Volunteer
Umpires
The Fairfax Little League depends
upon volunteer umpires to officiate the supervised baseball program. Both adults and
youth are encouraged to volunteer to provide this essential service. Youth
volunteers are reimbursed for their expenses in providing umpiring services. Adult
volunteers perform without reimbursement. Each Little League team is requested to
provide one adult, normally a parent, to serve as the designated team volunteer umpire.
This designated team umpire should be prepared to umpire the game if other
volunteer umpires are not available.
To support the League's umpire
training and development needs, the Board of Directors established in 1997 a volunteer
organization of adults and qualified youth named the Fairfax Baseball Official Association
(FBOA). This group of qualified umpires conducts training for all volunteer umpires,
managers, coaches, and parents and works with new and experienced umpires throughout the
season in an effort to give our players and our umpires the best game playing environment
possible. New volunteer adults qualify for membership in this association by
expressing their interest, attending training classes, and agreeing to actively umpire
Fairfax Little League games. Members of the association are provided uniforms and
equipment, as well as the opportunity to purchase additional equipment at reduced
costs. Members are also afforded the opportunity to attend umpire training clinics
around the state and the week long course in St. Petersburg, FL, and Williamsport,
PA. Members of the FBOA are also certified to the District Administrator as being
qualified to umpire at the District and above levels.
Umpiring is great fun and is as much
a part of the game as is playing itself. If you are interested in volunteering
(adult or youth), you may make your interest known by indicating on the player
registration form during registration, or by calling the league telephone number
(591-5341), and leaving your name and phone number. Our umpire association members
will contact you. It is a rewarding feeling to walk off the field after a game,
knowing that you have made a difference in the Little League playing experience of our
players.
The Chief Umpire provides training
to all volunteer umpires in both classroom and field situations before the season starts,
and is available to conduct additional training during the season as needed.
Training subjects include Playing Regulations and Rules, Local
Rules, and procedures used to officiate Little League baseball as the home plate or
base umpire. Click here to see the Umpire
Training Schedule.
Our umpires strive to develop an
understanding of and appreciation for the capabilities and limitations of young athletes
playing Little League Baseball. A trained umpire can and does inspire children to
abide by the rules and to recognize authority while at the same time increasing their
enjoyment of the game.
No game is better without umpires.
Ask any of the young athletes who have played a baseball game which had no official
umpires, or not enough umpires, and you will find children who feel slighted when
"makeshift" umpiring is all that is provided. To the youngsters in our
program, it doesn't seem like a "real" game without "real" umpires.
Volunteer umpires are assigned to
games on the basis of ability and experience, with the most qualified officiating at the
Major League and Junior Division levels. The League attempts to assign umpires to
officiate all games at the Double A and Triple A levels of the Minor Leagues.
Designated team umpires are requested to umpire at the Single A and T-Ball levels of play.
Umpiring is important, fun, and a
great way to support our Little League program. We encourage everyone to try it.
Please be supportive with our beginning umpires, for they will be the backbone of
the umpires corps for years to come. And remember, before you yell at
"blue" behind the plate, ask yourself, can I really make the right call from my
seat? And if the umpiring skills are not what you think they should be, we'll gladly
sign you up!!
We hope each of you will give
serious thought to volunteering as an umpire. Your efforts in this area will ensure
a more pleasurable season for all!!!
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