Umpire clinics are offered approximately three Sundays before opening day. These dates will be agreed upon by the Director of Umpires and his Umpire Trainer. The meeting place for registration and testing, as well as a field for mechanics training will be held at Vann Park facility. The Director of Umpires will keep a record of the attending umpires. Attendance is crucial to receiving proper information and instruction. Umpires must be 13 years old by May 1.
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I. Overview
NJB is developing an ever changing process to insure that NJB umpires are not only qualified but keep up-to-date with the rules of youth baseball. As rules and mechanical changes are made from year to year, NJB believes that the best tool to update youth umpires is through this clinic. The following agenda is a suggested guideline for these clinics.
II. Dress Code
A. Powder blue collared shirt with the NJB Umpire logo
1. All umpires should acquire this shirt; this is the standard shirt for all baseball umpires.
2. Umpires officiating the same game must be attired in the same uniform.
3. Slacks shall be gray/khaki in color and belt-looped.
4. Caps shall be navy in color and worn with bill forward at all times.
5. Socks shall be White, Navy or Black in color.
6. Shoes shall be polished, black, coaching type shoes. NO METAL SPIKES.
7. Black/brown belt
8. At least one ball bag - may be navy, gray, or black in color.
9. The base umpire shall not be equipped with ball bag, face mask, chest protector, or shin guards.
10. Protective equipment for plate umpire should include face mask, chest protector, shin guards, and cup. Strongly suggested that plate umpire also wear steel toed plate umpire shoes.
11. Indicator with outs, balls, and strikes, to be used in left hand.
12. Umpires may wear the IHSAA navy blue collared shirts as long as all umpires do so.
III. Mechanics/Field Positions for Umpires (2-Man Crew)
A. NJB League 3 (7/8 Year Olds)
1. Plate Umpire shall be behind and opposite the batter but in position to call fair and foul balls. Machine pitch plate umpires must be able to declare a ball as “unhittable”.
2. Base Umpires shall begin each pitch behind the pitching machine and move appropriately to B or C positions as runner(s) and the batter dictate.
B. NJB League 2/1 (9/10 and 11/12 Year Olds)
1. Plate umpire shall be positioned behind the catcher in a position to be able to call all parts of the plate. Mechanics section will refer to this as “being in the slot.”
2. Base umpire shall begin in A position and proceed to B or C positions as runners dictate. The Base Umpire in these age groups in a 2 man crew will position himself inside the baselines but nearer to second base than the pitcher’s mound. Note, that generally as a rule, the Base Umpire work outside the baselines but in a 2 man system (especially give the field dimensions of this age group) it is not always practical. The Plate Umpire will be responsible for a runner leaving early from second base.
C. Three Man Crew
1. League play, District, and the majority of Regional and State tournaments will be governed by the above approved 2-Man Umpire Crews. However, last 2 days of Regional and State Tournaments will be officiated by 3-Man Umpire Crews.
2. 3-Man Umpire positions will be covered in depth on the field at these clinics, but as a rule the base umpires are required to work outside the baselines.
IV. Pre-game, Communications and Signals
A. Always have a pre-game with the coaches and co-official(s) for introductions, to establish ground rules, how a coach should approach you during the game, and any questions a coach may have or other pertinent information you feel the coaches may need.
B. Communication between officials is a vital part of maintaining control of a game and insuring accurate calls. Before the game begins, as the pitcher is warming up, talk with your co-official and discuss any last minute details of coverage; such a fly balls to the outfield and how you will communicate during the game.
C. Umpires should, throughout the game, remind each other of ball/strike count, as well as out count. Knowing this information can dictate how plays develop and how certain rules apply.
D. Signals have been developed for various possible situations during a game. These should be memorized and used when appropriate. These signals will be covered during the outside mechanics portion of the clinic and will be in accordance to the guidelines of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Umpires Manual.
V. Coverage of Rules and Ethics
A. There will be a brief coverage of NJB rules that are particular to specific age groups (Machine Pitch, Leagues 1, 2) Additionally, there are rules that are specific to NJB (i.e. Moving of bat in bunt, fake bunt, head first slides, leaving the base too early, etc.) and these shall also be covered.
B. The general rules of baseball are the responsibility of each umpire and should be read and remembered. Under no circumstance should an umpire bring a rule book onto the field! It is not improper for an official to reverse his call in order to correctly apply a rule. Umpires are there to insure fairness in play and to interpret the rules for any give circumstance. It may be to your benefit to call timeout and discuss a rule with your co-official any situation and to verify a certain situation may have occurred. In fairness to the players involved, your top priority is to get the call right and to properly interpret the rules.
C. An umpire should never overrule a co-official on any call unless properly appealed by that official. Although a good umpire will seldom be caught out of position, there are occasions when his/her view may be blocked for properly making a call. A good umpire will request help from his co-official when those times arise (i.e. Foot of first baseman on the bag?).
D. It is important to remember that there are 2 teams playing and that both want to win. Fraternizing with one team or the other will lead to the opposing team and fans believing that the official is showing favoritism. Be cordial to both teams but do not get involved with lengthy conversations with either team. Exit the field with your co-official immediately when the game is over.
VI. Mission Statement
Umpiring is great fun and is as much a part of the game as is playing it. It is in the best interest of Newburgh Junior Baseball (NJB) that we train, evaluate, supervise, and qualify all volunteer umpires. It is a rewarding feeling to walk off the field after a game, knowing that we have made a difference in the NJB playing experiences of youth participants.
The role of the volunteer umpire and role model is to mediate by knowing the rules of the game, and being in the best possible position to react to any play being made while the ball is live and in play.
As a role model, the job of the volunteer umpire is rewarding and sometimes a thankless job. Some of the qualities of a volunteer umpire are honesty, integrity, humor, and a sense of fair play. The volunteer umpire is an extension of NJB and the Cal Ripken organization as a whole. Our umpires strive to develop an understanding of and appreciation for the capabilities and limitations of young athletes playing Newburgh Junior Baseball. A trained umpire can and does inspire children to abide by the rules and to recognize authority while at the same time increasing their enjoyment of the game.
As a volunteer umpire, we are responsible for the safety of young participants playing. By this we are responsible for checking the field for possible dangerous situations that could be present on the field, checking the equipment used by the ball players, such as helmets, bats, and catchers’ equipment.
The Director of Umpires will provide training to all volunteer umpires in both classroom and field situations before the season starts, and is available to conduct any additional training. Training will include instruction concerning all rules and procedures used to officiate Newburgh Junior Baseball at both positions (plate umpire or base umpire).
No game is better without umpires. Ask any of the young athletes who have played a baseball game which had no official umpires, or not enough umpires, and you will find children who feel “slighted” when makeshift umpiring is all that is provided. To the youngsters in our program, it doesn’t seem like a “real” game without “real” umpires.
Umpiring is important, fun, and a great way to support our Newburgh Junior Baseball program. We encourage everyone to try it. Please be supportive with our young umpires, for they will be the backbone of the umpires’ corps for years to come.
VII. Age requirements
League 3 – pitching machine 13 or older by May 1
League 2 – live pitch 15 years old or older by May 1
League 1 – live pitch 17 years old or older by May 1 (with experience)
Babe Ruth – college age or older by May 1 (with experience)
