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UMPIRE RESOURCES Books & media

Official Baseball Rules
(OBR) Books: Instructional
NFHS/FED Rules
OBR-FED Rules
Differences
Best Index to Official
Rules
Baseball Rule Myths
Rules Plainspoken
Baseball Rule Sets (a
guide)
Game Management
UmpireBible: The Blog
UMPIRE RESOURCE
CENTER
Rules for Umps: Baseball
Baseball, by Jeffrey Stern (editor), 2006.
(The 2006 edition appears to be the latest available.)
Baseball Field Guide: An In-Depth Illustrated Guide to
the Complete Rules of Baseball
Baseball, by Dan Formosa and
Paul Hamburger. New York: Avalon Publishing, 2006
Make the Right Call
Call, by Major League Baseball. Chicago:
Triumph Books, 1994. (This is a good book for studying "case
law" on rules interpretations. Unfortunately, the 1994 edition
appears to be the latest.)
The Official Rules of Baseball: An Anecdotal Look at
the Rules of Baseball and How They Came to Be
Be, by
David Nemec. Publication of MLB. Lyons Press, 1999. (This is a
fun and informative look at the history of many of the rules of
baseball.)
You're the Umpire: 139 Scenarios to Test Your
Baseball Knowledge
Knowledge, by Wayne Stewart
The Rules Abide: The Thinking Fan's Guide to Baseball
Rules (With History, Humor and a Few Big Words)
Words), by
Jim Tosches

Feedback ...  
 Books: Reference
Comments, corrections,
rants & raves to
NickG@UmpireBible.com
 
Rules of Professional Baseball: A Comprehensive
Reorganization and Interpretation
Interpretation. by Chris Jaksa and Rick
Roder. Thirteenth edition, 2010. This item is commonly
referred to simply as "Jaksa-Roder".
Official Rules and Interpretations Manual: A complete
annotated rewrite
rewrite. Wendelstedt Umpire School Staff. No
edition. 2014. This item is commonly reffered to simply as
"Wendelstedt."
Minor League Baseball Manual for the Two-Umpire
System
System, by Minor League Baseball Umpire Development,
2014.

DVDs: Training videos

Pitching Regulations & Balks
Balks, a training video by Jim Evans.
The DVD is $39.95 - a bit on the high side, but worth it. This Jim
Evans video is the top-of-the-line source on learning balks and
The UmpireBible is hosted by
a must-have resource.
InMotion Hosting
How to Umpire Baseball and Softball
Softball. The DVD runs 30
minutes and is $19.95. I have not reviewed this DVD so I can't
comment.
 

Books: General interest

The Best Seat in Baseball, But You Have to Stand: The
Game as Umpires See It
It, by Lee Gutkind. New York: Dial
Press, 1975
As They See 'Em: A Fan's Travels in the Land of
Umpires
Umpires, by Bruce Weber. New York: Scribner, 2009.
You're Out and You're Ugly, Too: Confessions of an
Umpire with Attitude
Attitude, by Durwood Merrill. New York: St.
Martin's Press, 1998.
Called out but Safe: A Baseball Umpire's Journey
Journey, by Al
Clark and Dan Schlossberg
The Umpire Strikes Back
Back, by Ron Luciano and David Fisher
They Called Me God: The Best Umpire Who Ever
Lived
Lived, by Doug Harvey and Peter Golenbock
 

Last Updated: 11 March 2020

Hits: 7103
 !

   Pregame Umpire

Meeting

Pregame communication with your partner (or partners) begins even

before you arrive at the field.

NOTE
NOTE:   We provide a downloadable PDF
PDF version of the
checklist that you can print out and carry.

Prior to the game and arriving at the field

Either by email or by phone, connect with your partner
one or two days in advance of the game. Confirm game
time, field, parking location, and colors. If your association
does not assign slots, arrange who takes the plate and
base slots. Arrange to park together so you can conduct
your pregame meeting while preparing for the game.
Agree on colors (by tradition, the plate umpire calls the
shirt color).

Arrive at the field at least 30 minutes before game time.

It's recommended that you arrive an hour before game
time.

Check in with tournament director, coaches, or athletic

director to ensure that the person in charge of the game is
aware
that you have arrived. In tournaments there is either a
tournament director or a tournament umpire coordinator.

Check the condition of the field if weather is a factor to

ensure playability. If there are issues, discuss this with the
person in charge (likely a coach or athletic director). Once
you have exchanged lineups at the plate meeting,
however, the game belongs to you and you are the sole
judge of the playability of the field.

Pregame meeting with your partner

You pregame meeting with your partner should cover most, if not all,
of the following points. The plate umpire typically drives the plate
meeting.

Catch/no-catch coverage & "going out"

out". Go over
your catch/no-catch coverage scenarios – that is, with U1
in A versus U1 in B or C . Discuss U1 going out from A . For
detailed information, see Catch/No Catch and Going
Out
Out.

Fair/foul coverage
coverage. U1 has fair/foul coverage only from
A , from the leading edge of the bag and beyond. However,
some fields do not have adequate foul lines out to the
pole, so it may make more sense for PU to take all
fair/foul. Be sure to cover this.

Signals & eye contact

contact. Cover the umpire-to-umpire
signals you'll be using through the game to ensure you're
all on the same page. PU initiates signals and base umpire
returns the signal to ensure you're both in sync. For more
information, see Umpire Signs & Signals
Signals.

Checked swings
swings. Discuss handling checked swings (give
me what you have). Cover handling RH batters when U1 is
in C .

First-to-third rotation
rotation. With R1
R1, or R1 and R3
R3, you're in
the first-to-third rotation, so on batted balls to the
outfield, PU has R1 going into 3rd, if he goes. Be sure
you're on the same page about this, and that you're in sync
on the signal (PU
PU points to 3rd).

Touches and tags at 3rd (with runners on)

on). With
runners on, PU has all touches and tag-ups at 3rd base.

PU rotations
rotations. Cover PU rotations -- that is, when he
goes up to third, and when staying home, and signals for
each.

U1 going out
out. Discuss U1 going out from A , and that PU
then has BR "all the way."

Covering rundowns
rundowns. Discuss covering rundowns. When
and how does partner join a rundown. When should U1
stay with a trailing runner instead of joining rundown.
There is more information in the article Covering
Rundowns
Rundowns.

Calling balks
balks. Discuss level-appropriate approach to
seeing and calling balks. Ensure you're both using the same
rules (i.e., FED vs. OBR) for balks.
 Foul ball off batter (in the box)
box). Technically PU
PU's call,
but often seen more easily by U1
U1. Discuss "see it, call it."

Overthrows out of play

play. Technically PU
PU's call, but
either umpire can call it. Discuss "see it, call it."

Running lane interference

interference. Again, the PU owns this
call; however, especially with R3
R3, U1 might grab the call.
Cover communicating that "I've got this one."

Force-play slide/illegal slide/interference

slide/interference. Discuss
the force-play slide rule for your league (this rule varies)
and emphasize that PU needs to have eyes on runner
going into 2nd base when there's a double-play in
progress.

Swipe tag/pulled foot at 1st

1st. Discuss PU trailing
batter-runner (unless runner in scoring position), or
watching from 1st base line extended (1BX) to help with
swipe tag and pulled foot at first base.

Touches, tags
tags, appeals. Discuss who owns touches and
tags at the bases in all scenarios. The owner of a given
base also owns appeals at that base. While U1 typically
own all runners at all bases, there are situations where the
PU has 3rd base, or, if U1 goes out, PU has the
batter-runner all the way.

Getting the call right

right. Discuss your mechanics for
getting together if you have a questionable call or a coach's
appeal of an error in the application of a rule. Never
conference on judgment calls unless you're pretty sure you
screwed up and want some cover to reverse the call.

"II have information for you

you". Occasionally you will see
something on partner's call that might help him on a
disputed or controversial call. If so, never intrude on your
partner's handling of the call. However, you can have a
prearranged signal to indicate (subtly) that you've seen
something he might like to hear about. If you make eye
contact, flash the signal and then your partner can decide
whether to
conference with you.

Inspecting equipment (Little League only). Little

League requires that umpires inspect bats and helmets to
ensure they are rules compliant. Discuss to ensure that you
understand the bat regulations for the game's age level.

 
Last Updated: 07 March 2020
Hits: 10116

   The Plate Meeting

Rules Reference

4.03 (a-e) The plate meeting

   Related
Related Pages
      The
The Pregame Meeting
      The
The Pregame Meeting Checklist  
The plate umpire is the de facto umpire in chief for the game. Among
other responsibilities, you must run the pre-game meetings. There are
two pregame meetings that every UIC should convene before every
game, without exception:

The umpire's pregame meeting

The plate meeting with the team managers

In this article we cover the plate meeting; we discuss the pregame

meeting in the article of the same name.

The plate meeting, where the umpire crew meets with team
managers, is required by rule (Rule
Rule 4.03
4.03). Five minutes before the
game's scheduled start time, you and your crew proceed to home
plate and call the team managers out to home plate for the pregame
conference. 

The plate meeting should be short and to the point. You should cover
the following (although this varies somewhat from league to league):

Review each manager's lineup, confirm there are no final

changes. If there are changes, ensure the change gets onto
both managers' copies and also that the changes goes to
the scorekeeper. Then, ensure that lineups are exchanged.
At this point the lineups are official.
 Ask coaches to confirm that their players are properly
equipped, and that all equipment is regulation. (This is a
requirement in Little League and some of the private
leagues. Confirm with league or tournament officials
whether this is necessary.)

Go over ground rules for the field. Typically you'll ask the
home team manager to go over the ground rules. In some
cases (for example, at tournaments on neutral fields), the
umpires may receive the ground rules in advance from the
tournament director. In this case, you should go over the
ground rules yourself at the plate meeting. If your field is
not fully enclosed, be sure to clarify boundaries for the
field of play, and where dead-ball territory begins.

Cover special rules, if any (for example, clarify tournament

rules, league rules, etc., if any apply).

Insist that both teams play with the highest regard for
sportsmanship. Remind the coaches that they, and only
they, can call on the umpire to discuss a call, and that they
should wait for action to stop and then ask for time before
doing so.

Answer questions, if any, but do not let your plate meeting

turn into a rules clinic.

Last Updated: 07 March 2020

Hits: 29954

   Substitutions

First things first: As plate umpire, you carry the lineup for the game,
and the lineup that you carry is the official lineup for the game. You
own it and you manage it. This is not a trivial responsibility because
improper substitutions can lead to a protest. And nothing makes an
umpire look worse that having a protest upheld because you screwed
up.
 Rules Reference

Exchange of lineup cards at the plate

4.03 (entire)
meeting
Substituting for players (not pitchers) &
5.10(a, d)
double switch
5.10(f, g, h, i) Substitution rules for pitchers
5.10(j) Unannounced substitutions
5.10(b, c) Manager reports subs to plate umpire
5.10(e) Courtesy runner not allowed
5.11 Designated hitter rule and substitutions
7.02(c) Substitutions and suspended game

Rules governing substitutions differ from league to league and from

level to level more than any other category of rules. In fact, in most
respects, the Major League (OBR) rule is the simplest, because there is
no re-entry. Once you're sub'd out of a game, you're out for the the
rest of the game. Most amateur baseball, on the other hand, allows for
substitutions and re-entry, but the rules that govern re-entry may vary
from league to league.

In the following, we'll start with the OBR rule, and then, as clearly as
possible, touch on areas where you see the most variation. We cover
the following:

Starting lineup & substitution basics

Offensive & defensive substitutions
Pitching substitutions
Unannounced substitutions
Illegal substitutions

 
1  Starting lineup & substitution basics
You own the lineup card; you keep it in your pocket. When a team
manager brings you a substitution, you record the change on your
lineup card. In some cases, then, you take the change to the official
scorekeeper ("the book"). In cases where teams are going "book to
book" (that is, by agreement before the game the home-team
scorekeeper maintains the "official" lineup), you'll announce one
team's change to the other team's book.

If your lineup and "The Book" get out of sync, it's your lineup that
wins out. (That said, be open to noting error that might be yours.) If
going "book-to-book" and a discrepancy is discovered, the home-
team book wins out. When substitution-related questions come up or
arguments ensue, these typically happen when there is a batting-
out-of-order appeal, or when there has been an unannounced
substitution
substitution.

The lineup is a listing of starters and substitutes. There are nine

starters on the lineup (ten if using a designated hitter (DH)). In OBR
play, when a starter is replaced by a substitute, the starter is done for
the day. There is no re-entry in Major League baseball.

In many levels of amateur baseball (probably most), re-entry is

allowed. And therein lies the rub for umpires. Each league (NCAA,
FED, American Legion, Babe Ruth, Koufax, Little League and on and
on) has their own substitution rules, and within each league the rules
sometimes vary depending on the age level.

Of the various re-entry rules, the most common allows for a starter to
re-enter the game one time. That is, when a sub replaces a starter, the
starter can then sub back into the game in the place of his
replacement once
once. In most cases, the starter, when re-entering, must
return to the same spot in the batting order that he occupied when
the game started. A substitute follows a different course. Once a
substitute is removed from the game, he is done for the remainder of
the game.
 

Important
Important: These substitution and re-entry rules become
tricky in cases where games are suspended, then resumed
later, not infrequently with different players in the lineup. This
can be handled any number of ways, depending on the rules
under which you are playing. For reference, the Major League
rule for such a situation is Rule 7.02(c) and 7.02(c)
Comment
Comment.

I won't try to cover re-entry rules for every league and level
(sometimes the rules differ between regular season and tournament
play). It's a good start, however, to learn the single re-entry rule
because that is the most common one used in amateur baseball. All
of our discussions following will assume single re-entry. To
summarize:
There are nine starters (ten if using the DH) and some
number of substitutes. All are listed on the lineup card.
The lineups becomes official at the plate meeting
meeting, when the
lineups are exchanged.
You can enter a sub for a starter at any time (except for the
pitcher, who must face at least one batter, unless the pitcher is
injured or ejected prior to the first pitch).
The starter, now on the bench, can re-enter the game one
 time, but must re-enter in his original spot in the batting
order (although can play any defensive position).
The starter, now re-entered into the game, can be substituted
for second time by a second eligible substitute. After being
removed a second time, however, the starter may no longer re-
enter the game.
A substitute, once removed from the game, may not re-enter
the game in any capacity (except as base coach).
 

2  Offensive & defensive substitutions

Defensive substitutions
substitutions. Take your defensive substitutions during
the break between half-innings as the substitutes take the field. The
team manager should bring you his list of subs. Except for the pitcher,
you don't care what defensive position the subs take. However, it is
very important that you get the subs into the proper spot in the
batting order. The manager can make defensive substitutions at any
time while his team is on defense. You see this frequently when
changing pitchers, or when a defensive player is injured.

Offensive substitutions
substitutions. Offensive substitutions (i.e., pinch hitter
or pinch runner) are handled differently. Offensive substitutions must
be made one at a time, at the time the substitute enters the game.
Never accept offensive substitutions in advance – that is, don't ever
let a manager give you multiple offensive substitutions in advance of
the sub's entry into the game.

Substitutions with a designated hitter [ 5.11

5.11 ]. In professional
baseball the designated hitter (DH) bats only for the pitcher. In most
amateur ball, however, the DH may bat for any defensive player. We
discuss the DH (and the Extra Hitter, the EH) in depth in the article
Designated Hitter & Extra Hitte
Hitterr, so for now we'll focus only on
substitutions with the DH. Be advised, though, that DH substitution
rules can vary quite a lot from league to league, so be sure to consult
the rules for your league.

Here are general guidelines for handling substitutions involving the

DH:
Using a designated hitter is optional; however, if a team uses
the DH, the DH must be on the lineup at the plate meeting
when lineups are exchanged and made official. A DH cannot be
added to a lineup after that. Also note that the DH must bat at
least one time (unless injured, ill, or ejected) before being
replaced.
 
The position of the DH in the batting order may not change. If
 the DH on the starting lineup is set to bat third, he and his
replacements (if any) must remain in that spot in the lineup
throughout the game.
 
The DH and the player for whom he bats are locked together in
the batting order. However, a team may "kill" the DH by
inserting the DH into the game defensively (as a substitute for
any other player). Also, if you insert the person for whom the
DH was batting into the game as a pinch-hitter or pinch-run for
the DH, this also kills the DH. Once the DH is killed, you have a
nine-player lineup for the remainder of the game.
 
In most amateur baseball, the DH can bat for any defensive
player, and that player's substitutes. For example, if the DH bats
for Baker at second base and then Charlie subs for Baker, the
DH may now bat for Charlie. This is most common when the
DH is batting for the pitcher and subsequent relief pitchers.
 
The DH is a "starter" and a team can substitute for the DH (i.e.,
replace the DH with a pinch hitter or pinch runner); that
substitute then becomes the new DH. The original DH can re-
enter later in the game, either in the DH spot or for any other
player. At this point he is merely a starter who is re-entering the
game under standard re-entry rules.
Again, these are general guidelines. It is important that you are familiar
with the specific DH rules for your league.

 
3  Pitching substitutions
Pitching substitutions are a special case, particularly when the DH is in
use. Before going into this, let's first mention Rule 5.10(f, g, h, i)
i).
This rule requires the pitcher to pitch to at least one batter (unless
injured or ejected). It seems like a silly rule, but in fact it servers a very
important purpose.

Here's why: Sometimes, when a manager makes a pitching change,

the opposing manager will bring in a pinch-hitter to face the new
pitcher. This is usually to counter a the righty-righty or lefty-lefty
matchup. When this happens, what is to prevent the manager on
offense from then making yet another pitching change to counter the
other manager's counter of his original move? You're catching on, I
suspect, to how this could go on and on, back and forth. It's Rules
Rules
5.10(f - i)
i) that prevents this by requiring that the pitcher face at least
one batter.

The double switch [ Rule

Rule 5.10(a, d)
d) ]. When you have a nine-
player lineup (we're talking National League), in cases where the
pitcher is a weak hitter, a team may use a double switch to work
around the weak spot in the batting order. To do this, a manager
enters two substitutes at the same time, one a pitcher and the other a
position player, but switches their positions. That is, the pitcher (who is
due up soon) is switched for a position player (a good hitter,
presumably) while a position player is subbed out for the new pitcher.
The manager then switches their defensive positions so the position
player will bat in the former pitcher's slot (due up soon) while the new
pitcher will bat in the position player's slot (farther down the lineup). It
sounds confusing, but once you do it a couple of times, the logic
becomes clear.

4  Unannounced substitutions
If a manager fails to notify the plate umpire of an otherwise legal
substitution, what you have is an unannounced substitution
[ 5.10(j)
5.10(j) ]. When this happens, the substitution takes effect when the
player takes his proper position on the field, specifically, (1) the
pitcher takes the mound, (2) a batter steps into the batter's box, (3) a
fielder takes his defensive position and play begins, or (4) a runner
takes the place of another runner. Ultimately, you treat an
unannounced substitution just like any other substitution. It is not an
infraction and there is no penalty (even though some opposing
managers will try to tell you there is).

Be alert for one potential issue when you have an unannounced

substitute on offense (that is, a pinch hitter). You will sometimes get a
defensive manager claiming he is batting out of order. Maybe he is,
but probably not. Call time, consult your lineup and confirm whether
the batter is (or is not) a player in the lineup batting out of order, or
instead simply an unannounced substitute just entering the game. If
really a substitute, play on. If not, see batting out of order for
guidance.

5  Illegal substitutions
Unlike an unannounced substitution, and illegal substitution is where
a player who is ineligible to enter the game (or ineligible to assume a
position such as DH, pinch-hitter or pinch-runner) is entered into the
game. The governing rules are 5.10(a, d)
d).

You do not want to allow an illegal substitution because this is a

protestable infraction. It may be for this reason that both
Jaksa/Roder and Wendelstedt devote considerable time to
clarifying the rule and providing suggested remedies.

MLB, NCAA, and FED all differ somewhat on handling and penalizing
an illegal substitute. I'll hazard a few general guidelines culled from the
three sources (plus Jaksa/Roder).
Preventive umpiring is your best defense against illegal
substitutions. Don't simply accept a team's substitutions
casually. When managers bring you their subs, review your
lineup and satisfy yourself that a substitution is legal. If you
notice that a manager is entering an illegal sub, point out the
problem and refuse to accept the substitution.
 
When illegal substitutes do get into the game, remove them
immediately upon becoming aware of their presence in the
game.
 
The player (starter) whom the illegal substitute replaced may
not re-enter the game when you remove the illegal substitute
from the game (MLB and NCAA).
 
If an illegal sub is discovered on defense while in the field or
during the half-inning following his turn in the field, or on
offense after he has taken a pitch, but before a pitch or play
following his at-bat, Jaksa/Roder suggests the following
remedies:

1. An illegal sub playing defense should be removed

from the field and ejected from the game. Replace
him with a legal substitute.
 
2. An illegal sub playing offense (again, before a pitch
or play following his at-bat) (a) should be declared
out and he is ejected from the game. (b) Any
advancement by other runners resulting from the
illegal sub's at-bat must be returned to their original
position. However, (c) any outs that occurred as a
result of his at-bat should stand. Finally, (d) replace
the illegal substitute with a legal substitute.
Note
Note: If the illegal sub was the pitcher and a DH is
in use, the DH is terminated for the remainder of
the game.

3. If an illegal sub on offense is discovered after a

pitch or play following his at-bat, he is ejected from
the game and a legal substitute replaces him.
However, all action resulting from his at-bat shall
stand.
  

Last Updated: 07 March 2020

Hits: 77483

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