Youth Umpire Program
Join the fun and be a part of this cool and exciting group of young leaders while earning extra spending money! Cosumnes River Little League provides boys and girls of at least 13 years of age the opportunity to umpire its games including softball and AA, AAA, and Major division baseball games. This is an exceptional opportunity for young people who know and love the game of baseball to gain experience in a position of responsibility and work at their first real paying job. For active players, umpiring can be a great way to enhance your understanding of the rules of baseball and how they are applied in game situations. It is also a fun way to stay involved in baseball if you're no longer playing. Umpiring also looks good on a college application because it requires many of the qualities colleges look for: leadership, confidence and the ability to make decisions under pressure. CRLL umpires are compensated for their services, and thus are expected to approach their role as professionals. As umpires, they have the final ruling on all aspects of the game. They are the king of the diamond!
Cosumnes River Little League is looking for youth umpires that love baseball and softball, understand and accept the responsibilities of the job, while being a big important part of the league. With over a dozen games every week and two umpires per game, there are a lot of opportunities
Umpire Pay
Umpire pay is based upon experience, division, and game assignment and currently ranges from $35 - $65 per game.
The Schedule
CRLL is a volunteer organization. Helping the volunteers in this effort by showing up prepared, when and where you are assigned, will not go unnoticed. We typically play at least a 15 games per week and need to schedule and keep track of more than 30 umpire assignments each and every week. As previously mentioned, if one of those umpires forgets, doesn't show up or decides to go out with his friends at the last minute, it throws a well oiled operation into a bit of a panic. Do not let this happen to you - your umpiring career will be short lived.
On the other hand, those that can be consistently relied upon to show up on time, take charge, act professionally and perform to a high standard will receive more assignments including playoff games.
Training and Requirements
Both teams and all their fans are relying upon the umpires to start the games as scheduled, and conduct the games in a serious manner. The umpires must be prepared, know the rules, and be on time.
1) All prospective umpires must attend the initial orientation class and BOTH field clinics scheduled. If you are unable to attend the second field clinic, please contact the UIC to discuss make up options.
2) Thorough knowledge and command of the rules of baseball are essential. We recommend you read and study the Little League's "Baseball Official Regulations and Playing Rules". Contact the league Umpire-In-Chief for more information or a copy of the current rulebook. Also check our website under umpire resources for more info on rules and special situations.
3) Umpires must be at the game in uniform and equipment at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start in order to discuss strategy with your partner (this will be explained in training). Showing up late is considered a negative and can affect future game assignments, not to mention a $5 penalty, so be there early!
Eligibility
1) CRLL players and former players that played through Juniors are given priority.
2) You must be at least 13 years old by the season's opening day.
3) First year umpires with no previous experience will be initially assigned AA games. They will be observed and qualified to work higher division games based performance and comfort level. A new umpire can quickly become AAA base qualified, AAA plate qualified, AAA base and plate qualified. In some exceptional cases and depending on age, some excel quickly to being Majors qualified.
4) Conflicts - Umpires are not allowed to umpire games in which siblings or other family members are playing or coaching. Due to the complexity of tracking this, we rely on individual umpires and coaches to self-police this restriction.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How are the game assignments made:
After training you will be placed on the roster. When the season begins, each week the UIC or the UIC's scheduler will reach out and ask for each umpire to submit a list of eligible dates for which they are available. Those dates are matched to the game schedule. A schedule will be made and sent out indicating which games you have been assigned to. Umpires are assigned to divisions based on their skill level.
First year umpires will initially be assigned to AA games and be observed and evaluated. In some cases, a first year umpire may be capable of moving into a AAA assignment right away. Experienced umpires are assigned to a level appropriate to their skill level and comfort level.
What happens if something happens, and I can't make a game assignment?
You should notify the umpire scheduler and UIC immediately! Phone, email, text, any or all of those are OK. No notification will certainly cost you future game assignments, and last minute notifications are not good either, so if you're staying home from school because you are sick, you should let them know first thing that morning. You are being paid and people are relying on you, so please be responsible.
When do we get paid?
Payments are made every two weeks.
Do I have to attend the training sessions?
Yes. Little league rules change regularly, so even if you have had many years experience umpiring, you should still attend.
1st year umpires should not miss the training session.
Click here for Training Dates
If you are interested in enrolling in CRLL's Youth Umpire Program, click on register or contact Dom Ivezich at [email protected] or 916-500-8941