WSLL 2012 Umpire Training
Part I
Purpose
Allow you to feel comfortable umpiring a LL
game (eliminate fear of umpiring).
 Probably make you the best educated on
rules in the game.
 Give you a basis for further study
 We won’t discuss every rule, but the ones
you’re most likely to encounter.
 Review basic mechanics and techniques.
 Provide a takeaway resource.

What We Are Looking For
Reliability
 Proper uniform
 Acting like someone in charge
 Showing courtesy and common sense to
our customers
 Interest in umpiring
 Knowledge of the rules and mechanics

Overview

Rules

Mechanics (where you stand, where you
go, how you get there, what you do/say
when you get there).
 General

Approach To Decision Making
Administration – Getting games and Pay
(handout).
Rules -Which Rules?

LL (OBR)
 No balks,
 P need not
come to stop (only has to join
hands)
 Can’t leave base before pitch “reaches” batter
 Adult game coordinator
 Special pinch runner

Other recreation organizations and Federation of


Interpretations
Local Rules
High School Rules (“FED”)
Rule Organization

Green Book
 Regs,
 TOC
 Rules 1-9
 All Start Tournament Rules
 Index.

Gray Book/SLFBL
 TOC, Regs, General Rules, Level Rules
Rules - Finding It Quickly
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Objectives
Definitions
Game Preliminaries
Starting and Ending the Game
Putting the Ball In Play, Live Ball
The Batter
The Runner
The Pitcher
The Umpire
Rule 1 – Objectives (Safety)
1.08 – no one out of dugout.
 Bat size. 1.10 - No donuts


Uniform - No jewelry, No attachments

Pitching glove may not have gray or white
(rub dirt if little white).

Catchers Gear.
 Cup (males)
 Long chest protector
 Helmet PLUS dangling throat protector
 No decals

Runners/Player coaches must wear helmets.
Rule 1 - Field Parts and Effects


Lines
 Fair Territory, Foul Territory, Out of Play
 Fair - Game ON; Foul – Game Off (mostly)
 Fair includes the lines
 Back edge of home plate defines lines
 All bases and FOUL Pole = Fair.
Boxes and circles
 Everyone starts in the lines and applicable boxes.
 Batters and catchers (batter hits ball with any part of
foot on ground out of box = “Out”)
 No on-deck circle
 Coaches must stay in coaches box - but be lenient.
Rule 2 - Definitions

Ball
 Strike/Strike
Zone/In Flight
Bunt
 Force Play
 Fair/Foul Ball
 Infield fly – none in AA and below
 Inning (5.07)– BTO; 3A (4/5); 2A (3/5)
 Interference/Obstruction - 7.06.7.09

Rules – Catch , No Catch




Must have secure possession and voluntary
release.
Catch if fielder drops ball in the act of
throwing.
No catch if fielder drops the ball as a result of
collision or falling.
No catch if ball touches offensive player, or
grounds, fence, or umpires.
Rules – Foul Tip

A “foul tip” is a foul that is direct and
sharp from the bat to the catcher’s hand
or glove. The ball is in play.

If caught on rebound, it is not a catch
unless ball touches catcher’s glove hand or
hand first. Official Rule 2.00 (“foul tip”).

Mechanic: Signal it (will demonstrate)
around head level.
Rule 3 – Game Preliminaries

Be 15’ early.






Meet the coaches
Start on time
Check lines, safety
Each team should give you a baseball. 3.01 and GB.
Starting and stopping game (“play” and time). 3.12
Where players, coaches and spectators go.


Dugout occupancy - just players and coaches and they
must stay there unless playing or in coaches box. 3.09
and 3.17.
No manager warming up pitchers. 3.09
Rule 4 – Starting & Ending The Game

Preliminaries.
 4.01 – Plate Conference.
 4.02 – Say Play.
 4.03 – everyone starts on field and in boxes.
 4.05 – Must have 2 coaches
 adults only by GB rule except majors
 may not leave dugout until after warm ups.
 must wear helmets if players.
 4.17 Must have 9 to start.
Rule 4 – Starting & Ending The Game
 Scoring, duration and ties. 4.09-12.
 GB @ 22 – start time, duration, NNI/DD end.
 Protests
 Mgr.
- 4.19.
must get time (from you).
 Must be made before next play.
 May only be over rules (not factual
judgments like fair or foul).
 See GB @ 29 for how to record.
Strike? HBP? Foul? Dead?
Rule 5 - Live Ball/Dead Ball

5.01 – 5.11 Re/Starting the game (“Play”)
 NB:

F1 must be on plate with ball.
5.09 - Eight ways for ball to become dead
by play (plus one misfiled under 5.10):
 NB:
runners advance or return – which
depends on other rules. If not award, must
return.

5.10 – “Discretionary” Call of Time.

accidents, playing conditions, other.
Rule 5 – Live Ball/Dead Ball

FAIR - 4 ways to be fair
settled ball - settles in fair before 3b-P-1b line
 bounding ball - passes inside, over or hits ANY PART
of 1B/3B
 fly ball (into OF) - first hits fair or leaves field fair
 Any ball hits fielder over fair territory first
 Batters box is special case - part in, part out


FOUL


Determined by relation of ball to line - fielder position
irrelevant
Game OFF, UNLESS, caught fly ball and catch is not
3rd out. Be patient, ball may drift fair.
Fair or Foul?
Is Touched
Judged by the
position
of the ball.
Fair or Foul?
Fair or Foul?
Is Touched
Judged by the
position
of the ball.
BREAK
"If a woman has to choose
between catching a fly ball
and saving an infant's life,
she will choose to save
the infant's life without
even considering if
there is a man on
base." --- Dave Barry
Rules 6 and 7 –
General Batter/Runner Concepts

Out When (automatic)




Batter = 6.05 and 6.06 and a special (BOO) = 21
ways!
Runner = 7.03, 7.08 and a special (leave early) = 11
ways. See also 7.10 (on appeal (fail to touch base))
99% happen in the ways you already know.
Safe “Without liability to be put out” (Awards)



Batter = 6.08, 6.09(d-h)
Runner = 7.04 - 7.05
On interference, distinguish between thrown and
batted balls (intent vs. none required). Ball
always dead. No runners advance.
Batter Outs (6.05 + 6.06)

Play of game (strike outs, flies out, fails to reach first
base, forced runner retired with 2 outs).

Defensive miscue.

Personal interference.
Deflecting ball
 Interfering with throw.
 Interfering with play at home.


Teammate interference.
Batter Outs

3rd strike need not be caught in AAA/AA
NEW FOR 2012: Majors ONLY:
 Covered in 6.05(b) and 6.09(b)
 A batter is out when a third strike is not caught by
the catcher when first base is occupied before two
are out
 IOW: If there are 0 or 1 out, AND there is no R1, AND
the catcher does not legally catch strike 3, the batter
becomes a runner and may attempt to acquire 1st base.
 If there are 2 outs, when the catcher does not legally
catch strike 3, the batter becomes a runner and may
attempt to acquire 1st base. Runners do not matter in
this case.

Batter Outs

Bunts foul fly

Batter or 1B is tagged BEFORE runner touches
1B (tie goes to runner). Compare with 7.01 and
7.08(e) (tie goes to fielder).

Batter is out if third strike hits him while
attempting to strike at the pitch. Official Rule
6.05(f). (Strike, if this occurs with less than 2
strikes). Dead ball results.
Batter Outs

Hits ball with one or both feet on the
ground entirely outside of Batter box.

Fielder intentionally drops a fly ball or line
drive (to make a force play possible).
Official Rule 6.05 (l).

Bat Throwing – not an out but warning +
removal from offense – GB 24.
Offensive Interference

Offensive Interference: Any act which
interferes with, obstructs, impedes, hinders, or
confuses any fielder attempting to make a
play. Rule 2.
 Need not be intentional.
 If batter, batter-runner, or runner is out for
interference, all other runners shall return
to the last base legally touched prior to the
interference (unless otherwise provided in
the Rules).
Batter Outs - Interference
•
Batter is out if fair ball bounces up in fair
territory and hits him before touching a fielder.
Official Rule 6.05(g).

Note: Although the area above home plate and
part of the batter’s box is in fair territory, by
custom, a batter will not be declared out if still
in any part of the batter’s box and a struck ball
hits him.
Batter Outs - Interference

Batter is out if, after hitting or bunting a fair
ball, his bat hits the ball for a second time in
fair territory. (If bat is in foul territory when
this happens, it is a foul ball). Sell the call!
Ball is dead and no runners may advance.

The ball, however, remains in play if the batter
drops the bat and the ball rolls and hits the
bat, unless the umpire judges the act to be
intentional. Official Rule 6.05(h).
Batter Outs - Interference

Batter is out if, after hitting or bunting a
foul ball, the batter runner intentionally
deflects the course of the ball while
running to first base. Official Rule
6.05(h). Ball is dead and no runners may
advance.
Batter Out - Interference

Batter interferes with F2’s “catching or throwing by
stepping out of box or making any unnatural
movement.” 6/06(a).

“or makes any other movement that hinders the
catcher’s play at home base.”

EXCEPTION: With less than two outs, the runner – not
the batter – would be called out.

Additional Penalty: Run does not count. Official Rule
6.05(n).
Rules – Batter Unintentionally
Interferes with Throw to Pitcher

This is not interference if the batter is in the
box. The ball is dead and no runners may
advance.

If he does so while out of the box, or
intentionally, it is interference. If either
condition is satisfied, the batter is declared
out. See PBUC Umpire Manual, § 4.15.
Batter Outs - Interference
 Batter
Runner is out if, in running the
last 45 feet to first base, he runs outside
running lane or inside the foul line, and
in doing so interferes with the fielder
taking the throw at first base. Official
Rule 6.05(k).
 Mechanic:
“Time ! That is interference!
Runner is out!” – Then, return runners.
Batter Out – Batting out of Order
The umpires, scorekeeper, and announcer
shall not bring the batting out of turn to
anyone’s attention.
 Defense must appeal after the improper
batter has completed his turn at bat and
before the next pitch or attempted play,
whichever comes first.
 Wait till playing action has ceased and call
time while listening to the appeal.

Batter Out – Batting out of order



If appeal is made during an at bat, the proper
batter is not out, but assumes the count of the
improper batter. Official Rule 6.07.
Defense fails to make a timely appeal -improper batter is legalized. The batting order
picks up with the name following the improper
batter.
If successful, proper batter is out - not the
improper batter. The batting order picks up
with the name following the proper batter.
Batter Outs – Batting Out of Order
 Any
advance or outs made because of an
improper batter are nullified if the
defensive teams make a timely appeal.
The runners return to the position that
they had at the time the improper batter
stepped into the batter’s box.
 Steal, wild pitches, passed ball advances,
are permissible because they are not a
result of actions by the improper batter.
Batter – Awards
 Fielder
glove)
4
Miscues (uses uniform or thrown
bases – when goes over fence
 3 bases – batted ball
 2 bases – thrown ball
Batter – Awards

Umpire Interference - Fair ball touches an umpire in
fair territory before touching a fielder. Official Rule
6.08(d). So, stay behind fielders.

Catcher Interference – C. hits bat.




1B for batter and 1 for those forced.
Team has choice
If the batter and all other runners advance, ignore. Official
Rule 6.08(c).
Mechanic: Must call it: “That’s interference” and see
what happens.