Tri County Baseball Umpires-TASO

02/04/2026

We all know the situation.

A fielder calls time. Jog to the mound. A quick chat. Back to position. Two batters later, it happens again. And again.

The 2026 NFHS rules finally address that exact behavior with the introduction of player-to-player defensive meetings. The goal is simple. Improve pace of play and limit unnecessary, player-initiated delays during an inning.

This one-pager breaks down:
• What a player-to-player meeting actually is
• What it is not
• How many are allowed
• When it should and should not be enforced

Like most good rules changes, this one is narrow by design. If you over-apply it, you miss the intent. If you apply it where it belongs, the game gets better.

The full breakdown, examples, and case plays are covered in the Umpire Classroom 2026 Rules Changes video on P2P meetings, available on YouTube.

01/27/2026

Plate meetings set the tone for the entire game.

This week’s quiz is live and focuses on how umpires establish professionalism, presence, and authority before the first pitch. The video review releases Friday and kicks off our weekly 2026 video series, starting with Part 1 of a two-part breakdown on plate meetings.

Take the quiz here:
https://forms.gle/vubAAYB6fYMT3bdYA

Video review drops Friday.

01/27/2026

The unwritten mechanic.

Plays at the plate are the biggest moments in baseball. They’re the plays everyone remembers, the plays everyone can picture, and the plays that decide games.

Yet when umpires go to their mechanics manuals to learn how to properly take plays at the plate, they’ll notice something strange.

It’s missing.

It’s missing at the collegiate level.
It’s missing at the high school level.

So we decided it needed to live somewhere.

Umpire Classroom, Referee, and United Umpires came together to build the ultimate package for training and teaching plays at the plate.

It started with a feature article in the January 2025 issue of Referee, written by the team at United Umpires and centered on the concept of Don’t let the caboose get loose.

Later that year, Umpire Classroom expanded on it with a video breakdown on YouTube, showing how this mechanic is actually used, including examples of professional umpires mastering it at the highest level.

If you haven’t yet, go read the article and check out the video on the Umpire Classroom YouTube channel.

This mechanic finally has a home.

01/21/2026

No amount of confidence, experience, or judgment can replace focus for an umpire.

That idea was the heart of a longer article we published in Referee back in January of 2025. Still, the lesson is just as relevant today, which is why I wanted to share this one-page version with the Umpire Classroom community. Focus doesn’t just matter on close plays; it matters during warm-ups, between innings, and in the moments where it’s easy to relax.

What are some of the key focus points that often get missed, especially by newer umpires?

You can download and share the PDF in the comments, and let me know your thoughts.

01/21/2026

Hey Blue...

Shoutout to all the umpires this year. Good luck to all of you

Good luck this season.

Check out all things Texas High School Baseball by getting your copy of the 2026 Preseason Magazine and or your Subscription Bundle for weekly updates during the season at https://txhighschoolbaseball.com/onlinestore/

01/18/2026

⚾️2026 NFHS⚾️ RULE REVISIONS/POINTS OF EMPHASIS...

01/17/2026

Tri County Baseball Umpires are currently looking for a few good men and women who love the game of baseball and would like to join us on the field for the 2026 HS Baseball Season...Contact Chapter Secretary/Assignor Greg Murrile at [email protected] or 979-257-9570 and we can get you started...

We will have our 2026 Season Kickoff Meeting this Sunday, Jan. 18th @ 6:30pm at Los Cabos Mexican Restaurant in Hallettsville. We will be in the back meeting room, we invite anyone interested in joining our chapter to come to our meeting on the 18th...

01/17/2026

Best of Luck to Texas HS Baseball Teams as they begin practice for the 2026 season today...We especially want to wish all the schools we serve in the Tri County Area a great start to the 2026 ⚾️ Season...

Smithville Tigers
La Grange Leopards
Sealy Tigers
Columbus Cardinals
East Bernard Brahmas
Rice Consolidated Raiders
Hallettsville Brahmas
Weimar Wildcats
Schulenburg Shorthorns
Shiner Comanches
Flatonia Bulldogs
Moulton Bobkats
Sacred Heart Indians
St.Paul Cardinals

Let's Play Ball ⚾️⚾️⚾️!!!

📆 First Day for Baseball Practice
Best wishes to all the teams starting their seasons today! ⚾️

12/09/2025