Volunteer Umpire Tip of the Month –
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:
http://www.littleleague.org/umpires/index.asp
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:
http://www.littleleague.org/media/rule_example.asp
For more information contact Little League International
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