Teaching a Cadet Class

How much time do you have (hours per session and number of sessions)? What is the age range of the umpires? How many were recently (or currently are) baseball players?

 

If the group is younger baseball players, I'd start with the Rules Myths sheet. It's a great eye-opener to those who played the game. After that, I'd focus some on fair/foul, using a fair/foul sheet as a way to emphasize the different rules.

 

Those two, along with a "What to expect" presentation, would help in showing how difficult the rules can be to learn, yet how important it is for them to learn.

 

I've got a copy of both floating around and can send it if you need.

From my experience you're going to get a lot of "When can I throw someone out of a game?" Questions, especially from younger umpires.

If these are young umpires, stick with the basics, safe/out, fair/foul, ball/strike. If you get too deep into the rules you are going to confuse them. Focus on proper mechanics, positioning,  and communication. Stress proper attire and hustle while on the field.

Maybe in the middle of the season have another, more advanced, class when you start going over more rules and case book review.

Right now I am teaching the NFHS Rulebook. This is a High School Umpires course and I am having a ton of fun! I had 34 years of fun as a High School teacher!!! I am using the NFHS Rules, Case, Rules By topic and Rules Simplified & Illustrated. Sprinkled with some real life examples. Yawetag I will "take" anything that you think would help! Thanks.

Coach, right now it's rules, in March we will go out and hold an outdoor popsitioning (Mechanics) clinic.I haven't had any when to throw them out comments yet!

 

I've attached the fair/foul test and the rules myths. If you have any questions, let me know.

Thank you so much!!!!

Also touch on the differences between OBR and NFHS rule sets.

Thanks coach,this is only an NFHS Rules class, but i'm sure some thiings WILL come up!.

I understand that... but guys coming from an OBR rule set background need to know the differences between the two so they don't muck up a situation. That was the hardest thing for me when bouncing back and forth between high school, college, independent ball, and America Legion games.

Having recently been through the NHFS cadet class, and having coached LL for many years before that, the thing I found most helpful were... (obviously after Rules)

1. Mechanics

2. Situations

3. Intrepretations

What we did not have but I would have liked...

1. Doing scrimage games with evaluators that can show you what you did wrong and why.

2. Video of our on field performance to evaluate at a later time in class with critical recomendations.

3. Less book work, more active, hands on experience.

Thanks NewUmpire. I have the first 3 scheduled and 2 of the second 3, the only thing I do not have is video equipment. I do have a position clinic available to them just to get video taped (HP andFIELD)...this same clinic was helpful to me a few years ago!

yawetag... thanks for the quizzes.  I know that you qualified the answers as being under OBR.   Under NFHS, # 9... would that be a fair ball?  We were taught in cadet class that there is an imaginary line that runs between 1st and third, behind the pitchers rubber.  That if a ball crosses that line then kicks foul it is treated as a fair ball.  That crossing that line is equal to passing the base.  Unlike #2, where the pitching rubber is before that imaginary line.

You are correct. The answers are OBR-based, so that would change for Fed. Good catch.

Thank you for you responses!!!