Umpire Slot Position

by admin

The slot is the space between the catcher and the hitter and that position gives the umpire a great view of the inside corner, but not the outside corner down-and-away; the catcher blocks the. In the two-man system there is only one base umpire, of course: U1. With three- and four-man crews, the number signifies their start-position with no runners on base – U1 near first base, U2 near second base, and U3 near third base. In the three-man system, you have two base umpires, U1 and U3.

Plate and Base evaluation criteria from the ACCC Umpire Supervisor

Plate Umpire Slot Position

This page shows evaluation scores and criteria used to evaluate on field performance of an umpire. The evaluations are used for critique purposes. These evaluations are meant to improve each umpire’s performance and to help bring about talking points and improvements for the staff as a whole.

These evaluations will be logged electronically and statistical analysis will be performed on individual umpires as well as the ACCUA staff combined.

Umpire Slot Position

Adjustments will be made using these evaluations mid-season and used as training/improvement information for off season ACCC umpire instructional camps.

Slot

5 – Superior – Used only for those considered the best in the league.
4 – Above Standard – A higher standard than average, but not the best in the league.
3 – Meets Standard – Usual quality of work expected of an umpire at this level.
2 – Marginal – Less than the usual quality expected in the league.
1 – Below Standard – Below the minimum quality of work, not an acceptable rating for continuation at this level.

Plate Work & Base Work Criteria:

  1. Positioning: (Head, Body & Feet) – Is the umpires head show solid stability? Is the head drifting during flight of pitch? Is the umpires head and slot position correct? Does the plate stance allow for endurance and a quick first step? Etc…
  2. Timing – Is the umpires timing from the time the pitch hits the catcher’s mitt, until the umpires absolute first voice or physical movement an adequate amount of time to judge the pitched ball?
  3. Strike Zone Interpretation – Is the umpire strike zone a teacup, average or too large? Does the umpire call a strike zone size consistent with the standards of college baseball?
  4. Strike Zone Consistency – Does the umpire maintain his strike zone throughout the course of the game for both teams?
  5. Style / Mechanics of calls – Including gestures, strike call, foul call and etc… Are they appropriate for college baseball?
  6. Voice – Is the umpire’s voice loud, confident. Is it appropriate for college baseball?
  7. Reaction to development of plays – Does the umpire anticipate and react in real time situations? Does the umpire adjust and get in the best position to rule on a play?
  8. Positioning for plays – Does the umpire get to the right position (distance and angle) in an appropriate amount of time to best judge a play?
  9. Judgment on plays – Does the umpire simply get calls correct? Safe/out, fair/fouls.
  10. Crew Communication – Does the umpire communicate with partner(s) during rotations, missed coverage’s and signaling?
  11. Knowledge of 2/3man plate Mechanics – Getting up the 1st base line, clearing home plate, bunt coverage, fair/foul, safe/out, balk coverage, positioning at the plate, over-throws, double plays, etc.

Game & Situation Management:

  1. ACCC League Policies & Procedures – Does the plate umpire manage lineup changes, pitching changes, between innings, substitutions, batters staying in box, pitch time, warm-ups and etc. effectively?
  2. Rules application/knowledge – Base awards, over throws, obstruction/interference, etc… Does the umpire enforce rules correctly? Does he speak up when he see’s partner(s) enforcing rules incorrectly?
  3. Situation and Ejection Management – Did the plate umpire handle any disputes, arguments, ejections and etc. well? Did he let these consume too much time or mismanage these situations?

Appearance & Professionalism:

  1. Focus – Is the umpire constantly paying attention to all details of the game? Is he in tune with what’s going on not only during pitches and live play scenarios, but is he aware of the “game within the game” situations that veteran umpires follow?
  2. Appearance – Does the umpire maximize his appearance with his body type? Is his uniform clean, sharp and pressed? This is a head to toe evaluation on the umpires overall look.
  3. Physical Fitness – Does the umpire look he is in shape? Does he appear athletic?
  4. Mobility – Is the umpire making the most out of his physical capabilities? Can he move around the field of play?
  5. Hustle – Is the umpire lazy or sand bagging? Does he run part way, get bad angles and distances vs. great angles and great distance?
  6. Attitude – Does the umpire portray he is better than the level he is calling? Does he big time anyone? Look like he is having fun? Does he have a good attitude towards his partners?
  7. Professionalism (on and off the field) – Is the umpire respectful to coaches, players, and partners? Is he clean shaven and appear like he belongs at a college baseball game?

How should I position myself behind home plate?

Umpire Slot Position

The short answer: Becoming comfortable in the Slot position behind home plate is the most important thing you can do to ensure you get a good view of the ball as it crosses theplate area.

Position yourself in the Slot position to get the best view of the ball to call balls and strikes

- The Slot position is the area just behind the catcher, where you are lined up in the open space between the batter and the inside corner of the plate. You will line up to the left or rightof the catcher depending on whether the batter is batting on the left or right side of home plate.

- You may choose to stand a bit further back from the catcher than shown in the graphic.

- Keep your front foot a bit forward of your back foot to gain a better view angle over home plate.

- In contrast to the Slot position, it's tempting for beginning umpires to stand directly behind the catcher as it feels safer. But your view from this position, especially in the lowerportion of the strike zone, is obscured by the catcher.

- When the catcher needs to move quickly behind you to retrieve a live ball, you should reverse pivot on your front foot to allow the catcher to quickly get past you. This technique iscalled 'opening the gate'.

- From the Slot position, follow the ball with your eyes (not head) as it leaves the pitcher's hand and arrives into the catcher's glove. You should look diagonally across the plate as theball crosses it to help you better see the strike zone including the outside portion of the plate. Stay still from the moment the pitch is thrown until you make your call.

Next up: How do I make the calls from behind home plate?