How to Become an Umpire

Co-authored by Eric McClure

Last Updated: December 5, 2021 References

Being an umpire is a tough and rewarding job. As an umpire, you’re in charge of making a variety of subjective calls and rulings over the course of a baseball game. While this can be a lot of fun, it can also be quite challenging. To be an umpire, you have to have thick skin and the ability to deal with adversity and conflict. Once you’ve learned the game inside and out, you can look for positions at a park district or little league association. With some experience, you can move up to high school or collegiate ball before attending an umpire school. With enough hard work and dedication, an umpire school may recommend you for the professional leagues!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Studying the Craft

1
Learn the rules of the game by studying them. Anyone that has played or watched a lot of baseball should be familiar with the rules surrounding strikes, balls, walks, hits, and runs. However, as an umpire you’ll need to learn the more complex rules surrounding balks, ejections, and live balls. Look through the official rules of baseball by downloading them from the MLB’s website.^{[1]
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- MLB is an acronym for Major League Baseball, the official governing body of the sport of baseball.
- You can search for examples of strange and obscure rulings online to watch game footage of professional umpires handling odd scenarios.
2
Watch a lot of baseball and study the umpires by taking notes. You’ll learn a lot about what it takes to be an umpire by following and tracking the umpire’s behavior while you’re studying games. Watch professional games to get a sense for how umpires signal and put the ball into play. Keep a notepad nearby and jot down anything that you notice about how umpires position themselves behind the plate, or handle difficult situations to reference later as you develop your skills.
- Pay close attention to how umpires shift behind the plate to get a better view of the strike zone.
- You’ll probably notice that each umpire has different signals or styles. Try replicating an umpire’s motions in the privacy of your own home to get a sense for how each signal feels.
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3
Attend a class or workshop for local umpires to learn the basics. Little league organizations, minor league teams, and park districts all host rules clinics for potential umpires. For most people attending, these clinics are a form of professional development, but they’ll serve as an excellent forum to begin practicing your skills and learning how to handle tough situations.^{[2]
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- Local workshops also serve as an excellent opportunity to network and learn about potential opportunities.
4
Develop and memorize your hand signals by practicing. There are 7 key hand signals that you’ll need to memorize if you want to be an umpire: out/strike, timeout/dead ball, time out, foul tip, safe, fair ball, and play ball. Each signal can be modified to fit your personal style and levels of comfort, but they need to be easily distinguishable from one another and resemble the standard signals used in the professional leagues.^{[3]
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Tip: While it’s not mandatory, you can choose to use the same signal to call a player out or signal a strike. The same goes for timeouts and dead balls.^{[4]
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5
Practice vocalizing your calls loudly and with authority. Every signal an umpire makes must be accompanied by a verbal announcement. So if you want to call a strike, you must shout “strike!” as you make the hand signal for a strike. Each call must be made loudly and with confidence or you’ll seem unsure about your call. Practice matching your hand signals to strong announcements at home.^{[5]
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- Try not to bother your neighbors by practicing when they’re at work.
- You may notice that umpires use a distinct voice to make announcements (it sounds kind of like an old-time southern accent). Umpires use this voice so that players farther away from the plate can hear each vowel sound, making it easier to deduce a call if you can’t quite make out the hand signal.
6
Learn to deal with adversity and conflict. Umpires have to make a lot of subjective calls over the course of a baseball game. Because the nature of the sport requires so many judgement calls, you will discover quickly that umpires are frequently yelled at and argued with. Players, coaches, and spectators will often disagree with you, so make sure that you’re emotionally capable of handling the stress.^{[6]
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- If you tend to escalate conflicts when you’re angry, you may not have the right disposition for umpiring. Umpires have to work hard to handle disagreements professionally, even if the other party involved is acting aggressively.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Working at the Amateur Level

1
Inquire about openings at a local park district. Park districts often have their own in-house baseball leagues, and umpires are hard to find. Call or visit your local park district and explain that you’re interested in becoming an umpire. Most park districts will have a short training program and orientation that you can participate in with no experience necessary.
- You will have to complete a background check before umpiring youth sports.
- You typically don’t need to bring a resume or interview for umpiring positions at the park district level.
- Youth umpires typically make between 15-50 dollars a game.
2
Start off with Little League to get experience handling pressure. If you’ve never umpired before, request to start with younger players. The parents and players will be less likely to take things seriously, and won’t lose their mind if you make a mistake or get a ruling wrong. If you’re umpiring a tee-ball team, try to be positive and take the pressure off of the players by making calls calmly.^{[7]
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- Every Little League organization has their own set of unique rules and requirements. You will have to complete an orientation or class before starting out as a Little League umpire.
Tip: Check with the park district to see if you need to purchase your own equipment. Some park districts will have equipment for you to borrow, but others will need you to purchase your own.
3
Contact high school and collegiate leagues to find new positions. Once you have some experience and have gotten used to the tempo of making calls, determining strikes, and dealing with criticism, you can try to move up to high school or collegiate games. You will need to interview and prepare a resume that highlights your work experience and interests before starting at a new position.
- High school and collegiate umpires typically work for companies that hire out umpires on a contractual basis, so start by reaching out to local umpiring firms, not schools.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Advancing to the Minor and Major Leagues

1
Become a member of an umpire association. Starting around the collegiate level, join a professional umpire association to network and learn about new opportunities. Groups like the Southern Collegiate Umpires Association, Umps Care, and Association of Minor League Umpires will provide professional development opportunities as well. To join a group, find a local umpiring group or association and contact them directly.^{[8]
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- Most umpiring groups have open membership as long as you have some work experience and pay a small fee.
2
Participate in umpire clinics to improve your skills. Local umpiring associations, park districts, and even the MLB host clinics and professional development sessions for umpires. These provide excellent opportunities to meet new potential employers and improve your skills. Sign up for every clinic available, especially if they’re free.^{[9]
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- Major League Baseball holds free clinics in Atlanta, Georgia every year where they train umpires and scout for potential employees.^{[10]
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- The MLB have a rotating schedule of paid clinics as well, usually hosted at professional baseball stadiums.^{[11]
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3
Get certified as a professional umpire by attending umpire school. You cannot become a Major or Minor League umpire without attending umpire school. You’ll need to graduate from an approved program in order to get a full-time position as an umpire. To register, you’ll need to present your high school diploma, fulfill the physical requirements, prove that you have 20/20 vision, and interview.^{[12]
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- The 2 major umpire schools in the united states are Umpire Training Academy and the Wendelstedt Umpire School. Both are located in Florida and it will take 240 hours (or 30 days) to complete the licensing curriculum.
Tip: The two major umpire schools are the training grounds for professional umpires. Both schools place umpires in the minor leagues and are an important milestone in an umpire’s professional record.
4
Get placed in a Rookie League and perform consistently. After you graduate from umpire school, you may be placed in 1 of the Rookie Leagues—the Gulf Coast League or the Arizona League, assuming you graduate at the top of your class. Both leagues form the lowest rung of the Minor Leagues, but they’re the starting point for all professional umpires. If you perform consistently and make few mistakes, you will be moved up through the Minor Leagues just like the players.^{[13]
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- The graduation rate for umpire school is around 96%, but you could face stiff competition when it comes to advancing in the minor leagues.
5
Work hard for 5-10 years to get called up to the MLB. Major League Baseball calls up umpires from Triple-A (the highest tier in the minor leagues). To get called up, you’ll need to acquire 5-10 years of experience and prove your skills as a consistent and fair umpire that can handle complex and difficult situations. If you show up on time, are respectful, know how to handle conflict, and enforce the rules of the game consistently, you could get called up to the Major League one day!^{[14]
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