how to become a baseball umpire

There’s no official way to become a baseball umpire. You can get certified through the Society of Professional Umpires, but it’s only recommended if you have prior experience or are old enough to have gotten into the sport at an earlier age.

how to become a baseball umpire

Becoming a baseball umpire is not exactly the easiest thing in the world. It takes years of hard work and dedication to learn how to properly officiate baseball games, but the good news is that there are many different ways for aspiring umpires to become certified. To become a crew chief, you’ll need an extra two years’ experience above what’s required for certification, and you must pass a series of oral examinations as well.

How Can I Become a Certified Baseball Umpire?

Explore the career requirements for certified baseball umpires. Get the facts about training requirements, salary, job growth and optional certifications to determine if this is the right career for you.View Schools

What Is a Certified Baseball Umpire?

A baseball umpire is a sports official at a baseball game. In this position, you would oversee baseball games from start to finish. As a home plate umpire, you would be responsible for calling balls and strikes, and you would make sure that the team on offense follows the correct batting order. As a base umpire, you would make calls on close plays, like whether a runner has been tagged out before reaching a base.

You would also make calls in the outfield, such as whether an outfielder caught a fly ball before it hit the ground for the first time. In addition, all umpires ensure that players and coaches obey the rules of the game and follow acceptable standards of sportsmanship. In some leagues, baseball umpires need to be certified in order to demonstrate that they have sufficient expertise to officiate.

Learn more about this popular career choice from the chart below.

Training RequiredVaries, umpire training required for professional positions
Field of StudyUmpiring
Key SkillsIn-depth baseball knowledge, physical fitness, fairness
CertificationProfessional certification optional
Job Growth (2020-30)29% (for all umpires, referees, and other sports officials)*
Median Salary (2020)$28,940 (for all umpires, referees, and other sports officials)*

Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

What Would My Duties Be as a Baseball Umpire?

You would need exhaustive knowledge of the sport, as well as the physical and mental ability to keep up with fast-paced game play. Additionally, you would need to remain clear-headed and neutral, even when coaches, players or fans disagree with your decisions.

How Do I Get Started?

The amount of education, training and preparation you need to work as a baseball umpire depends on the level at which you would like to officiate. You can usually begin working as an umpire at the local level with a high school diploma or the equivalent. Many baseball umpires gain experience by starting on a volunteer basis for intramural, recreational or Little League games. Some local, regional and state umpire organizations offer training or mentoring programs for new or aspiring umpires.

The requirements for high school umpiring vary by local baseball umpire organization, which is typically part of a state umpiring organization, which is in turn a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). The National Association of Sports Officials reported that registration with an officiating organization is typically required; however, registration requirements vary (www.naso.org).

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