One umpire system
 

I received this message from one of our "snowbird" umps recently:

"I don't believe in a one umpire system any way. In Florida they would never operate with a one man system."

I am now curious how rare one umpire systems are from various areas. Can any of you Florida guys confirm that there are no one ump systems in effect there?

In my assigning area, 5 out of 8 leagues are one ump systems. When we hit playoffs, all go to 2 ump systems.

Most of our local tournaments are 2 ump systems. Exceptions may be for 10U and/or some pool play games @ 12U & 14U.

Thanx.

I worked alone in a scrimmage this week. First time in at least 8 years

Did you tell him I-93 & I-95 also have Southbound lanes.? :D

Here in Georgia, one umpire games are very rare. In fastpitch, nothing above 10U even in rec leagues. An occasional practice game for younger (and lower end) travel teams, but not at the older ages.

All our organized adult slow pitch leagues are two umpire; only private organizations or "company" leagues use just one.

Frankly, I price to incentivize two umpires. One umpire games pay 150% of two umpire games in my contracts.

I thought of plenty of things to tell him, but settled on it wasn't his Burger King and when in Rome, play as a Roman.

In the Minneapolis metro area, 100% of the JO league games are 1 umpire. Most of our weekend tournaments are 1 umpire. There are the occassional tournaments that have 2 umpires or will put 2 on championship games, but they are rare.

For High School games, all of the varsity games are 2 umpire, but all of the lower class games are 1 umpire.

I don't do men's ball, but I have heard that many of them use 1 umpire as well.

1-man games are rare in my area, and usually the result of someone not showing or it being one of those weekends where all the umps are out of town or unavailable. Rarely is it 1-man by design of the league.

That said ... 1-umpire is not a "system". :)

The last time I worked as one umpire on a field was probably a decade ago, and that was because my partner failed to show. It was at a tournament. I did three games by myself before a replacement was found.

Well, it does come under the heading of umpire systems in the Umpire Manual. Page 254?

It may not be the preferred, but it is recognized with appropriate mechanics.

Oh, I'm not questioning that. :) Just remarking that despite it's moniker as a "system", it's really just a mechanism for barely getting by, at best.

I decided to help out and work a one umpire system for a day. After an umpire didn't show up I ended up with 5 games in 7 hours. My back hasn't been the same since.

People wonder why it's hard to get new people in. The reason is we put inexperienced people on the diamond with idiot coaches that abuse them. Vets like me don't get rattled but new people need to have someone on their side to help them and to diffuse the game playing that goes on.

Almost all of the FP rec leagues here in the Phoenix area are one umpire, as far as I know. All of our tournament games are two umpire, with three umpire games later in the tournament.

I don't know of any slowpitch leagues or tournaments that use two umpires routinely around here, but there are some other areas of the state where two umpires for slowpitch are the norm.

What is going to be interesting is our national slowpitch tournament here later this summer, Women's C and D. Several of our umpires are from the local area and have rarely worked a slowpitch game on the bases, let alone three umpire.....

Then they shouldn't be there.

Sounds like an opportunity for a local UIC, or a state UIC to do some training if they intend on recommending umpires for a tournament they aren't prepared to work.

I couldn't agree more. Have them scheduled to work 3 man together on league games (no matter how many umpires the league to paying for) with trainers (yes, plural) available to correct and adjust them.