be put out by being tagged when off a bag. • A tag requires control of the ball by the fielder. • A tag may be made with the ball itself or with the glove when the ball is inside the glove. • If the ball comes out during the tag, the fielder didn’t have control. 20 Force Plays • A force starts when a batter hits a fair ball. • A runner is forced if he/she must advance to make room for the Batter-runner (BR) going to 1st, or for another runner who is forced. • A force ends when the runner in question reaches the next base or when a following runner is put out. • Example: R1, R3. When the batter hits the ball, R1 is forced to 2nd, but R3 is not forced. If the BR tries for 2nd, R1 is not forced to 3rd. If the BR is put out at 1st, the force on R1 is removed. • A forced runner can be put out either by tagging the runner or by tagging his next base before the force ends. • To tag the base, the fielder needs possession of the ball (in hand or glove) and contact with the base. 21 Plays on the Batter- Runner (BR) at 1st • She’s out if she’s tagged before reaching 1st base. • With ball securely held in a hand • With a glove securely holding the ball • He’s out if 1st is tagged before he reaches it. • With any part of the fielder’s body with the ball securely held in the fielder’s hand or glove.