Umpiring Course 20/11

On Thursday this week (20/11), at 6pm, Barry Barnes will be coming to Viking Park to run a short course on umpiring.

You might be asking yourself why you would attend this course - and we really would like as many people to attend as possible.

• For new players, this course will help deepen your understanding of the game and of the decisions made by umpires. It will be beneficial to your learning, and you are encouraged to attend, even if you never do any umpiring in the future.
  
• For parents of juniors, this could enable you to help out coaches more in training and at matches, as well as to help you understand the decisions during your child's games. It is not a requirement for U8/U10/U12/U14 players, but parents may be interested.
  
• This activity is mandatory for senior players and any juniors who are already umpiring who are not yet qualified, it is important that as many of you attend as possible - seniors do have a requirement to fulfill umpiring duties each season, so the more educated you are about how to do the job, the more confident you will be.

All attendees will receive a Level-0 qualification. ACT Baseball will pay us for umpires who have this qualification, which allows us to pay our younger umpires. Unqualified umpires are not funded by ACTBA.

We would like to have as many people attending as possible to maximise the knowledge and skills in the club.

New "collisions at home plate" rule

ACTBA adopts MLB's official "Collisions at home plate" rule.

http://www.act.baseball.com.au/News/ArtMID/7119/ArticleID/11259/ACTBA-Adopts-MLBs-Official-Collisions-at-Home-Plate-Rule-

OFFICIAL BASEBALL RULE 7.13

COLLISIONS AT HOME PLATE

1.      A runner attempting to score may not deviate from his direct pathway to the plate in order to initiate contact with the catcher (or other player covering home plate). If, in the judgment of the Umpire, a runner attempting to score initiates contact with the catcher (or other player covering home plate) in such a manner, the Umpire shall declare the runner out (even if the player covering home plate loses possession of the ball). In such circumstances, the Umpire shall call the ball dead, and all other base runners shall return to the last base touched at the time of the collision.

Rule 7.13 Comment:  The failure by the runner to make an effort to touch the plate, the runner's lowering of the shoulder, or the runner's pushing through with his hands, elbows or arms, would support a determination that the runner deviated from the pathway in order to initiate contact with the catcher in violation of Rule 7.13. If the runner slides into the plate in an appropriate manner, he shall not be adjudged to have violated Rule 7.13. A slide shall be deemed appropriate, in the case of a feet first slide, if the runner's buttocks and legs should hit the ground before contact with the catcher. In the case of a head first slide, a runner shall be deemed to have slid appropriately if his body should hit the ground before contact with the catcher.

2.      Unless the catcher is in possession of the ball, the catcher cannot block the pathway of the runner as he is attempting to score. If, in the judgment of the Umpire, the catcher without possession of the ball blocks the pathway of the runner, the Umpire shall call or signal the runner safe. Notwithstanding the above, it shall not be considered a violation of this Rule 7.13 if the catcher blocks the pathway of the runner in order to field a throw, and the Umpire determines that the catcher could not have fielded the ball without blocking the pathway of the runner and that contact with the runner was unavoidable.

Umpiring - seeking expressions of interest

Vikings Baseball needs more umpires

We are seeking expressions of interest for Level 0 umpires.

If you think you might be interested, please send your name to our club email address so that we can work out numbers: vikingsbaseballtuggeranong@gmail.com.

You will be contacted when we have worked out dates.

We need club umpires

Vikings Baseball needs more Level 0 umpires in order to meet our commitments. This is for Saturday games only.

 

The ACT Baseball Umpires Association will be staging a Level O Umpiring Course prior to the start of the 2014-2015 season.  Attending a Level O Course is a requirement for those who are going to umpire ACT Baseball Association games -- Juniors, Seniors, or Women's.

The Course takes the form of an evening-long introduction to responsibilities, rules, methods, and positioning; follows an Australian Baseball Federation-mandated format; and will conclude with an open-ended question-and-answer period.

The Course will start at 7:00pm on Tuesday, August 26th

Location:
West Belconnen Fire & Rescue Station
5 Lhotsky St, Charnwood
Cnr Lhotsky St and Tillyard Drive

Please note: Limited public parking on-site but, parking is available straight across the road at McDonalds or in the Charnwood shopping centre

The following Saturday, the 30th of August, there will be a non-mandatory on-field session at Narrabundah for those who have attended that, or any other, Level O course and wish further instruction on signals, positioning, and game management.

Those who plan to attend, or those who have questions about the Course, or anything further to do with umpiring should contact Bill O'Malley by e-mail:   wjomalley@yahoo.com.au