Keep your eye on the ball

[senior]

be sure to watch the pitcher's shoulders, feet, step, and if not balkable, quickly switch to catch the swipe tag on the runner diving back to first.

Seriously, it would be wonderful if you could keep your eye "everlastingly" on the ball, (as the Umpiring Manuals suggest), but reality soon sets in, and sure enough an important event occurs "off the ball".

With experience comes the joy of appearing to be able to "see" everything, while knowing yourself you can only see what you are looking at, at that very moment. Knowing when to glance away, and when to stay steady are the hallmarks of a veteran Umpire.