WSLL 2012 Umpire Training Part I

1. WSLL 2012 Umpire Training Part I

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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).

5. 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 High School Rules (“FED”) • Interpretations • Local Rules

6. Rule Organization • Green Book • Regs, • TOC • Rules 1-9 • All Start Tournament Rules • Index. • Gray Book/SLFBL • TOC, Regs, General Rules, Level Rules

7. Rules - Finding It Quickly 1. Objectives 2. Definitions 3. Game Preliminaries 4. Starting and Ending the Game 5. Putting the Ball In Play, Live Ball 6. The Batter 7. The Runner 8. The Pitcher 9. The Umpire

8. 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.

9. 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 1 - Field Parts and Effects

10. 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

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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

14. 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.

15. Rule 4 – Starting & Ending The Game • Scoring, duration and ties. 4.09-12. • GB @ 22 – start time, duration, NNI/DD end. • Protests - 4.19. • Mgr. 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.

16. Strike? HBP? Foul? Dead?

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. Fair or Foul? Is Touched Judged by the position of the ball.

20. Fair or Foul?

21. Fair or Foul? Is Touched Judged by the position of the ball.

22. 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 lifewithout even considering if there is a man on base." --- Dave Barry

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. 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.

27. 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.

28. 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).

29. 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.

30. 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).

31. 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.

32. 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).

33. 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.

34. 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.

35. 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.

36. 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.

37. 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.

38. Batter – Awards • Fielder Miscues (uses uniform or thrown glove) • 4 bases – when goes over fence • 3 bases – batted ball • 2 bases – thrown ball

39. 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.