Movement Policy?

[Rags 11]

What is the movement policy for your HS associations? How many years & games at JV will get you to varsity?

Is movement based on a coach's ratings?

Once you are a varsity umpire, is there any mechanism for you to be moved DOWNWARD, or are guys varsity "for life?"


Thanks,
AR

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by Rags 11

What is the movement policy for your HS associations? How many years & games at JV will get you to varsity?

Is movement based on a coach's ratings?

Once you are a varsity umpire, is there any mechanism for you to be moved DOWNWARD, or are guys varsity "for life?"


Thanks,
AR

In our association, it's an average of at lease three seasons before you get Varsity games steadily. We have no "Varsity umpires", everyone works Frosh, JV and Varsity or you don't work. Our assigners contract with the school districts so coach's input weighs very little (unless there is a very serious problem).

[Blue37]

There is no official time-frame. Everyone who joins, unless they come in with a verifiable resume, starts at the Middle School/JV level. If you can umpire with proficiency, you move up quickly, possibly in your first year. If you can't call at all, you will be let go fairly soon. If you are in-between, you will stay at the MS/JV level.

Prior experience on the varsity level in another sport is a plus, as that demonstrates an ability to deal with sticky situations.

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by Rags 11

What is the movement policy for your HS associations? How many years & games at JV will get you to varsity?

Is movement based on a coach's ratings?

Once you are a varsity umpire, is there any mechanism for you to be moved DOWNWARD, or are guys varsity "for life?"


Thanks,
AR

Movement in my group is based on performance, not tenure. Those who work hard, study and attend clinics move up more quickly than those who "put their time in."

Moving down is also based on performance. Nothing is for life.

[Toadman15241]

The assignor decides who gets which games. Coaches don't have any role in that decision making process.

As an 18 year old HS senior, the first time I could get certified in PA, I was assigned varsity games while guys 2-3 times my age and with years of experience doing FED were never given varsity games. (Of course I was kept away from doing my school's varsity games.)

It just came down to who the assignor felt comfortable giving games to. I knew the rules and mechanics better than anyone else in our HS association and the assignor realized that I was ready. Other guys just refused to learn the differences between FED and OBR and/or had horrible mechanics and were given JV or Freshman games.

IMO that is the way it should be done.

[johnnyg08]

if you have enough umpires to make it that tough of a process...that is the ideal way to do it.

[jdmara]

Originally Posted by johnnyg08

if you have enough umpires to make it that tough of a process...that is the ideal way to do it.

Great point Johnny! The big deciding factor among associations around here is the availability of officials. During the baseball season, we typically have enough umpires so experienced and competent officials are working all varsity contests. Although there are times when the less qualified/developing officials get mixed in. In a perfect world you would go through so many years of development until the assignor felt you were ready for the varsity assignments but that's not always true (at least around here).

It's a mixed bag around here. Some assignors will hold off on giving an new officials varsity dates. However it seems if the assignor has an experience with the official, they are more apt to give them varsity dates sooner. For instance, I worked a year of baseball and proved myself as a good official. The next fall, I worked my first year of basketball with the same assignor. He scheduled me for varsity games because of my aptitude for officiating although he had not seen me officiate basketball. He obviously recognized my attitude for rules study and my attention to detail so thought he would just throw me in the mix. Granted I didn't get the best varsity assignments the first few years but I wasn't complaining.

-Josh

[DG]

I don't see this as different than any other job. You change jobs the boss (assigner) must get to know you before he has complete confidence in you. Excellent references from your previous job (assigner) helps. You will certainly get better games if your previous boss (assigner) gives a call to your new boss (assigner) to tell him what you are capable of working.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Rags 11

What is the movement policy for your HS associations? How many years & games at JV will get you to varsity?

No such thing. You get games you are assigned or available to do. There are not a lot of baseball umpires to have a stringent position. I worked varsity and college ball in my first year. I was available and I was assigned. I did not mess up, so I stayed at those levels.

Originally Posted by Rags 11

Is movement based on a coach's ratings?

No.

Originally Posted by Rags 11

Once you are a varsity umpire, is there any mechanism for you to be moved DOWNWARD, or are guys varsity "for life?"

No.

Look, getting varsity games are based on who you work for. If you work for an assignor and they give you games, they give you what you can handle or when you are available. If you work in an area that does not have an assignor, the schools hire who they want to and under the circumstances they desire. There is no system or structure that I have ever seen followed across the board or that everyone agrees with. When you are the boss, you make the decisions. And really associations have nothing to do with that.

Peace

[David B]

Originally Posted by Rags 11

What is the movement policy for your HS associations? How many years & games at JV will get you to varsity?

Is movement based on a coach's ratings?

Once you are a varsity umpire, is there any mechanism for you to be moved DOWNWARD, or are guys varsity "for life?"


Thanks,
AR

Our HS is similiar to Ozzy. We usually ask all officials to call JV and Jr. High, that is good training for the young officials to work with veterans.

It takes about three years before we will give umpires the "quality" varsity assignment, but then we are in a "hot bed" for baseball. In our part of the state we have annually four or five of the best teams in the state, so those teams demand and require the better officials.

But we will work in the younger/newer guys for non-district games and so forth until they are ready. We require three years before someone gets a playoff game, but that is changing now because of a shortage of officials.

Once an umpire gets to varsity level he stays there, but the level of games that he get depends on his "ability" to umpire.

thanks
David

[Rags 11]

Fellas,

Thanks for the informative responses. Each question, with the exception of the downward movement, is current policy in my neck of the woods.

Our rookies only see JH ball for at least the first two years. So, hypothetically, you could be a college umpire, and, as a new member of the HS association, a middle school umpire.

Movement is based solely on coach's ratings, and openings occur only as a result of attrition.

AR

[DG]

Originally Posted by Rags 11

you could be a college umpire, and, as a new member of the HS association, a middle school umpire.

Would not happen here. If you are have experience and/or are good news travels. If assigner does not know you and/or you have no former resume you pay your dues...

[SAump]

Originally Posted by DG

Would not happen here. If you are have experience and/or are good news travels. If assigner does not know you and/or you have no former resume you pay your dues...

If you come from another state association, they start you at the bottom too.
They don't want to offend the guys who have paid their monthly dues.
Nobody likes hearing about the rising fastball in their arsenal.
The guys who get the jobs are the ones who work week in and week out.
The guys who can't make it (availabilty) get to pick their work because everyone else has to cover the other games.
But when a shortage of games comes up, or that game comes in the last minute, we know who is getting the call from the boss.
Like the baked beans commercial, he ain't talking.

[FTVMartin]

We work all levels. There is no such thing as a varsity umpire here. I'll do about 75% varsity but I have a few JV and Frosh games where I will be helping to break in some newer guys. Over the summer we work everything from Pony to College level.

[briancurtin]

Originally Posted by SAump

If you come from another state association, they start you at the bottom too.
They don't want to offend the guys who have paid their monthly dues.

Is this an association of children? You would think a group of umpires might have a thicker skin.