Andrew's Umpire Blog

I had my mandatory softball meeting today. The classes were informative, but only because I have very little experience in softball.

This will be the first time I've umpired softball, except for a couple of games at the local park last year. I hated doing the games, simply because I knew nothing about softball. I (incorrectly) assumed it was "baseball with a bigger ball." I couldn't have been more wrong. Even though the girls were high school aged, the game was much faster than any baseball game I'd umpired up to that point (this was before I started high school baseball).

With what I know now, I was not ready for that game, and any coach could have eaten me alive if I mis-called something. Now, though, I'm ready. I'm a bit excited to umpire softball, but a bit nervous as well. There seems to be a lot more things to worry about in softball: look-back rule, leaving the base early, and the DP/FLEX rule to name a few. However, I know I can step on the field and do my best, which is all someone can ask.

The season starts on the 24th. I'll be out of town until the 26th, when I hope to either get a game or at least go and watch one. I did that for the baseball season, and it really seemed to cement everything I'd learned. You can read books, run mechanics, and practice until your legs are sore, but watching that one game helped me group all that training into one being: an umpire.