Description
Officiate baseball or softball games as a plate or field umpire. Enforce rules, make judgment calls on balls, strikes, outs, and fair/foul plays, and manage game conduct, safety, and sportsmanship.
- • Officiate baseball or softball games, ensuring rules are observed and play is fair.
- • Make judgment calls on balls and strikes, fair/foul, safe/out, and scoring.
- • Signal calls and rule decisions to players, coaches, scorers, and fellow umpires.
- • Inspect bats, balls, helmets, catcher's gear, and field conditions for rule and safety compliance.
- • Maintain the official count, outs, and innings; enforce pitch and batter timing rules as required.
- • Start and resume play, manage time between innings, and oversee pitching and batter substitutions.
- • Address rule challenges and protests, confer on close calls, and impose penalties or ejections per regulations.
- • Verify runs, line scores, and scoring rulings with the official scorer before finalizing results.
- • Direct players and coaches to proper positions such as the batter's box, on-deck circle, bases, coaching boxes, and dugouts.
- • File game reports with leagues on ejections, protests, injuries, or disciplinary actions.
- • Coordinate with the umpire crew, coaches, and game management on ground rules, weather, and field conditions.
- • Explain applicable rules and rulings to coaches and players when appropriate.
- • Study league rules, rule updates, and team tendencies to anticipate situations.
- • Check lineup cards, batting orders, substitutions, and player eligibility as required.
- • Record lineup changes, substitutions, and pitching changes; assist with official score verification.
- • Conduct pregame field inspections and review ground rules for compliance and safety.
Related specializations
Interview options
Interview options
Interviewee gender
Interviewee accent
Interview time
Related Pathways
Arts, Entertainment, & Design
View
Source
Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
Learn more
Sources & Standards:
This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
