Softball v Baseball Umpiring

[greymule]

Skahtboi, I'm surprised at the low fees you mention. Where are you umpiring?

Here in NJ (at least in this and adjoining counties), baseball and softball pay exactly the same. (Equal rights stuff.) Do a HS varsity baseball game that takes 3 hours or a HS FP softball game that's over in 1:10, and you get the same pay. (Guess which game people would rather do.)

I stopped doing Fed a few years ago, but I believe each ump gets over $60 now. JV pays less, but I think each ump gets about $50.

If you do a one-man game (JV FP or middle school only), it's now around $70, maybe more. All but varsity games have a time limit.

The disadvantage to Fed is that the public schools send you a check later. Often much later.

The best money to be made is in the FP travel tournaments. You can do 5 quick games in a day and make $200 cash on the spot.

The worst money is in the high-level slow-pitch tournaments, where you get $25 to do an 85-run game that seems never to end. Plus the whining.