Umpire's Ability to Communicate - January 2007
An umpire’s ability to communicate - verbally and non-verbally, with his or her partner and the participants - will be one of the factors that makes or breaks a career as an umpire.
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• Effective communication and proper mechanics help to minimize conflict. |
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• Vocal tone, volume and emphasis are all important and vary according to the game situation. |
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• When used inappropriately, a cursory signal or a more elaborate call can create problems. |
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• A good pre-game meeting helps an umpire focus on his/her responsibilities and ensure that he/she understands exactly what to do during the game. |
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• An umpire should answer questions in a reasonable manner. If an umpire calls a balk and the pitcher politely asks what he did wrong, the umpire should explain the rule or describe the violation. |
Quick Tip
After each out or play, an umpire should communicate and confirm the number of outs with his/her partner. The ump should make eye contact and flash the number with his/her fingers. It may seem like overkill, especially if done even when the leadoff batter reaches base, but it's a good habit anyway. If an umpire loses track or disagrees, it's far better to figure things out before the next play than to get caught in a potentially game-changing blunder.
Remember, umpires can get rule updates, interpretations, useful tips like these and much more, by signing up for the Little League Umpire Registry. Click here for more details.
Also, chartered Little Leagues can order a copy of the Little League E-Rules CD, which includes videos of selected rules. Click here for more details.
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