Proper Umpiring Technique

I agree, I recently witness the same thing. Umpire using the traditional mask with just a ballcap. Late innings he ducks on a foul tip on the noggin, he goes down after several minutes he's back up to finish the game that went 15 innings.

Sounds like a couple of new or obviously untrained umpires....One of the first things you need to have is confidence in the gear that you wear to provide you with a modicum of protection...

A good portion of that comes from the proper use and fit of the mask/chest protector and postioning....stay square to the ball and head straight minimizes the exposed areas....but its not easy....let a full grown manchild throw a rock at you at 80 MPH and not flinch, blink or duck.....

It can be a little like when you are watching a game on TV and a foul ball hits the net right behind the plate and the fans scatter like hens....even though they know they are sitting behind a protective screen... its a defense mechanism that the new or untrained have yet to lose....

Some never can adapt to it....I know of some candidates that just can never get comfortable with being hit...and thats what it is.....getting hit....or better yet, disregarding the invietable hits you are going to take....

Oftentimes the quality of the catcher can bring the ducks/yips and blinks on to an umpire....and umpire can only be expected to do his job so well if he is constantly being hit by balls from inept catchers....

Fortunately most coaches at higher levels understand that good catchers are highy valuable to a winning program.....good catchers get good pitchers more strikes,.....

I have seen a fellow umpire struck down by a fast ball in a national chanpionship game when he held his head too low.....he went down for a good 20 mins while they stitched up the cut...and he finished the game......but he's lucky it didnt kill him

This is exactly what I tell my catchers...trust your equipment. Your parents spent a lot of money on it, let it do it's job!

Trust your equipment is exactly it.

I have heard in umpiring school instructors will sometimes throw balls at an umpiring mask to get them to trust their equipment.

Not mention moving their head will hurt their ability to call a pitch a strike or not.

quote:

Originally posted by ThinkPitching:
Trust your equipment is exactly it.

I have heard in umpiring school instructors will sometimes throw balls at an umpiring mask to get them to trust their equipment.

And learn not to flinch or blink.