Heart of Texas Umpire Clinic

Heart of Texas Umpire Clinic Training Baseball Umpires in Central Texas

05/08/2026

PITCHER DROPS THE BALL - NFHS Rule 6-1-4 says it is a balk if the pitcher drops the ball and it does not cross the foul line. Has this ever happened to you??? *Cues memory of Freshmen year pitching*

05/06/2026

PLAYS AT THE PLATE! Passed balls can be tricky, especially if you have a close backstop that can give hard bounces. Keep your head on a swivel and work hard to move in the best position. Best case - you work to get a wedge look. Worst case - you get stuck in a pinched look and just have to umpire.

05/04/2026

BATTER ITENTIONALLY GETS HIT - NFHS Rule 7-3-4 says a batter shall not permit a pitched ball to hit him. The penalty is a dead ball, batter stays in at bat, and the result of the pitch stands. Unless like in this video, it is strike 3. Remember, slow down, see all elements of the play, then make a confident call!

04/30/2026

SHOWS BUNT BUT NEVER OFFERS - Yes, even on a bunt attempt the batter MUST make an attempt to strike the ball for it to be called a strike. Just becasue the bat is out there does NOT mean it is an automatic strike. Slow down... see the whole play!

04/28/2026

PROPER TIMING allows the umpire to slow down and see all elements of the play before making a call. In this play the runner is safe initially, then he over slides the base. However, on second attempt he dives and avoids being tagged. Great timing allows us to make one emphatic call!

04/26/2026

HIDDEN BALL TRICK BALK! As umpires we must know where the ball is at all times! However, sometimes the players make it challenging. When you encounter a situation like this, the best thing to do is call Time and get together as a crew. Here we had a pitcher standing within 5 feet of the rubber without the ball. NFHS rule 7-1-5 says this is a balk. Note, when you have more than 2 umpires, sometimes the umpire farthest away has the best look. U1 was locked in the whole time and was on top of this play! Great crew consult to get the call right!

04/23/2026

CATCHER'S OBSTRUCTION or Balk. R3 steals home and the catcher receives the pitch on or in front of Home Plate. Some rules call this a Catcher's Balk, others simply call it obstrction, either way we have a tough situation to handle. PENALTY is R3 scores, Batter is awarded 1B, all other runners advance if forced. Also, you will be given the gift of an opportunity for effective communication with the coach. NFHS Rules - 8-1-1E, 8-3-1c

04/21/2026

RUNDOWNS with 2 umpires can be tricky. Great job by PU for coming up and helping out. Make sure to wait until the play is going away before you tell your partner "I've got this side." Sometimes plays look a whole lot worse than they actually are. You can help control these situations with your voice and proximity. Close down toward the play, make sure there are no additional acts that are out of line, then positively talk to the players assure you know there is no malice in the hard(ish) tag.

04/19/2026

THAT'S A BALK! Get you a partner who is literally on the EXACT same page as you. This could not have been more perfectly timed together.

04/16/2026

"Not worth my paperwork" - Baseball can bring out the best and worst in each of us. Players deserve the benefit of the doubt in most scenarios. We can help manage the game more efficiently when we remember to handle situations accoringly - Ignore, Acknowledge, Warn, then Eject. In this video we get to see our plate umpire going through the first 3 steps. Game moves on withouth further incident.

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