Re-post from softball:

Okay, I've got a question for those of you who umpire in local leagues. At what age do you start training umpires, and what is the traning composed of?

Around here we start with 12-13 y/o umpire trainees, who are eligible to receive pay as soon as they turn 14 due to standards enforced on several downstate leagues by IDOL (Illinois Department of Labor). I myself started umpiring in this league when I was 12, but it was before IDOL made such a mess of the younger years. (Translation: I got paid. ) So when I say my kids, I really mean kids.

Of course, with a local league, one can argue shorthandedness. That's my vision on why we start early. Plus, some of the kids are really good. I was fair, but I've gotten better. (It was about six years ago now...)

So, to restate the question, at what age do you locals start accepting umpires, and what has your experience been with that? I am curious to know how it fares outside my hamlet.

The association that handles PONY games locally accepts umpires at age 14 for mustang and bronco games, and age 16 for Pony level games.

The local high school association accepts 17 year olds for freshman level games.

I started umpiring in Dixie Youth when I was 14. Our policy has changed since then and you have to be atleast 15 to call any game. The best training I got was jumping in both feet. I knew the rules fairly well at that age and each game I would regognize potential situation that could happen. When I got home I would either ask my dad or look it up in a book the Sporting News published: "The Knotty Problems of Baseball". That was my bible.

If anybody knows how to get a copy of that book please let me know.

Down here, the FED guy won't use anybody under 18, politicol BS fighting between the 2 assciations. That is why all our frosh/JV only use one ump, bummer for the kids playing FED ball at the PONY/COLT age. 1 ump for the school bragging rights and 2 for the summer ball......

I have kids as young as 14 caling for me here.. I think for varsity level it has to be 18. I know in basketball it is as we have a kid that has been calling for a few years now but was not allowed to call varsity basketball games till he was 18 (or graduated from HS). I am for the kids getting started and getting good training. The more we can get excited about calling, the better as we all now we need numbers.

We start inhouse training at 12. Kids attend classroom and field training during winterball, and call one game per week. From those kids we select a crew that work regular season work for our league. Players can't umpire in their own divisions, and the umpires are selected to work according to their skill levels.

My son, now 14, has risen through the ranks and last week did plates for Majors district championships. He's got invited to work AllStars next week for Juniors. The skills he's learned in three years of umpiring will take him a lot farther than learning to hit a curveball. I couldn't be prouder of him.

In Canada I started at 8 doing T-ball House League working only with adult umpires and moved up to doing 10-11 y.o. pitched ball games once my team got knocked out of the playoffs in the same age bracket. Started with competitive ball at 13. Many others in my area started later but didn't have the help getting started that I did, I think it would depend on the youths situation (i.e. son of UIC etc.) as to when they start.

My son does it here...he started at 14 (he is now 15) and the only rule is...he has to be older than the people in the game he is umpiring. So since he is now 15 he does 14 & under and the 14 yr old umps do 13 & under.

13 years old in my league

age of umps
 

Yeah, over in Richmond, Va, we have PONY and LL, and the umpires can't do anyone thier age.