When Are Umps Supposed to Arrive?

[3rdGennation]

Can we extend this questions to when do most posters plan on arriving for games they are doing? Youth tournament, HS, college etc.?

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by 3rdGennation

Can we extend this questions to when do most posters plan on arriving for games they are doing? Youth tournament, HS, college etc.?

This completely depends on the expectations of the assignor. Given NO expectations, I'm getting there at least 30 minutes prior for youth ball, an hour for HS - likely a bit more for college. And possibly a bit less if my partner and I have worked together often already. (that said... I'm almost ALWAYS the first one there for youth ball - even at just 30 minutes early)

Often though, there is a specific expectation by the assignor. I have one that says to get there an hour early for tourney games, but for league ball - as long as your suited up and ready to go at game time, he doesn't care (often these games are at 5:30 or 6:00 on a work day and he understands that a lot of us are dressing at work or even in the car after getting off at 5).

I have another assignor who wants you there an hour in advance come hell or high water... which really means you had better plan on being there EARLIER than that. The "grace period" you're giving yourself in many cases is to account for bad traffic, stopped by a train crossing, etc... but this particular assignor wants you to take all that into account and STILL be there an hour early.

Things vary.

[IowaMike]

High school games are all I work anymore, I get there 30-45 minutes prior to game time. I work just about every game with the same partner so we always ride to the games together. When I used to work youth games they didn't care if you showed up 5 minutes prior to game time as long as you were ready to go on time.

[DG]

I don't know what I would do with the extra 30 minutes if I arrived an hour before game time.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

I have another assignor who wants you there an hour in advance come hell or high water... which really means you had better plan on being there EARLIER than that. The "grace period" you're giving yourself in many cases is to account for bad traffic, stopped by a train crossing, etc... but this particular assignor wants you to take all that into account and STILL be there an hour early.

Overkill. It's a waste of my valuable time to show up that early for a game. I have a job that requires me to be at my client's site until 5:00 pm. Requiring me to be at the game site an hour ahead of time for a 6:30 pm game would force me to change my commute on game nights so that I park at the client's site (instead of using public transportation, which is my norm) at a much greater expense to me. Given traffic here in the DC area, I'm lucky to get to most game sites 30 minutes beforehand.

What's his rationale for the one-hour requirement? Does he want you to pull out the shoe-shine kit and the travel iron to get your uniform ready? Geez...

[dash_riprock]

Originally Posted by Manny A

Overkill. It's a waste of my valuable time to show up that early for a game. I have a job that requires me to be at my client's site until 5:00 pm. Requiring me to be at the game site an hour ahead of time for a 6:30 pm game would force me to change my commute on game nights so that I park at the client's site (instead of using public transportation, which is my norm) at a much greater expense to me. Given traffic here in the DC area, I'm lucky to get to most game sites 30 minutes beforehand.

What's his rationale for the one-hour requirement? Does he want you to pull out the shoe-shine kit and the travel iron to get your uniform ready? Geez...

For college games, the umpires are required to check in with the coaches an hour before the game. Sometimes they want us to rub up a dozen baseballs. Then we have a thorough pre-game, suiting up and some stretching to do. By rule, the plate meeting is conducted ten minutes before game time and since it is never a good idea to park right next to the field, there is usually a five-minute walk to the field. That hour is pretty much used up. If you show up 59 minutes before game time, you are late.

[treydawgmt]

I usually try to get there an hour early, so when some sort of traffic thing happens I can still be there 30 minutes early.

The two assignors I do 95% of my work with only "require" being on the field, ready to go, 10 minutes before game time. However, they both recommend checking with the coach earlier than that.

[RPatrino]

I personally try to get to the game site 60 minutes before game time. That's a goal, it doesn't always happen. If I am working the plate, I really like the full hour. Working the bases, I just like to get there in time to have a pre-game with my partner, particularly if we have never worked together before.

I absolutely HATE having to rush to a game and arriving 10 minutes before the game and rushing onto the field. My experience has been that games tend to go bad when that happens.

[tcarilli]

NCAA 3-6-a Note: Umpires should arrive at the game site at least 60 minutes before game time and notify the home team. Umpires, and the home team coach, should have a current NCAA rules book available at the game site.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by RPatrino

I absolutely HATE having to rush to a game and arriving 10 minutes before the game and rushing onto the field. My experience has been that games tend to go bad when that happens.

I agree with this 100%. I hate it more when it's partner that shows up mostly dressed 5 minutes before game time. I know that it's THAT guy who is going to miss something ... or hang out near first base while I'm dealing with both sides of a 3B/HP run-down, etc.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by dash_riprock

For college games, the umpires are required to check in with the coaches an hour before the game. Sometimes they want us to rub up a dozen baseballs. Then we have a thorough pre-game, suiting up and some stretching to do. By rule, the plate meeting is conducted ten minutes before game time and since it is never a good idea to park right next to the field, there is usually a five-minute walk to the field. That hour is pretty much used up. If you show up 59 minutes before game time, you are late.

That's an NCAA requirement. MD was talking about an assignor's requirement for, which I assume, games that are not under NCAA. If they were NCAA games, he wouldn't have painted this as an assignor's standard. And, Yes, I do arrive an hour before game time for college (softball) games.

Anything else, I typically show up between 30 to 45 minutes before game start. I've got plenty of time to suit up and stretch while doing a good pre-game with my partner (no need to do these sequentially), walk to the field, check equipment, and conduct my plate conference.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Manny A

What's his rationale for the one-hour requirement? Does he want you to pull out the shoe-shine kit and the travel iron to get your uniform ready? Geez...

For clarification's sake...

I have only worked for this assignor during tournaments... I have no idea if she relaxes this requirement for mid-week league ball games.

Her rationale is so that an hour before the games start she can see who is not there. She'll call you ONCE - if you don't answer, she has time to find someone else and get them there and dressed before game time. Not saying I agree or disagree - it is what it is. When in Rome...