Editor’s Note: This is the second of a two part series on Senior League Umpires

To define a good "senior" umpire you begin by asking, "Does he know the rules?" All of you senior players out there know exactly what this means. Many times you have seen the problems that it can cause in a game, when the assigned umpires do not really know all of the rules. Beginning with the double home plate (or scoring line) and moving all the way up the scale into some of the special rules. Instances like, "We’re using the run-by rule, so whose fault is it when the runner and baseman have a collision at the bag? Or some managers asking the home plate umpire if he forgot to announce the last inning, ("I didn’t hear him_and now that it’s too late to start another inning and you didn’t announce the last inning, how can we play the last inning? We didn’t KNOW it was the last inning. We would have played it differently-and now we’ve lost!")

A few things a good senior umpire must remember to take to the field with him are a keen eye on the wristwatch, a lot of communication with the managers and an extra large bag of patience. You know what I mean. It’s a difficult game to call. The umpire not only has to know the basic ASA rules well, but as mentioned before, he must be up on the latest revisions of his local senior league. It’s probably the only time in adult softball, that at the pre-game home plate meeting with the managers, the umpire actually has to ask if there are any rules he should be informed about. The senior players understand, even with the best senior umpires out there, something always seems to come up in every game regarding the rules. This part of the game becomes a minor hassle dealt with by all involved. But in the end, according to the huge, over-the-fence numbers of seniors (men and women) coming out to get involved in this great game it appears to be worth it.

One of the umpire calls of interest (to umpires) is the "out" or "safe" call at home plate. With two home plates in senior ball, the catcher touches the original home plate with ball in possession, while the runner touches the second (scoring) plate. The one who gets their first-wins! But exactly WHERE the umpire aligns himself up for this split call, is an interesting study. It’s definitely not in the "normal" position. No senior organization or any of the associations have addressed this and similar techniques for the senior umpire. Although ASA has senior rules scattered throughout its rulebook, they are not consolidated into a separate section, which I feel would benefit the umpires and players greatly.

Some of you ASA leaders and presidents within your districts, why not give a special training class for your umps regarding the senior division? Have it in mind to get some of them geared up to even go to regional and national tournaments. This senior bracket will only fill up more through the coming years. Come on, Blue, let’s get in the Game!

Communication by umpires is a vital game tool and must be an open door policy, especially with the senior players. An umpire who is not communicating with the players will not succeed and seniors (don’t tell anyone) cannot hear as well anymore and they also need a bit more time to grasp a situation. Senior league umpires need to slow down! Relax and listen to them. Sometimes it takes two bags of patience to go out there.

I have seen how an experienced umpire, with a smile on his face, can talk himself right out of a huge blunder. It’s all in how you do it. Show the players that you care about them and their rules and will take the time to get it right. This courtesy is especially true at the senior league level. An easy, friendly attitude by the umpire toward the players can go a long way in preserving his own sanity (and his hind end). As players, we sort of like it when we see the umpire get the two managers together for a quick conference to get the ruling straight on a particularly tough play. An understanding senior player respects an umpire that will stop everything and try to get the call right. And then everyone needs to live with the call. As Michael Vaughn, columnist for SWM said about this stressful situation in his column, "Complain only when you’re right. Bitch about enough calls that could realistically go either way, and you’ll never get a call again."

Being especially patient with the seniors is really not that hard. Slow down into their pace of the game. After all, these guys generally aren’t in a big hurry and that gives the Blue a little extra time to see it and get it right. What they really want is a safe, fair, fun ball game. These guys need you, but at the same time they’re examining you like no other ball players will_Through the eyes of combined years of experience and having seen ‘most’ of it all.

Umpiring softball, in general, comes with a built-in game-grumble-ticker, equipped even with an occasional explosion clause. Granted that most of the seniors are slower to complain to the umpires than other men’s leagues, still, umps will make bad calls and they are only human. If you need to comment, keep it in the dugout until a later time. In this senior game, where things are understandably slowed down, it can lull you into a pace where everything seems predictable: That’s the first mistake. Just because the runners are comparatively slower that the younger people, does not mean that the plays at the bags will not be just as close. Anticipation is the umpire’s primary weapon; not getting the jump is what everybody notices; you are always wrong in a close call then. The fact that the senior game is a bit slower is NEVER a reason for an umpire to not always be hustling. These old ballplayers have seen it all-what do you think they are doing out there, napping? They’re at a pinnacle in their lives that only they know about. They are living out a dream-and how can you improve on that? Just don’t get in their way. Just be part of it, Blue-it’s worth it all!