RefereeUmpireSchool.com
 

Hey Everyone!

My name is Aaron, and my buddy Jake and I have put together a website to help people who want to become umpires. NOTE: The site is NOT trying to teach veteran umpires. The site is designed for non-umpires, to help them get started.

Our goal was to cover some basic information people needed to get started, and also point them toward useful resources like this forum and association websites. We also put together an updated list of umpire camps and clinics.

Now we're looking for feedback to help us improve. The site is in very rough shape right now and we know that it will need constant improvements. Keep in mind that we are not trying to impress you guys, we are looking for insights as to what might be useful new and aspiring umps. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

The site is called Referee Umpire School. We were planning on including content for officials of other sports, but we have started with baseball.

Jake and Aaron

http://www.referee-umpireschool.com

Well, there's no "Newbie Sanctuary" here as there is at the ABUA site, so I think you might get some harsher "feedback" here. Instead of reposting my comments from the other site, I will simply state outright that the content [that part which is not cribbed from other people's work (and maybe some of that, too)] is at best a WOBW. HS sophomore-level amateurish and flat wrong in several important places.

I took a cursory look at this site and my initial reaction was, 'so what'?

There are many more websites that have been around longer and are much more comprehensive. My opinion is, if you are going to try to something in an established field, that something should be new and different. This site is neither.

I would try a different subject, perhaps something you are an expert in?

To Be Fair:
 

We sometimes see new people try this type journey.

This never works as no veteren wants have children teach down to them.

This site should hae been developed, off line, for at least a year.

It is sad that they have "borrowed" way to much information and I hope they have formal permission to use the items.

AND BLACK pants . . . you have got to be kidding me.

T

Unless you own the videos you're posting on the site, you should probably take them down. There are many reasons why those specific videos shouldn't be used, but one is that they could disappear at any point, rendering your site less helpful.

Any information encouraging sports officiating will have it's good points and I applaud your efforts, though you certainly have a long way to go.
I especially like the opportunity to meet Thai girls... :rolleyes:

JJ

3. If the batter breaks his wrists when swinging, it’s a strike.
This could be one of the criterion in which you judge if he swung or not. The best statement you can make when asked about a check swing is that he attempted or did not attempt to swing at the pitch. Other criterion might be that the barrel of the bat goes past the middle of the batter’s body or not. One other criterion might be that the bat crossed the middle of the plate.
Most veterans do not use any physical point (wrists, bat, hips). We simply determine if the batter offered at the pitch.



4. If a batted ball hits the plate first it’s a foul ball.
To rule it foul it must have come to rest in foul territory or be touched in foul territory.
Why not say why the ball is not foul for hitting or coming to rest on the plate? The plate is in fair territory. The foul lines come don to the plate and form the outside edge of home plate. This is important for rookies to know because they are going to have to explain it to dumb coaches!



5. The batter cannot be called out for interference if he is in the batter’s box.

The batter’s actions are what causes interference and not necessarily where he is. In the batter’s box, if he does nothing out of the ordinary, it is more difficult to commit batter interference but it is possible.
There are also situations where the batter cannot just disappear! Again, very important for a rookie to know.


6. The ball is dead on a foul-tip.
The ball is always live on a foul tip. Therefore runners may be put out or advance at their own risk on a foul tip.
You need to explain what a foul tip is. Rookies watch baseball games where announcers call every ball fouled back a foul tip.



7. The batter may not switch batter’s boxes after two strikes.

The batter may switch batter’s boxes at any time while the ball is dead.
The batter can switch anytime as long as F1 hasn't come set.


10. The batter is out if he starts for the dugout before going to first after a dropped third strike.
The batter is out if he leaves the dirt circle around the plate area after a dropped 3^rd strike unless he is making an attempt to reach 1^st base.
This is a pro rule interpretation.

Fellas,

If you're using this guy as being any sort of example for umping, you've already taken one HUGE step backwards.

How to Be a Baseball Umpire : Equipment for Baseball Umpires - YouTube

I know you guys are out to make a buck, and that's fine. God Bless America. But I'd stick with something that you have an expertise in. Clearly, umpiring is not it.

Heres my Feedback

Right off the bat, I can see this site is more about making a buck, (which is fine), then having a new creative approach to grab umpires intrests. Kind of like walking into a new resturant that was cheaply designed and constructed, then serving a just ok meal. You will probabbly not get a lot of return customers.

First of all , lose the whistle, it not used in Baseball.

Next, it is obvious that just about everything is copied from other sites and the ingenuity of a new website just doesn't do much for me. Google.com is more helpful.

As already suggested and is obivious, this site was NOT well planned, and probably took more time to put together than the time used to plan and test it. And I personnally know that what I see, was not that difficult to establish in web development, now days.

You might want to try and capture a more limited audience first and expand from there. Twenty years ago you probably would have had something usefull but, that was twenty years ago.

I can relate to the fact that due to high unemployment, there are some REALLY ingenious ideas out there to make some easy money. I could be wrong however, I just don't see this site as being one.

Keep trying though.

I am wondering what kind of schooling in baseball do they have?...

The are honor graduates of the Lance Cokalinski School of Umpiring and Screen Door Repair.

Wow, there's a name I haven't seen in years.

Have they posted Lance's patented 13-umpire mechanics?

I thought it was 9-umpire mechanics. I remember his instructions on how to wear 3 ball bags as the base umpire, too.

Thanks JJ. You're the first person to mention Thai girls...that's probably the most interesting ad that Google has chosen to display on the site so far.