The ABUA is the largest membership association for amateur baseball umpires in the U.S.
The ABUA's purpose is to improve the overall quality of umpiring in youth league, high school and college baseball through innovative teaching and educational programs, and superior educational resources.The ABUA protects its members with the most comprehensive insurance package in the industry
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The ABUA provides a national organization and network where individual umpires and local associations can promote professionalism, integrity and a love of the game.
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In The News
Stop It Now - Part V
Immediate dead ball plays are usually thought of as interference plays. However, in NCAA and pro play an obstruction play can mandate an immediate dead ball. If the obstructed runner is being played on, the ball is immediately dead and the play is stopped (NCAA 2-55 Type I, 6-3d; pro 6.01h1). Under NFHS rules, obstruction is always a delayed dead ball and play is allowed to continue until all action ends (NFHS 5-1-2b; NCAA 2-55 Type II, 6-3c, 6-3d3; pro 6.01h2).
Situations where obstruction may occur while the runner is being played on include: rundowns, any play where another fielder is making a direct throw to a base in an attempt to retire that runner and a batter-runner who has not yet reached first base and a ball is hit to an infielder.
Play 1: With two outs, B1 pops up to the shortstop....
Time Play
The 2017 baseball season wasn’t quite two days old when we had our first “Time Play” confusion. When the third out of an inning is not the result of a force play and it happens about the same time a runner is crossing the plate, the plate umpire must decide “in time,” what occurred first-the third out or the runner crossing the plate. Often times the plate umpire must distinguish between the time of a tag vs. the runner crossing the plate while other times the plate umpire must judge the timing of a double-up third out vs. the runner crossing the plate.
The term “Time Play” is not listed in the Official Baseball Rules. Rule 5.08 (a), comes closest. It reads, “A run is not scored if the runner advances to home base during a play in which the third out is made (1) by the batter-runner before...
A Runner's Baseline
Prior to the 2017 season, a runner's baseline (excluding a rundown) was restricted by the fielder's tag attempt with ball in glove or hand and extended toward the runner. This season, however, under Pro rules, there is a rule change. A fielder no longer has to have ball in glove or hand extended toward the runner to restrict his baseline. A fielder's movement toward the runner is sufficient.
You should check with your individual association to see if you should be making the baseline rule call under the 2017 revised rule or if you should stay with the old 2016 rule.
The rundown rule has not changed. During a rundown, the runner's restricted 3-foot baseline starts the moment the rundown begins. It is a line to the base he is going to and a line to the base he came from-and he has 3-feet...
Intersting & Controversial
One of the most interesting and controversial plays of the 2017 season occurred in a Southeastern Conference game played on May 1 in Oxford, MS between Mississippi and Alabama. In the top of the third inning the Crimson Tide’s Bailey Hemphill hit the ball over the fence to apparently tie the game at three. However, as she celebrated crossing the plate, she jumped over and missed the plate.
The umpire clearly noted that Hemphill had missed the plate and provided a new ball to Ole Miss. As she neared but did not enter her dugout her teammates directed her to return to and touch the plate. When she attempted to do that she was tagged out by the Rebels catcher and promptly ruled out setting off a huge argument and controversy.
The following day the NCAA issued a statement addressing this play...
Stop It Now - Part IV
In certain scenarios, umpires have to make quick, almost split-second, decisions about whether to keep the ball live or to kill it. Although the play may ultimately be ruled correctly, hesitation will create the aura of indecision or lack of rules knowledge and that may cause further problems. Here are some situations where the decision of interference or not must be made rapidly. Except where noted, the material applies equally to NFHS, NCAA and pro rules.
The running lane. When a batter becomes a runner, he is relatively unrestricted in how he runs the bases. Unless he hits a fair ball that is fielded in the vicinity of the plate, he may take any path to first and also to any other base unless a play is being made on him.
The purpose of the three-foot wide lane along the last half of the...
Stop It Now - Part III
When a non-routine play occurs, umpires must quickly recognize whether the ball is immediately dead or whether play should continue. The columns of the previous two months examined six types of interference involving the batter-runner or a runner that cause the ball to become immediately dead. Here are additional types of interference that also result in an immediate dead ball. Except where noted, the material applies equally to NFHS, NCAA and pro rules.
Runner interference on foul fly ball. If a runner interferes with a fielder trying to catch a foul ball, the runner is out. The ball is immediately dead and the batter is charged with a strike unless he had two strikes (NFHS 5-1-1e, 8-4-2g; 8-5d; pro 6.01a10 Cmt/7.09j Cmt, PBUC 7.6).
Catcher-batter contact. If a catcher and the batter-runner...
When It's Not Covered
Every few months it’s great to go back and review some of the questions received on rules and umpire mechanics. Sometimes these are covered in the rulebook and other times we just need to do the best we can to come up with an answer that makes the most sense applying the intent of the rule. Here are a few that have come up this spring:
· Question - I saw a game where a player passed her bat over the fence to her father who had it in the stands for a few outs. When it came her time to bat again he passed it back over the fence. Ruling – When the bat is returned to the field I would suggest re-inspecting it and ask the coach why it is being removed. Unless there is good reason the bat should be in the dugout the entire game.
· Question - Is it permissible for a player to have a medical piercing...
No Infield Fly Rule Call Results in a Triple Play
The Orioles pulled off a strange triple play at the expense of the Red Sox in Boston's 5-2 win on May 2. With runners on first and second and no outs in the bottom of the eighth, Jackie Bradley Jr. skied a popup behind shortstop. O’s shortstop, J.J. Hardy, called off left fielder Joey Rickard before the ball fell between both players.
Confusion plagued the Sox runners. Hardy quickly fired to second baseman Jonathan Schoop, who tagged Mitch Moreland as he stood a few steps off of second base, then stepped on second to force out Dustin Pedroia, and threw to Chris Davis to record the third out at first on Bradley, who quite never touched first base. Thinking the Infield Fly Rule would be invoked, Bradley peeled off and headed to the dugout just before reaching first base.
Schoop wisely tagged...
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2017 MLB Umpire Manual
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The Diamond Challenge DVD includes a 25 question rules test of the most interesting plays in baseball. Following the rules test, Jim walks you through each play and explains each of them in depth along with the key elements.
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