Delay...but how long?

[Clint]

Ok I'm a first yearer. I did a full year of baseball umping this year. I was always one of the more delayed umps in the league. I developed this delay when I had my first time behind the plate and anxioty got the best of 1 or two calls. So I started the Read..1..2..react. There are a few coaches who realize that is does make my calls more accurate most the time but catch a lot of critisism from others. The time where it gets the wost is in a hot-box when it is a player that almost avoids the tag and he is halfway back to the other bag after my 2 srcond delay. I feel that especially whe there is hardly a tag you have to look hard for anything that would signal tag or no tag and is a good time for delay...but usually the only people who appreciate it are the ones I work with...everyone else gets real loud and claims I made the call on player reaction. How long do you usually delay the calls to be sure they are right? I've learned the 2 second thing.

[His High Holiness]

............I have run a stopwatch on many umpires. The best ones have about 1.25 second delay. Anything under 1 second can cause errors as you have found out.

Likewise, anything over 1.5 seconds produces the catcalls that you are getting.

My advice; ignore them. If 2 seconds works for you, then f$$$ the rest of them for now. If, as a first year umpire, you have figured out that delayed calls are more accurate than fast calls, then you are way ahead of the game. Many umpires NEVER figure out any of this.

As you can better, you will be able to identify those situations where a faster call is beneficial to the game. At that time, you can speed up those 10% or so of calls that require quicker timing. For all the rest, you can keep a 2 second delay for your whole career if you like. I have seen a couple of MLB umpires with very slow timing.

Remember however, that delays of over 1.5 seconds, draw attention to the umpire. Drawing attention to yourself is not a good thing when you are an umpire. There is one thing worse though, and that is a bad call. That really draws attention to the umpire.

Peter

[GarthB]

Let me add one note to Peter's post and a slight difference of opinion: Consistency.

I started adding a delay to my calls my second year after having two "out, no he's safe" calls. At first, like you, I experienced some coaches who seemed to not appreciate my new sense of timing. After a brouhaha in which I was accused of allowing the opposing coach to influence my call, my partner informed me that I was not ALWAYS utilizing the same delay. He told me that it appeared that my delay on the REALLY close calls was longer than my delay on FAIRLY close calls.

I was too close to the situation to see that and even to believe it at first. I asked a veteran umpire to come to a game and evaluate me without telling him why. Afterwards, he made a similar comment.

After I began making a conscious effort to assure that ALL calls were made with the same delay, the complaints and accusations went away.

[bob jenkins]

I'd add to Garth's comment by stating that the "really close calls" should actually be mad (stated / verbalized / demonstrated) a little faster than the "fairly close calls."

On a "fairly close call" it's:

1) See the play
2) Decide
3) Wait 1.25 seconds (to use Peter's number)
4) Make the call.

On a "really close call" it's:
1) See the play
2) Decide
3) Wait 1 second
4) Make the call.

The spectators won't notice the small difference, but they will notice that it seems more "assured".

[Bfair]

IMO, most amateur umpires are too quick in their calls both on the bases and on the plate. If you are using proper timing, that makes you more the exception than the norm. Learn to live with it and keep the accuracy in the calls. Just be sure the delay is due to seeing the play better by delaying your decision point. Too many think slowing your timing down is merely delaying the point that you announce your decision. It's not. It's slowing down the time at which you actually make that decision.

In the field, most plays do not have a subsequent play following the initial call---but some do. It's those plays where many hurry their decision in anticipation not only of the play occurring, but of their need to ready themselves for the next anticipated call. That's very typical in a force DP situation. Many mistakes occur with a quick call at the pivot---anticipating the catch of the throw. A dropped ball by the pivot man can result in a call reversal or, worse yet, an umpire trying to cover his a$$ by wrongly stating the drop was on the exchange. Know where that problem area is, and focus on using the correct timing to avoid the more typical problems.

Keeping your head and eyes focused on the play after it occurs also helps sell the call. Any look away from the play makes it appear that you may be indecisive in your judgment. I've seen umpires who make the proper decision, but make the call after they start turning their head from the play. Be sure to keep the head and eyes focused on the play until after you've made your call.

I received some nice assignments for many years despite having too quick of timing. I felt my timing was good until I finally learned it wasn't. That learning came from purposefully slowing down the decision point vs the announcement of the decision. Previously I had always thought that slowed timing was delaying the announcement. After growing accustomed to that proper, slowed timing, I can only say that you can FEEL the difference. It takes much of the anxiety out of the game, leads to more accurate calls, and a greater enjoyment of umpiring in general.


Just my opinion,

Freix

[PeteBooth]

Originally posted by Clint

Ok I'm a first yearer. I did a full year of baseball umping this year. I was always one of the more delayed umps in the league. I developed this delay when I had my first time behind the plate and anxioty got the best of 1 or two calls. So I started the Read..1..2..react. There are a few coaches who realize that is does make my calls more accurate most the time but catch a lot of critisism from others. The time where it gets the wost is in a hot-box when it is a player that almost avoids the tag and he is halfway back to the other bag after my 2 srcond delay. I feel that especially whe there is hardly a tag you have to look hard for anything that would signal tag or no tag and is a good time for delay...but usually the only people who appreciate it are the ones I work with...everyone else gets real loud and claims I made the call on player reaction. How long do you usually delay the calls to be sure they are right? I've learned the 2 second thing.

IMO we need to differentiate the type of calls. Meaning on a TAG play we either saw it or didn't and thereore, we should not have to delay.

Let's the take the Tag play at first. F3 is pulled off the bag by an errant throw by say F6 and proceeds to attempt a tag on B1.

On this type of play as mentioned we either see it or we didn't. If we see it, other than F3 dropping the ball, we point with the left hand and signal He's Out on the tag or we signal Safe and say "he missed him". That type of call shouldn't take too long.

IMO the delay works more in calling balls / Strikes then plays on the bases. If you watched any of the LLWS especially the Eastern Region you noticed that the PU was calling the pitch before F2 even caught the ball.

The 2 second delay works well at the plate where you develop better timing and become more consistent.

Therefore, IMO anyway, on plays at the bases you don't need to delay. You need to let the play finish but you don't need to delay. You either saw a tag or you didn't. By let the play finish, I mean make certain F3 doesn't drop the ball in which case we say OUT / SAFE - allow runner to run through the bag and then make the call. Same is true on the catch / no catch - let play finish then make the call. I guess we could get into semantics but IMO waiting for a play to finish is not a delay.

Use the delay more in calling balls / strikes to make you more consistent.

As others mentioned delaying calls at the bases could call more attention to you then you need. Also, at least from my viewpoint I don't think making a call after play is FULLY completed is a delay it's called proper timing. How many times do you say "Show me the ball" - It's not a delay you are making certian player had the ball - You already KNOW runner is out, you are just making certain ball isn't on the ground.

Pete Booth

[GarthB]

Pete:

I guess I will continue to disagree. I believe consistency in timing is the amateur's best friend. The difference between the calls you describe is best demonstrated by the umpire in the level of aggressineness and tempo of the call itself. One can pick up the tempo of the call which appears to speed up the delay, without screwing up his timing. Consistency can eliminate complaints of both being too slow and too quick on the trigger.

On the REALLY close calls my timing reamins the same as the close calls, but during the call itself, the tempo of my motions and verbalizations are quicker and more forceful. I also take additional steps toward the play during my call. This gives the perception that I was closer to the play than I really was during the decision mode.

[bluezebra]

A great MLB umpire many years said, "It ain't nothin' til I call it".

Great advice.

Bob