Extra Steps Create Some Extra ‘Sell’

By Scott Tittrington

I was recently watching a Division I college baseball game alongside a high-level evaluator when a trouble ball was hit down the left-field line. I observed the left fielder racing toward the line and saw him make a diving catch before shifting my attention to the third-base umpire, who had gone out on the play and took three to four hard, running steps with his right arm raised to indicate he had a catch and an out.

I turned to the evaluator and asked, “Do you think he waited too long to go out on that trouble ball?”

My query centered on the fact U3 was moving while making his signal, leading me to believe he had made a late decision regarding his mechanics on the play, and was therefore still moving when the catch was being completed, which goes against the guidance clearly stated in the CCA Baseball Umpires Manual regarding fly ball coverage in the outfield:

“Pause, read and react. Then go hard and get a good angle. Be stopped when the play occurs.”

The evaluator smiled and said, “No, that’s a veteran move,” and then proceeded to explain what he had observed.

While I was watching the flight of the ball and looking at the play develop — in other words, doing the exact same thing as probably every fan who was in attendance — the evaluator was watching U3 from the start. And what he saw is exactly what the CCA manual prescribes:

U3 read the play, reacted by taking just a few hard steps to indicate to his partners that he was going out on the play, and then stopped and set his feet, having obtained the best angle he was going to be able to get without continuing to move while the catch/no catch developed.

Once the left fielder had secured the ball and began his transfer to his throwing hand for a voluntary release, that’s when U3 began moving again — taking the three or four steps I had witnessed — and selling his call with a strong out signal. In other words, the movement I saw occurred after U3 had already determined his ruling on the play. In doing so, it delivered the impression to all those fans watching the action he was sprinting hard to get on top of the play and sell his ruling — similar to how basketball officials are taught to take an extra step or two and close down toward the action when they rule a foul or violation from any appreciable distance on the playing court.

Don’t confuse this mechanic with false hustle. This umpire was not being lazy in one moment, then putting on a show to make up for it. Instead, he was using an extra tool to sell his call, and only doing so after he used a proper mechanic and had all the necessary information to make an accurate ruling in the first place.

Say Yes to Safety

There are plenty of rules in the NFHS, NCAA and pro rule codes that leave room for interpretation by the umpires working a game on any given day. This is where the blending of the art and science of officiating come into play.

However, the one area where umpires should never deviate or “let things slide” is a black-and-white safety rule. Whenever umpires step on the field, they should have two primary objectives above all else: keep the game safe and keep the game fair. When safety is at issue, there should be no gray areas.

This PlayPic illustrates a perfect example, showing a piece of tape running through the earhole of a batter’s helmet. Why is that tape there? It can only be for one of two reasons: either there is a crack in the helmet, or the padding on the inside has come loose and needs to be kept in place.

The NFHS rulebook states batting helmets must meet the NOCSAE safety standard at the time of manufacture (1-5-1) and defective equipment must be repaired or replaced immediately (1-5-6). The NCAA rulebook is even more specific on the topic, stating helmets that are cracked, split or broken shall not be warn, and tape of any kind on the helmet is not allowed and must be removed from the game (1-15-a). Pro rules give the discretion to the umpires to correct any violations related to equipment, including helmets (3.08 Cmt.).

Don’t be the umpire who allows unsafe and illegal equipment such as this to remain in any game you are working. It’s an easy fix with strong rule support. Ignoring it puts the player wearing the helmet at peril and puts you as the umpire at jeopardy should an injury result. *