Umpires

Umpire Information

updated 04-26-08

Umpire Meetings

They are over! If you still want to work at KAA, send an email to kaaumpire@kwdaa.com

Please advise your experience w/ umpiring/baseball and whatever else is pertinent.

If you do not have experience umpiring, you will not be able to work for at least several weeks into the season.

Umpire Test

It was handed out on March 9th at the meeting. If you were not at that meeting, be sure to send an email to me requesting a test. You MUST turn in the test the first time you work. You MUST score better than 80%.

Uniform Requirements

1) One or two umpire shirts (to be purchased at KAA the first night you work).

2) One or two pair of medium gray polyester pants. Buy them a size or two larger than your normal size since you will have to wear plate equipment underneath your pants. Go to Marshall's, or a similar cheap place to get pants. No need to buy anything expensive. The guy to the left is wearing the type / color of pants you need. The good news is that they are quite fashionable, and can be worn to parties, etc.

3) Several pairs of navy blue or black socks. These need to be PLAIN and cannot have designs on them.

4) One pair of black athletic shoes. Cleats are fine...so are metal spikes. The shoes must be mainly black in color.

5) Plain black or navy blue belt--no designs.

6) A watch...preferably one with a stopwatch.

7) Ball / strike / out indicator. Johnny Mac's / similar type sporting goods store will have these. In the event you forget yours during the season, we sell them in the ump room for $5 each.

2008 KAA Rules

Check them out here. You'll need them for the umpire test.

Below is info contained in an email I sent out to everyone on 03-14-08 in regard to the rules this year:

Some KAA rules have changed. I’ve summarized / copied what I thought were the important ones to us. Some of these things were NOT covered in the last meeting, so be sure to read the KAA rules thoroughly. New changes in the rulebook are highlighted in RED.

Rule 6 Sec. 5 – On Deck Batter - On deck batter must warm up on the back side of the batter.

Rule 10 Sec. 4 – Substitute Players are allowed in order for a team to be able to field enough players to play a game and avoid a forfeit. Substitute players must conform to the age group eligibility dates (not and exception player as defined in Rule 11 Sec. 3). Managers must submit prior to the game to umpire crew a substitute player form. No team may field more then three (3) substitute players in any single game. The substitute players must bat at the bottom of the batting order and may not pitch in a the game in which they are participating as a substitute player. The opposing manager must be notified of the fact that substitute players are being used prior to the first pitch of the game. Failure to observe these rules will result in the game being played however a forfeit will be registered to the team not in compliance.

Pitching Machine Rules

Sec. 1 - A pitching machine shall be used for all games and will be operated by the field umpire. In games where there is only one umpire. Coach’s will operate the pitching machine when their team is at bat.

The above is slightly confusing and will be changed. Just remember that coaches ALWAYS operate the pitching machine.

RUNS PER INNING—11U and younger all play 5 runs per inning this year. It’s still unlimited runs for the 7^th inning for 10u/11u and unlimited in the 6^th inning for 9u and younger.

Time Limits: 1:20 minutes on 8u and younger. 1:30 on 9u. 1:45 for everyone else.

For the following Divisions: 8U and younger--

Sec. 7 - PLAY IS OVER AND BALL IS DEAD: The ball becomes dead at the end of a play when a player controls the ball anywhere inside the perimeter of the infield (inside the baselines—fair or foul), however should there be a natural continuation of play by the fielder the ball shall remain live. On a dead ball runners will be sent to the closest base. If as a result of this rule two runners are entitled to the same base, then the leading runner gets the base and the trailing runner must go back to the previous base. The intent of this rule is that players will only advance one base at a time unless, the ball is a home run.

KEEP IN MIND: Now it’s ANY PLAYER in the perimeter of the infield.

BIG CHANGE in 9U--Used to be in 9U that a runner on 3^rd could not go home unless the batter became a runner. Now they have it so the runner on 3rd can advance home on a pickoff attempt (by the pitcher or catcher). It is still the case that if a runner steals 3rd, and if the catcher OVERTHROWS the ball, the runner CANNOT go home. If a runner steals second, and an overthrow occurs at 2nd by the catcher, the runner CAN continue to 3rd. He CANNOT go home.

9U Division

Sec. 6 - STEALING HOME: Runners may not leave third base unless the ball is hit, a pickoff attempt is made to any base, or they are forced to advance home as a result of the batter becoming a runner. NOTE: Any play made on a runner who has left third base illegally will result in an immediate dead ball. All other runners must return to the base they were at when the play began.

In all divisions….don’t forget KAA will no longer play the “modified appeal” rule—wherein we automatically call a runner out for missing a base when he touches the next base. We’re reverting back to the way Major League plays it which was discussed in class.

Any questions, be sure to ask.

--mike

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