9.01 (a) The league president shall
appoint one or more umpires to officiate at each league championship game. The umpires
shall be responsible for the conduct of the game in accordance with these official
rules and for maintaining discipline and order on the playing field during the game.
(b) Each umpire is the representative of the
league and of professional baseball, and is authorized and required to enforce all
of these rules. Each umpire has authority to order a player, coach, manager or club
officer or employee to do or refrain from doing anything which affects the administering
of these rules, and to enforce the prescribed penalties.
(c) Each umpire has authority to rule on any
point not specifically covered in these rules.
(d) Each umpire has authority to disqualify
any player, coach, manager or substitute for objecting to decisions or for unsportsmanlike
conduct or language, and to eject such disqualified person from the playing field.
If an umpire disqualifies a player while a play is in progress, the disqualification
shall not take effect until no further action is possible in that play.
(e) Each umpire has authority at his discretion
to eject from the playing field (1) any person whose duties permit his presence on
the field, such as ground crew members, ushers, photographers, newsmen, broadcasting
crew members, etc., and (2) any spectator or other person not authorized to be on
the playing field.
9.02 (a) Any umpire's decision
which involves judgment, such as, but not limited to, whether a batted ball is fair
or foul, whether a pitch is a strike or a ball, or whether a runner is safe or out,
is final. No player, manager, coach or substitute shall object to any such judgment
decisions.
(a) Players leaving their position in the field
or on base, or managers or coaches leaving the bench or coaches box, to argue on
BALLS AND STRIKES will not be permitted. They should be warned if they start for
the plate to protest the call. If they continue, they will be ejected from the game.
(b) If there is reasonable doubt that any umpire's
decision may be in conflict with the rules, the manager may appeal the decision and
ask that a correct ruling be made. Such appeal shall be made only to the umpire who
made the protested decision.
(c) If a decision is appealed, the umpire making
the decision may ask another umpire for information before making a final decision.
No umpire shall criticize, seek to reverse or interfere with another umpire's decision
unless asked to do so by the umpire making it.
(c) The manager or the catcher may request the
plate umpire to ask his partner for help on a half swing when the plate umpire calls
the pitch a ball, but not when the pitch is called a strike. The manager may not
complain that the umpire made an improper call, but only that he did not ask his
partner for help. Field umpires must be alerted to the request from the plate umpire
and quickly respond. Managers may not protest the call of a ball or strike on the
pretense they are asking for information about a half swing. Appeals on a half swing
may be made only on the call of ball and when asked to appeal, the home plate umpire
must refer to a base umpire for his judgment on the half swing. Should the base umpire
call the pitch a strike, the strike call shall prevail. Baserunners must be alert
to the possibility that the base umpire on appeal from the plate umpire may reverse
the call of a ball to the call of a strike, in which event the runner is in jeopardy
of being out by the catcher's throw. Also, a catcher must be alert in a base stealing
situation if a ball call is reversed to a strike by the base umpire upon appeal from
the plate umpire. The ball is in play on appeal on a half swing. On a half swing,
if the manager comes out to argue with first or third base umpire and if after being
warned he persists in arguing, he can be ejected as he is now arguing over a called
ball or strike.
(d) No umpire may be replaced during a game
unless he is injured or becomes ill.
9.03 (a) If there is only one umpire,
he shall have complete jurisdiction in administering the rules. He may take any position
on the playing field which will enable him to discharge his duties (usually) behind
the catcher, but sometimes behind the pitcher if there are runners).
(b) If there are two or more umpires, one shall
be designated umpire in chief and the others field umpires.
9.04 (a) The umpire in chief shall
stand behind the catcher. (He usually is called the plate umpire.) His duties shall
be to:
(1) Take
full charge of, and be responsible for, the proper conduct of the game;
(2) Call
and count balls and strike;
(3) Call
and declare fair balls and fouls except those commonly called by field umpires;
(4) Make
all decisions on the batter;
(5) Make
all decisions except those commonly reserved for the field umpires;
(6) Decide
when a game shall be forfeited;
(7) If a
time limit has been set, announce the fact and the time set before the game starts;
(8) Inform
the official scorer of the official batting order, and any changes in the lineups
and batting order, on request;
(9) Announce
any special ground rules, at his discretion.
(b) A field umpire may take any position on
the playing field he thinks best suited to make impending decisions on the bases.
His duties shall be to:
(1) Make
all decisions on the bases except those specifically reserved to the umpire in chief;
(2) Take
concurrent jurisdiction with the umpire in chief in calling "Time," balks,
illegal pitches, or defacement or discoloration of the ball by any player.
(3) Aid
the umpire in chief in every manner in enforcing the rules, and excepting the power
to forfeit the game, shall have equal authority with the umpire in chief in administering
and enforcing the rules and maintaining discipline.
(c) If different decisions should be made on
one play by different umpires, the umpire in chief shall call all the umpires into
consultation, with no manager or player present. After consultation, the umpire in
chief (unless another umpire may have been designated by the league president) shall
determine which decision shall prevail, based on which umpire was in best position
and which decision was most likely correct. Play shall proceed as if only the final
decision had been made.
9.05 (a) The umpire shall report
to the league president within twelve hours after the end of a game all violations
of rules and other incidents worthy of comment, including the disqualification of
any trainer, manager, coach or player, and the reasons therefor.
(b) When any trainer, manager, coach or player
is disqualified for a flagrant offense such as the use of obscene or indecent language,
or an assault upon an umpire, trainer, manager, coach or player, the umpire shall
forward full particulars to the league president within four hours after the end
of the game.
(c) After receiving the umpire's report that
a trainer, manager, coach or player has been disqualified, the league president shall
impose such penalty as he deems justified, and shall notify the person penalized
and the manager of the club of which the penalized person is a member. If the penalty
includes a fine, the penalized person shall pay the amount of the fine to the league
within five days after receiving notice of the fine. Failure to pay such fine within
five days shall result in the offender being debarred from participation in any game
and from sitting on the players' bench during any game, until the fine is paid.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO UMPIRE
Umpires, on the field, should not indulge in conversation with players. Keep out
of the coaching box and do not talk to the coach on duty.
Keep your uniform in good condition. Be active and alert on the field.
Be courteous, always, to club officials; avoid visiting in club offices and thoughtless
familiarity with officers or employees of contesting clubs. When you enter a ball
park your sole duty is to umpire a ball game as the representative of baseball.
Do not allow criticism to keep you from studying out bad situations that may lead
to protested games. Carry your rule book. It is better to consult the rules and hold
up the game ten minutes to decide a knotty problem than to have a game thrown out
on protest and replayed.
Keep the game moving. A ball game is often helped by energetic and earnest work of
the umpires.
You are the only official representative of baseball on the ball field. It is often
a trying position which requires the exercise of much patience and good judgment,
but do not forget that the first essential in working out of a bad situation is to
keep your own temper and self control.
You no doubt are going to make mistakes, but never attempt to "even up"
after having made one. Make all decisions as you see them and forget which is the
home or visiting club.
Keep your eye everlastingly on the ball while it is in play. It is more vital to
know just where a fly ball fell, or a thrown ball finished up, than whether or not
a runner missed a base. Do not call the plays too quickly, or turn away too fast
when a fielder is throwing to complete a double play. Watch out for dropped balls
after you have called a man out.
Do not come running with your arm up or down, denoting "out" or "safe."
Wait until the play is completed before making any arm motion.
Each umpire team should work out a simple set of signals, so the proper umpire can
always right a manifestly wrong decision when convinced he has made an error. If
sure you got the play correctly, do not be stampeded by players' appeals to "ask
the other man." If not sure, ask one of your associates. Do not carry this to
extremes, be alert and get your own plays. But remember! The first requisite is to
get decisions correctly. If in doubt don't hesitate to consult your associate. Umpire
dignity is important but never as important as "being right."
A most important rule for umpires is always "BE IN POSITION TO SEE EVERY PLAY."
Even though your decision may be 100% right, players still question it if they feel
you were not in a spot to see the play clearly and definitely.
Finally, be courteous, impartial and firm, and so compel respect from all.