A note to prospective umpires, parents, players, managers, and coaches:
We are excited to offer both a youth and adult umpiring program to help shape our Little League and enhance the baseball and softball experience for our youth athletes and coaches. This is a great opportunity to develop leadership skills and be involved in the community. The following are some common questions regarding our umpire program.
What are the age requirements?
Anyone over 18 may register to join as a senior umpire.
Junior umpires need to be at least 12 and have aged out of the league, and our youth program is for kids 10-12 still in Little League.
Is it hard?
No! It is not hard to become a baseball or softball umpire. A basic knowledge of the game helps, though we will teach anyone who brings a great attitude, hustle, and commitment to work hard and always improve how to become an umpire.
Ok, but is it fun?
Yes! Umpires become a third team on the field, working together, sharing experiences, and developing camaraderie. The group typically has a shared sense of community, a commitment to making games a great experience for everyone, and a willingness to mentor each other.
How do I become an umpire?
Register at the link HERE. Once the registration is completed, you will need to study the baseball and softball rules, attend a rules clinic, pass an online exam, and join us for a two day field clinic to learn the mechanics, signals, and get used to being in the game.
What is the time commitment?
You set your own schedule, choosing the dates you are available. Each game is about two hours with doubleheaders the preferred, but not required, shift. You should arrive at the field about 30 minutes before the first pitch to meet with your partner, mentally prepare, and conduct the plate meeting with the coaches. We also require attendance of a rules clinic, a rules exam, and attending a field clinic prior to the start of the season.
What about equipment?
Umpiring does require some special equipment to work safely behind the plate. We would like you to invest in a sport style or umpire’s collared shirt in both powder blue and black (Under Armour UA Uniform, or Smitty’s Pro), charcoal gray pants, and black athletic shoes. Make sure the shirt is big enough to put chest protector underneath! CFLL encourages you to acquire your own gear, however, we will provide access to League-provided plate gear. The appropriate equipment is listed in the CFLL Umpire guidebook along with some places to buy the equipment. Upon completion of the field clinic, you’ll get a CFLL umpire’s hat suitable for plate or field work.
What training is provided?
We ask that you acquire the Little League rules app and attend a mandatory rules clinic to discuss rule changes, League-specific rules, questions, and commonly misunderstood or misapplied rules. We encourage you to get to know the rule books and explore situations online before the exam. CFLL will offer a field clinic before each season to cover positioning, rotations, communication, signals, plate work, and situations - collectively called “mechanics”. For those needing assistance throughout the season, we may host mini-clinics as needed. Each umpire must complete a field clinic every year.
Can I umpire my kid’s game? Can my son (daughter) umpire his (her) brother (sister's) game?
Our umpires are well-trained and capable of working any game with the highest of integrity. However, we ask that no umpire work a game with family playing or coaching, or for a coach you played for in the last three years. We also realize that circumstances may arise which cause this situation to be unavoidable, and we may staff a game this way out of necessity. However, this would be a last resort as those situations presents a no-win situation for the coaches, the player, or the umpire.
What levels will I be officiating?
Your ability to officiate various levels of CFLL League play will initially depend on your test score and how you are evaluated at the field clinic. As the season goes on, we will conduct additional evaluations and provide feedback to work on. With improvement in timing, judgment, hustle, and more, you will earn the responsibility to work higher levels and more challenging games.
For more information, please contact us at [email protected].