Umpire Ethics

[BSUmp16]

Question about Umpire Ethics.

I umpire for an organization that services three different high school leagues, consisting of 28 different high schools. For the most part each high school has 3 different levels: Frosh, JV and Varsity. This year my son will be playing Frosh ball for one of these high schools.

Here’s my question: Where should I draw the line on the games I umpire?

1. Obviously, I won’t umpire any games my son’s frosh team plays; and

2. I’m convinced I shouldn’t umpire other frosh games in the same league as my son’s team.

But can I do JV and Varsity games for my son’s school? What about JV and Varsity games not involving my son’s school but that are in my son’s school’s league? Any other restrictions that I should self-impose?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by yawetag

At the least, you should block yourself from any game at any level of your son's school. As for other teams in the league, you should ask your umpire organization. If the conference record is what gets teams in the playoffs, I might even ask to not do any conference games for the teams in the league.

Around here, that would be considered overkill of the highest degree.

[scrounge]

I would just tell your assignor the facts and let him give you input. In my case, my son didn't play on the team but my assignors had no problem with me working that school's games at the middle school or JV level. Varsity would be a different story, just for appearance's sake, but it was a non-issue sub-varsity. And if I didn't work the entire league, 3/4th's of my schedule would disappear.

[Forest Ump]

BS....Talk to our assignor as Scrooge has also advised you to do. I had a similar issue last year with my daughter playing and doing sports med. I spoke with the L man about it. You should do the same. He'll probably advise you to block that school at the frosh level but not JV/V and certainly not the whole league.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Forest Ump

BS....Talk to our assignor as Scrooge has also advised you to do. I had a similar issue last year with my daughter playing and doing sports med. I spoke with the L man about it. You should do the same. He'll probably advise you to block that school at the frosh level but not JV/V and certainly not the whole league.

That's what I would do, too.

Around here I guarantee you'd run into at least one date where you'd be called into duty on the FR game (with your kid playing) because they're short an umpire at the last minute. And the other coach wouldn't care, either. Of course here the game can't start with fewer than 2 umpires, so it's occasionally a problem.

[johnnyg08]

Stay away from the Varsity. The rest shouldn't matter. I wouldn't WANT to officiate a game in which my child is playing. At varsity and above, it would also be unethical.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by scrounge

I would just tell your assignor the facts and let him give you input.

I agree with this advice. If you try to pick and choose which schools and divisions to block on your own, you'll end up limiting your availability at the detriment of your association.

Your assignor has (or should have) a good feel for the lay of the land with respect to athletic directors and coaches, and how amenable they are to accepting umpires. There may be a couple of very anal coaches who will do their homework on scheduled umpires, while there may be others who are happy with any umpire that has a reasonable level of skill, and yet others who are satisfied with two warm bodies in blue. Why take away opportunities to work games where the coaches don't care who is on the field?

What I wouldn't do is make it apparent that you have some affiliation with a school that can be perceived as a problem. You certainly wouldn't want to be quite vocal at your kid's game against Notre Dame Prep School, and then be the plate umpire for NDPS's next game.