Controversy between umps and teams is to baseball as apple pie is to America - it adds flavor. But we wanted to find out not only where the conflicts arise, but what you think is the cause, and what - of anythng - can be done about it.

WebBall's view is this - we are not a rules site or an officials site. We hold no particular animosity to the men in blue (actually more likely gray or brown these days), but we are suspicious of the common assumptions. Do umpires really get the training they need - in all the required areas? Do they always see it better than the rest of us? Do the best umpires always get to work the most important games or most advanced leagues?

We did not ask exactly those questions, but we sought votes that would identify areas of concern. The results are reflected in the survey graphs below, and in the sampling of comments received.

Also, for the final question - we are happy to report of one eague where umpires can be evaluated after each game by the coaches - and we will share the form used with the WebBall community. (Link to follow.)

Umpire Training Evaluation and Promotion Consistency Base Umps Disputed Calls Coaches vs Umpires Reporting << Chose from these graphed results.

As expected, many comments. We have tried for a cross-section, although with mostly coaches responding not easy.

Some of the "veteran" umpires may know rules better than "rookie" umpires. But sometimes they take short-cuts and make the ball-strike or safe-out calls as they anticipate them. A particular gripe, both as a coach and radio broadcaster, are the plate umpires that take one-two seconds to raise the right arm for a strike..and maybe make no vocal call. I prefer, when umpiring, to make the call very vocally and the arm movement as quickly as possible. That way players, coaches and others know you are positive about it. Seldom get questioned on the calls. - Lance Renaud

I coach a 9 & 10 yr. old team and our league only provides us with one umpire for games. There are a few things I would like to touch on. First, all but two of the umpires this year called the game from behind the mound which the league allows. I personally don't like it (A) because it can be distracting to the pitcher (umpire would be having conversations with them) and (B) because 95% of the time they don't hustle to the lines to make a call. The next is strike zone. In my experiences this season it seems the strike zone varied depending on the talent level. My first pitcher throws the ball fairly hard for a 10 yr old. and for the most part is consistenly around the plate but on occasion had the zone squeezed on him. There were two other comparable players from different teams that seemed to be held to the same standards whereas other pitchers who throw with less velocity seemed to have a larger strike zone called for them. My last point also has to do with strike zone. Because of their young age and lack of experience playing the game, some of the players are timid when they get in the batter's box. I always preach to these players that I want to see them swing the bat, that I would rather see them try to hit the ball (if it is around the strike zone, layoff the high pitch) and go down swinging than be a statue and pray for a walk. On the other hand I have a few hitters who are patient at the plate have a good eye for the strike zone and look for a good pitch to hit. This being said there were numerous occasions this season where strikes were called that were at the shoulders or higher, not only for my team but for the opposing teams as well. I am just of the opinion that in this level of baseball the strike zone needs to be a consistent one so that kids do not form bad habits of swinging at bad pitches because in my experience they are forced to by the ever changing strike zones of umpires. - Sal from Staten Island

In my seven years of coaching AND umpiring with Hanover Little League in the Connecticut Valley (NH & VT) , I have found the recruitment, training and retaining of top-notch volunteer umpires to be the single, biggest challenge to conducting successful and enjoyable regular season and tournament play. In short, a really well-schooled, good-natured, fair-minded, dedicated umpire is like gold..both rare and precious! - Bob Field

Umpiring is a very subjective subject. I would say that most umps don't spend enough time in training and follow-up training. Of course the balk rule is one that always seems to be of some contention in almost every game and some of the interpretations of the rule just amaze me. When I ask to explain which of the 13 primary balk rules did the pitcher break, they just don't give a answer that coincides with the rule and I have heard some interesting ones. Of course different umps associations do better jobs then others, but all need to do more pre-season training. - Coach Moore

The most important thing is positioning and consistency. Too many base calls are made from bad positioning, often the result of an umpire failing to hustle and anticipate the location and appropriate angel for a call. When calling balls and strikes, it appears that umpires do not understand hitting. Consistency is critical; as a coach you are trying to teach kids to hit good pitches and not chase balls out of the strike zone. I have fewer problems with the call of pitches horizontally. A pitched called a strike that is off the plate inside or outside a bit does not affect a hitter as negatively as calling pitches strikes that are above the hands or below the knees. This really places young hitters in a difficult learning situation. Umpires working games with younger players need to understand what players are being taught and facilitate this learning through their calling of balls and strikes. - Ron Flowers

The umpires we use have to cross several lines. They go from Cal Ripken league to to Babe Ruth and High School ball. I understand the confusion of rules at times. In our league the umpire make no effort to learn the different rules (or refresh them in their minds). This leads to a lot of bad calls. We get huge variation in strike zone with a disproportioned amount of low balls and outside balls being called strikes. I can't explain this. This year in my games alone, I have been told a kid has to slide at the plate every time he crosses it play or no play. I argued this to the ump whose resolution was to declare any batter out who did not slide out even if he hit a HR over the fence! We have no rule against reinserting non-starting pitchers yet when I tried it they stopped me and said I could not do it. The very next night allowed a team we were playing to do the very same thing they denied me the night before. This makes me question the umpire training and their wanting to call a good game. It would be great to have a group that dropped in unannounced to witness some games and then offer advice and suggestions on how to better umpire. I do plan on being a umpire after next year when my player moves to high school ball. I see the need for them! - Ron Atkinson

Very few umpires in our league are there for the kids. it appears they have their own agenda. they are not trying to help the kids learn the game. if you try to get an explanation on a rule or a call, they cop an attitude. I have also observed in our league, unless it's straight down the middle of the plate, it's a ball. i have always been taught that the black of the plate is part of the strike zone, example Maddux and Glavine. Please correct me if i am wrong [WebBall note: he's not.] This is very discouraging for a kid, not to mention the added stress on his arm not getting call on the corners.  - Richard Coleman

My biggest pet peeve in youth baseball umpiring is the penchant of calling balls six inches outside strikes, especially third strikes. This happens a lot in travel ball 12U and 9U. If a catcher sets up six inches off the plate and the pitcher hits the target, many umps will call this strike three. Yes, it's great a pitcher can hit a spot, but it's absolutely impossible for a 9-10 year old kid with a 29 inch bat to hit a ball that far outside. - John Ray

As a coach of over 20 years, I feel that umpiring has improved over time. In my opinion, the main things a coach can ask from an umpire: 1 - Consistency with the strike zone, 2 - Not 'making up' for a bad call and 3 - Knowing the rules If you have an umpire that believes his call (right or wrong in your view) and makes the call with authority, he will gain the respect of players and coaches. Unfortunately umpiring has become a job, not a passion. We have to pay up to $90 per game for a home plate umpire at the Midget AAA level. This causes coaches to feel that they deserve 'pro' umpiring... and that doesn't always happen. I like the idea of an umpiring evaluation form, even web-based, to be filled in 24 hours after the game (to give the coach time to reflect) and submitted to an Umpire in Chief. - Kevin Pendergast

We had many more great comments, unfortunately unsigned. As noted on every survey - if you want to express an opinion, put your name to it.


It makes no sense to me that we would train players for month and then leave them to the mercy of untrained umpires. At the very least there should be a weekend course and monitoring of the first few games of any new umpire. I have no problems with older-age kids working younger-age games - provided they have that training/certification and can be objective, not buddies to the younger kids they know.

The K-zone comments really hit home, as the greatest frustration to me, personally, as a coach is to train pitchers who can hit the inside black who don't get the calls, or train batters for good plate coverage who are caught looking on balls way outside or on the ankles.

This survey was sparked (no surprise) by some personal negative experiences with umps, tempered by a desire to see some real changes/improvement. Every league should offer a web-based reporting form to help evaluate umpires - not only to complain, but to reward those who do a good job.

= Richard Todd, WebBall