What are my options
 

FED rules; high school varsity game.

Last week I had a road game. At game time, one umpire entered the field alone. The coach of the home team explained that only one umpire had shown up. He said that he had someone in the stands who helps them occasionally that he would be fair if I wanted him to help. My other option was to go with one umpire (who happened to be calling his first game ever). I was not comfortable with either of these options. What are my options in a situation like this? I will tell later what I chose and what happened.

Your options are whatever the league / conference / state says they are. It's not a FED rule.

Depends on what your state regulations are regarding the number of umpires required for a varsity game.

I know in my area that if only one umpire shows up that you have the option of rescheduling the game- that's in the summer at least. I'm not sure about HS.

The coach of the home team explained that only one umpire had shown up. He said that he had someone in the stands who helps them occasionally that he would be fair if I wanted him to help.

You said FED game. The others have given you answers as to what your options are.

However, if I was umpiring the game there would be only 1 Option - No help from the stands unless the individual is HS Certified him/her self AND has the proper uniform on hand. I wouldn't care what the Coach wants etc. When doing FED HS games NEVER take an individual from the stands (ala LL) to assist you unless:

the other Official is also HS Certified, An official has graduated PRO School or is a Certified Collegiate offical. In addition, they must also have the approved uniform of one's association. No jeans etc. allowed.

RE: In my area, we are not covered under the HS insurance policy when working games (during the HS season or Summer ball) with an uncertified Official.

Pete Booth

Why in the Wide World of Sports would there EVER be an umpire who's never worked a game in his whole life be assigned to a Varsity HS game?:eek: :confused:

Around here the game would have been worked solo. Our local HS association does not allow non-certified umpires to work the games, especially a varsity game.

Personally I would rather work alone than have a 'parent' or other fan pulled out of the stands to help me.

A new umpire working HS varsity for his first game? I bet it was quite the game.

Around these parts...
 

Around these parts...we don't play a high school varsity game without two umpires, period.

However, if its "fall ball" (over-glorified practice games with a player's dad (usually) serving as the head coach), then each team when on defense supplies an assistant coach to be the base umpire. (The team on defense supplies the umpire, because the team on offense uses both their coaches to coach the bases.)

Fall ball is so laid back that it is funny to watch a "dad" (assistant coach) blow a call and have his own players yell out "thanks for the gift" or the opposing coach yell out, "stick to coaching (John)".

Had it happen (partner no show) twice in three years of varsity fall ball.

I would NEVER EVER do this in a game that meant anything. We'll just have to play another day.

Too much research
 

Maybe the assignor read Pete Booth's article

I like that rule.

We always schedule 2 umpires for JV/Var games but there have been a couple of times when my partner was a 'no-show'. When there's a varsity no-show we pull one of the umpires off the JV game to work bases. The JV guy goes solo.

I hate to work any 90' field solo, especially a HS varsity game but I have done it.

That could happen in my area...but a varsity game must have 2.

In Wisconsin, ALL high school games (FR/JV/Varsity) *must* have 2 umpires, or there is no game.

Happens regularly where I used to work. The alternative would be to have games with NO umpires. Of course, the term "assigned to" doesn't really apply, either; umpires book their own games directly with the ADs.

Pete, I actually agree with you. (the sky is falling, the sky....)

Good point. It sounds like a "fall ball" or, as we call it here, "coaches league" game, which is very loosey-goosey, and nobody gets too upset with blown calls. We do a whole lot of these games, and sometimes they are one-man affairs. Much of the JV and all Frosh games here are one-man.

If this was a regular season Varsity game, though, I couldn't accept an umpire who had never worked a single game in his life working it.

This concepts of booking games directly thorough the schools, and any freelance umpiring sans association, are totally foreign to me. I would love to live in an area that allows that, because there would be much less politics involved in assignments. Working for assignors, you find yourself at the assignor's mercy when it comes to the games you have to work.