Transitioning
 

To anyone with experience transiting one rules set to another:
I'm considering moving up to High School ball from LL.

Presently, I've called games for 12 years, from Minors to Senior LL level. I know a few people in my area that have been encouraging me to join an assoc. and do HS ball.

How was the transition? As in learning another rules set.. Ever find yourself confused or hesitent with an interp?

Any additional info is appreciated.

-- Rob

A copy of the BRD would make the transition easier. :rolleyes:

Mu advice: forget everything you know as an umpire about the rules and read the FED rule book as if it's the first time you've read any rule book.

It's best if you have a firm understanding of OBR. From there the other rule sets will be easier to grasp. It's all baseball in one form or another. From there it's learning safety rules and quirks associated with the lower rule set. Especially Fed.

Congratulations.

People make a big deal out of FED rules. I'll never completely understand why. I mean, LL umpires can accept the concept of the "poof rule" in which a non offending runner is penalized and disappears, yet they have a problem, that in FED, a balk is a dead ball, which was the OBR rule for longer than not.

It's not a difficult transition. FED rules allow for more participation, more safety and to make it easy to approximate a national standard without national training.

Learning new rules is similar to learning a new language. It's best to learn a second language the way you learned your first.

Same with FED.

When making the transition from OBR to FED, remember one important thing......

You can't look at FED rules through OBR eyes!

Remember that, and you will be fine.

I also recommend the Baseball Rules Differences by Carl Childress. Available from this site. Keep it in your reading room/library that usually contains a lot of porcelain fixtures. Read it daily during your constitutional. When you get to the end start over. When you have a situation that comes up come to this site and do a search and read, read, read. If something hangs you up, ask a question and read all of the replies until you have it. Discuss with more experienced umpires. You should be fine if you already have 12 years of experience. The physical part will be a little tougher. If you aren't in shape, get in shape. The coaches and players expect you to: 1. Know the rules, cold. 2. Be in position and hustle to get there before you make calls. IF you can do that you will be fine.

Welcome and good luck.

I always found it difficult when doing NCAA and Fed ball at the same time however, it meant more time studying each set of rules and applying accordingly.

As already suggested, learn each set of rules separately and THEN, make the comparisons afterwards. Be thourgh in studying each and DON't learn the rules by heresay. Be stubborn and find the answer for yourself. If others can do it, so can you.

"Baseball Rule Differences" by Childress is a excellent guide but read every manual you can get your hands on and then you can choose what works best for you. It will definitely take time but don't cut corners. I used to pride myself in my rules knowledge. And for sure , no matter how long you been doing this, you can always learn something new.

Don't forget books on game management and mechanics. You just can't read enough. During the season I would carry all my manuals in my car to study before and after games.

Again Good Luck

PS: If you ever do NCAA ball and completely figure out the DH rules, let us all know.

The biggest difference I saw moving to FED is the game management side. There is more intensity in the HS game than in most LL/youth games. Although, I noticed more change in intensity when I moved from rec league to travel ball (USSSA). That move made the move into HS very easy.

I tend to get my rule sets confused. I constantly have to go back into the books after games, discussions, etc. Had an argument yesterday with UIC about the DH rule - I was arguing the NCAA rule was a FED rule. Don't study rule sets as a comparison - read/learn them individually.

Looking to move to NCAA next year - intensity increase again. I plan to spend the winter buried in the NCAA rule book.

I gotta start wearing a mask... those foul ball to my forehead are affecting me..

12 years? So for how many years doing 90 foot baseball. Were you not ever interested before in doing HS games... someone just now brought it up?

Hey, good for you for being a volunteer for 12 years.. that;s alot of free hotdogs and diet cokes however.

But just think, now you can buy your own equipment. But then there's those HS officiating drug tests...

This really is not a big deal. The rules of baseball are very similar from one level to another. There are just some idiosyncrasies that you have to understand and if you know how to umpire change the rules should not be a problem. Just read the rulebook of the level you are going to work. It is really not hard or hard to understand. HS rules are made for HS situations. OBR rules are made for pro ball and many of the rules are not translated to lower levels very well if you ask me. And obstruction is still an obstruction at any level. The thing you need to know is how to apply the rule to the appropriate level.

Baseball does not have all the rules differences as other sports and the rules differences are minimal at best. If other officials can come up with ways to figure out all the rules difference in other situations, I am sure you will manage.

Peace

I don't know about your area, but where I live 90% of all LL games are umpired by paid umpires. Very few Little League districts use the volunteers. Both associations I have belonged to here at one time or other did LL minors to Big League level of LL. Mostly JR/SR/Big League (but some lower) through our HS association, and all levels through the youth ball association.

That's really surprising to hear.

I remember seeing an application to umpire LL regionals and it stipulated that the applicant must be a volunteer umpire.

Is it no longer required that LLRegional and LLWS umpires be volunteers?

A copy of the BRD would be the ultimate reference book for rules differences but the major rules differences are listed in the FED rule book, page 70 of the 2007 book. Highlight the listed rules and then read the FED rule book from beginning to end. You will know you have a difference when you come upon a highlighted rule.

In your first year of HS ball you are likely to get only JV games or maybe a non-conference varsity game with an experienced umpire. When you don't have a game scheduled figure out which games are the highest classification games (ie 4A in my state) between cross town rivals and go watch the other umpires.

It is still required. It's just that when a LL all-star team advances beyond the local league level, the paid umpires are no longer welcome. They use them due to a shortage of volunteers during the season, but once the teams are narrowed down to the post season tourneys there are enough volunteers.