Last updated on October 27th, 2023 at 07:26 am
The umpire in both baseball and softball helps enforce the rules, make calls on plays, and keep the flow of the game moving. A little league baseball game might only have a home plate umpire who has to watch everything. In contrast, a Major League Baseball game might have a handful of referees watching specific areas during matches.
So, what is the role of each umpire during a game? Do umpires need to go to an umpire school to get up to the MLB level? How does technology factor into umpiring for today and in the future?
Here is the complete breakdown of what a professional umpire does during baseball and softball games.
What is the Role of Each Umpire During a Baseball/Softball Game?
A regular-season baseball/softball game tends to have four umpires around the diamond. For the MLB All-Star game, playoffs/ postseason, and World Series, two more referees are added to the mix. Here is the breakdown of the umpiring crew that you will see during baseball and softball games.
Home Plate Umpire
The home plate umpire is the head of all umpires on the field. Their role is to call balls and strikes, grant timeouts for pitchers and hitters, make calls at the plate, enforce the rulebook, and eject players or fans from the game. In addition to that, the home plate umpire is the one that works on lineup card changes with the managers. Finally, the home plate umpire wears a chest protector and facemask to protect themselves since they are standing directly behind the catcher.
First Base Umpire
The first base umpire calls safe or out when the baserunner is running to first base. In addition to that, they need to call fair and foul balls that land close to the foul lines quickly during plays. Finally, the first base umpire needs to be able to watch home runs down the right-field line to help assist the home plate umpire if they need assistance on a call.
Second Base Umpire
The second base umpire focuses on plays at the second base. They need to be ready to make a safe or out call during steal attempts and more at second base.
Third Base Umpire
The third base umpire must make accurate calls at third base on plays. Along with making calls at the base, they need to call fair and foul balls that are hit to the left-field side of the field. Finally, they should watch home runs hit to make sure they left the ballpark and did not have any fan interference or could be foul.
Left Field Umpire / Right Field Umpire
During the MLB All-Star Game and playoffs, the left field and right field umpire join the umpire crew for the game. Their role is to watch close plays in the outfield, like if a ball lands fair or foul and if the outfielder was able to make a catch on a slide. In addition, they have the best angle on home runs hit to left field, so they assist on close calls and fan interference that can occur on controversial home runs.
How Do Umpires Get Selected to Work Playoff Professional Baseball Games?
Major League Baseball takes the best of the best umpires each season to put them on during postseason games. Since there is plenty of tracking on an umpire’s performance, MLB can determine who is best to be the umpire-in-chief / crew chief during matches based on their track record. Since the postseason games have more TV audience attention and media coverage, MLB chooses the umpires who can perform their job and role the best to help call those games.
Conclusion: What is the Umpire’s Role in Baseball and Softball Games?
In summary, an umpire in baseball and softball helps enforce the rules and keep the flow of the game moving. There are multiple umpires on the field that each has a specific role in making accurate calls. Even with technology in baseball and softball games, umpires still have a critical role to play.
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Greg Kristan, owner of The Stadium Reviews, LLC and TM Blast, LLC, brings his extensive experience visiting over half of the MLB ballparks, along with numerous MLS, NHL, NBA, and NFL venues, to provide in-depth coverage on the bag policy, food options, and parking. He has also been interviewed about his experiences on several sports podcasts.