This page serves as a recommendation to WCUA umpires for improving balls and strikes consistency and developing strong plate work skills.
Your success as an umpire will be measured by your ability to call balls and strikes consistently. You can be the best base umpire in the world and if you neglect the hard work and training it takes to call balls and strikes you can seriously undermine your movement up the officiating ladder. It is our hope that you will take the following information and put it to good use. The only way to succeed in this area is by being dedicated to improvement. The guidelines listed below are only the beginning. You must be diligent in your craft, strive to be the best you can be, train endlessly and never be satisfied with what you have attained. Working the plate with success is one of the biggest challenges we face as baseball umpires.
There are three major stances when working the plate - box, one-knee and scissors.
One-Knee Stance
One-knee is fine for working youth league, where players are small. But if you're looking to move up to calling higher level baseball we recommend you forget using the one-knee stance (unless you split your pants and then this stance becomes your best option to keep the fans behind home plate from seeing the color of your skivies).
Scissors Stance
The scissors stance is an advanced position. It requires top physical conditioning, vigilant training closely watched by an experienced trainer and years of hard work to use properly. We recommend that you do not start with the scissors stance. If, in the future, you wish to expand your knowledge and experiment with this stance it may be to your benefit. But for the purposes of training a new and inexperienced umpire we ask that you start off using the box stance. Once you understand the nuances of the box stance you are free to experiment. It can take a person years before mastering any one stance.
The Box Stance
The most widely used stance in umpiring is the box stance. We recommend you start your umpiring career using this stance. Of course there are advantages and disadvantages to all the stances. But it is our feeling that the box stance is the easiest to learn and most effective for a beginning umpire.
To find the box stance place your feet just past shoulder width apart. Then flex your knees as if sitting in a chair. Your back should be just slightly bent and your weight evenly distributed on both feet. You should feel well balanced and locked into position. Your head should be very steady and your nose pointed directly at the pitcher. Your head should be positioned above the catcher's head as though if you were to move forward you could rest your chin on top of the catcher's helmet.
Most of your success with the box stance will depend on a few important factors.
1. You must lock into the same position on every pitch. Any deviation will cause inconsistency in your zone.
2. You must keep your head as steady as possible. There should be no movement in your head whatsoever. Only your eyes will follow the pitched ball into the catcher's mitt.
3. You must only lock into position when the pitcher has committed to delivering the pitch. This will keep your legs from giving out by the 3rd inning. Fatigue can greatly diminish your consistency.
4. You should have a friend that can keep a watchful eye on you during your games to ensure that you are keeping your consistency with this stance. Allow him/her to take notes and critique your performance after each game.
There are two basic positions. You can set up directly behind the center of the catcher or you can work what is called "the slot". We recommend that you learn the slot. It seems it is the position of choice in higher level baseball. So we now will outline how to use your box stance in the slot position.
The Slot
The slot is now the most widely accepted position for plate work in amateur and semi-pro baseball. If you have any hope of moving up the officiating ladder get to know the slot. The slot is your friend. The slot takes you out from behind the catcher and moves into a position between the catcher and the batter (otherwise known as the "daylight"). We'll be explaining the slot position while assuming a right handed batter.
First, move up to the area between the batter and the catcher and put your feet together. Move your left foot slightly forward and to the left about two to two and a half feet. Then move your right foot the same distance to the right, but not moving the foot forward at all. Your right foot should be pointing through the center of the catcher (but never encroaching on the catcher's space). Your left foot should be slightly forward of the right foot in what is known as "heel-toe alignment," (see fig. 1). Your feet should be apart a little less than twice the width of your shoulders. Turn your head and point your nose at the pitcher. The center of your body should be left of the left side of home plate. You have now found the slot.
From here, once the pitcher commits to delivering the pitch, you can crouch into your box stance. Remember to bend at the knees, you should feel like you are "sitting," your back should be slightly bent and you should "lock" into position. You can put your hands where they feel most comfortable but never place them behind your back. Some umpires recommend placing them in the "pits" of the knees. Others say the left hand should rest on the left knee and the right one should go behind the catcher. Others still, say you should place the left hand across the stomach and the right one behind the catcher or on the knee. Really it is up to you. Whatever you are most comfortable with is best. You are now working the slot (see fig. 2).
Don't move your head. Watch the ball with your eyes. Follow it with your eyes from the pitcher's hand all the way into the catcher's mitt - but do not turn your head. It will take some practice for you to develop a consistent zone. The secrets are consistent mechanics, persistent training, hard work, dedication, accepting constructive criticism from trainers and evalutors, concentration, mental preparedness and practice. There are no overnight tricks.
Timing is vitally important to calling a consistent zone. This is another area of your plate work that cannot be sacrificed. Proper timing ensures you will see the ball all the way into the catcher's mitt, proper timing ensures that you will take a moment to think before making your call and proper timing will ensure that everyone on the field and in the stands is very clear on exactly what you called. Proper timing should be practiced just as often as all of your other plate work techniques.
To have proper timing you should practice with a live pitcher and catcher. After taking your box stance in the slot position, watch the ball from the pitcher's hand all the way into the catcher's mitt. Now don't move from your stance and go over the pitch once in your mind. Visualize yourself making the call and then, still without moving from your stance, make your call in a loud clear voice. Call it aloud whether the pitch is a ball or a strike. It is imperative to proper timing that you verbalize the call regardless of what it is. If you get into a habit of verbally calling some pitches and not others you can really mess up your timing. This is to be avoided at all costs. Poor timing can throw your entire plate technique out the window.
If the pitch is a ball make no other movement and stay within your stance. This shows everyone (especially the defense) that you gave the pitch every chance to be a strike - that you did not "give up" on the pitch.
If the pitch is a strike then once you've verbalized it in a loud, clear voice you can rise from your stance and signal the strike. Avoid signalling and calling the pitch at the same time. Call the pitch while in your stance first and then rise from your stance and signal. This keeps you from developing bad habits with your timing. Exactly how you signal is up to you. Signalling a strike is one area where individualism in umpiring is apparent. Take a look at how some of your favorite umpires signal their calls. Just be sure not to be a showman. It may look good in Major League Baseball with 50,000 people in the stands and millions watching at home, but it is highly inappropriate in youth leagues. Little Johnny feels badly enough that he just struck out so please do not add insult to injury and punch him out like he's a big leaguer. A simple fist will do nicely.
