Hillside Little League - Omaha, Nebraska

Hillside Little League - Omaha, Nebraska

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What's available to umpires...

The following images and explanations may not reflect exactly what is found in the Snack Shack due to changes in equipment, rules, etc. throughout the season but is helpful in understanding what is available to our umpires.

Ump Accessory Box

This ump accessory box is located on the back wall of the Snack Shack, to the left, as you enter the back door. It contains all the non-protective equipment our umps need to perform their very important roles as impartial Little League umpires each game.

Clickers & Brushes

Perhaps the most important tool an umpire needs is a "clicker" to keep track of balls, strikes and outs throughout their game. Ideally, the clicker should be held in the left hand throughout the game.

Plate brushes are also handy to quickly clear home plate of dirt, especially after a runner slides into the plate. It sure beats using a hand or shoe to clean the plate! Be sure to call "Time!" when getting ready to clean the plate and umps should bend over to clean the plate with their butts facing the pitcher, not the fans in the stands.

Clipboards

The clipboards are not only to be used to hold ump slips, ump cards, pens, etc. but contain division-specific rules to be referenced before and during games. It is very important to read the rules associated with the game you are covering to prevent problems, especially if you are unfamiliar with them.

Baseball rules are on the front and softball rules are on the back. Key softball rules are at the bottom to highlight key differences between baseball and softball rules many baseball players are usually not very familiar with.

The obvious goal is to provide as much guidance to you so your experience during the game is great and the players, coaches and fans hopefully feel the same.

Ump Slips

Before each game, fill out the date, field #, gendered game, division, scheduled slot, your name and the scheduled start time.

The game officially begins when the pitcher throws their first practice pitch. Write that time down anywhere on the slip and announce loudly when the game clock has started so everybody knows in order to prevent problems at the end. The game completion time is dependent on what the front of the ump card says for the specific game you are covering. See the Ump Card section on this page for specifics. No new innings are to begin after the time has expired.

Once your game is finished, attempt to have each head coach sign the slip and hopefully they will provide comments, also. Sometimes they will ask an assistant coach to sign, instead.

Don't worry about having coaches enter pitch counts. This section will be removed in future batches of slips.

Return to the Snack Shack and what you circle will determine what pay you receive from the person running the Snack Shack after your game.

Ump Cards

The ump cards are to be used as guidance before and during your games. They are especially important during your plate meeting because the back contains what should be discussed and understood by each head coach. The coaches are free to discuss other rules or seek clarifications from you, also.

The front shows game-specific info that can be discussed during the plate meeting, also.

Time/Inn Limit: expressed in hour/min and the max number of innings to be played before time expires. No new innings are to start after time has expired.

Home Open: If "N", runners who are stopped at 3rd base may not steal home on passed balls. If "Y", runners may attempt to steal home on passed balls. If a play is made at 3rd base and is overthrown, the runner may attempt to run home.

Infield Fly: If "N", the infield fly rule is not in effect. If "Y", the rule is in effect.

Check Bats: before all baseball games, a bat inspection by the plate umpire is required to ensure only the USA logo is present on any bat to be used during Minor and Major baseball games. This is to occur in each dugout. Any bats found to be ineligible must be reported to the player's head coach and warned the bat is not be used during your game. Softball bats have no required logos in Little League games so no need to check them. Reserve and JV bats can have the BBCOR logo on them instead.

Max Fielders: Farm games can have ten defensive players. Minor games can have up to ten defensive players as long as both coaches agree during the plate meeting. All other divisions are limited to nine defensive players.

Uncaught (aka: dropped) 3rd: If "N", the rule is not in effect. If "Y", the rule is in effect. Major baseball rules for games played at Hillside specify the uncaught 3rd strike rule does not take effect until May 1st of the current season.

Run Max: this is the most runs a team can score per their half of the inning before that half of the inning is finished. A team cannot score more than listed even if there are additional active base runners yet to score during that half of the inning.

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