STANDING RULES

LONG BEACH UNIT

CALIFORNIA BASEBALL UMPIRES ASSOCIATION

Standing Rules – Long Beach Unit

PURPOSE: The purpose of standing rules is to establish association policies and procedures. They are amendable at any meeting and do not require special advance notice of proposed changes.

Disciplinary/Ethics Committee

1.      The Disciplinary/Ethics Committee shall be a standing committee in accordance with Article IX of the By-Laws, California Baseball Umpires Association, Long Beach Unit (the By-Laws). It shall be composed of three (3) members in good standing, one of whom shall be the chairman. No member shall be a current member of the Executive Board except as required by the By-Laws..

2.      The purpose of the committee shall be to handle matters referred to it pursuant to Article XII of the By-Laws.

3.      Procedures

A.     Written complaints must be submitted to the Chairperson of the Disciplinary/Ethics Committee within fifteen (15) business days of discovery of the incident. Anonymous complaints shall not be accepted.

B.     The Chairman of the Disciplinary/Ethics Committee shall give written notice by registered mail to the accused member of a scheduled hearing date, including the nature and source of the complaint.

C.     The Disciplinary/Ethics Committee shall arrange for any witnesses to be present at the hearing.

D.     The accused member shall not contact the complainant, any member of the Disciplinary/Ethics Committee or any potential witnesses until the matter has been resolved.

E.      At the conclusion of the hearing, the Disciplinary/Ethics Committee Chairperson shall give written notice of the committee’s decision by registered mail to the accused member and the Board of Directors. The notice shall be post marked within three (3) business days of the conclusion of the hearing.

F.      The member under complaint shall have three (3) business days to present a written appeal to the President of the Board of Directors regarding the Disciplinary/Ethics Committee’s decision.

G.     After receiving the appeal, the Board of Directors shall have five (5) business days to either uphold the decision or conduct an appeal hearing.

H.     If an appeal hearing is held, the President shall give the member under compliant written notice of the Board of Directors’ decision by registered mail. The notice shall be post marked within five (5) business days of the Board of Directors’ decision.

I.        The decision of the Board of Directors is final.

No-Show Policies

1.      It is critical to the association and the competing schools that the proper number of assigned umpires work each game. For insurance purposes, only the assignor can approve the use of additional or replacement umpires. Approval must be obtained prior to the start of the game.

2.      If only one umpire works a scheduled two-umpire game, the umpire working the game is required to notify the assignor within 24 hours of working the game.

3.      The assignor shall promptly notify the Secretary/Treasurer, who shall send a letter to the offending umpire.

4.      In the case of a first offense in a given season, the umpire shall be fined an amount equal to the fee he would have earned by working the game. For example, if the umpire would have earned $54.00 working the game, the fine assessed shall be $54.00. This fine must be paid within seven days of notification. In addition, the umpire’s playoff eligibility for that season may be revoked.

5.      The umpire who worked the game shall receive one-half of a game fee. In the event the school provides that umpire with both game checks, this provision will be waived. The remaining one-half will go into the association treasury.

6.      In the case of a second offense in a given season, the umpire shall be fined an amount equal to the fee he would have earned by working the game. In addition, the umpire will be suspended for the balance of the year. The umpire’s membership in good standing may be in jeopardy as well.

7.      Any umpire subject to these penalties has the right to appeal to the Board of Directors.

8.      If the Board of Directors judges that the no-show was unavoidable or excusable, they shall waive these penalties. The decision of the Board of Directors is final.

Late Arrival Policies

1.      It is recommended that umpires arrive at their game site a minimum of 30 minutes prior to game time.

2.      An umpire will be judged to have arrived late for their game if they arrive after the scheduled game time.

3.      If an umpire arrives late for a scheduled two-umpire game, the second umpire is responsible for notifying the assignor.

4.      The assignor shall promptly notify the Secretary/Treasurer, who shall send a letter to the offending umpire.

5.      In the case of a first offense by an umpire in a given season, the offending umpire will be fined an amount based on the portion of the game he missed. A minimum $20 fine will be assessed.

6.      In the case of a second offense by an umpire in a given season, the offending umpire will be fined an amount equal to the fee he earned by working the game. In addition, his playoff eligibility for that season may be revoked.

7.      In the case of a third offense by an umpire in a given season, the offending umpire:

a.       Will be fined an amount equal to the fee earned by working the game;

b.      Will have their remaining schedule reassigned;

c.       May have their membership in the Association revoked.

8.      In the event that the assignor is notified of the situation with sufficient time to assign another umpire to the game, the umpire so sent to the game shall be paid a full game fee for the position he was assigned.

Playoff Policies

  1. The Board of Directors decides on the playoff eligibility for each umpire. The qualifications for working playoffs are applied to all members of the association
  2. The following are the minimum qualifications for working playoffs in the Long Beach Unit.
    1. The umpire must be a member in good standing.
    2. The umpire must have a minimum of four years of experience in working high school baseball, college baseball or professional baseball.
    3. The umpire must have been a member of the Long Beach Unit for a minimum of two consecutive years.
    4. The umpire must have attended a minimum of six scheduled meetings, of which three must have been in the Long Beach Unit.
    5. The umpire must have no unexcused no-shows.
    6. The umpire must be current on all financial obligations to the Unit.
    7. The umpire must have worked a minimum of eight varsity games in the Long Beach Unit over the course of the current season. This qualification my be waived in the following instances:

                                                               i.      The failure to work eight games was due to injury.

                                                             ii.      The failure to work eight games was due to scheduled games being postponed, due to weather or any other cause, and the umpire is not available to work the rescheduled game.

    1. The umpire must have attended the three-man mechanics meeting.
  1. All umpires who meet these qualifications are eligible for consideration to work playoffs.
  2. The Board of Directors shall meet, at a time scheduled by the Board of Directors, to determine the playoff rating for each eligible umpire.
  3. The Instructional Chairman shall chair the playoff meeting.
  4. The Instructional Chairman may invite any member of the instructional staff or observation staff to the playoff meeting. All invitees may share their observations and evaluations of the eligible umpires. All invitees may vote on the eligible umpires.
  5. The determination of ratings will take place in executive session.
  6. The procedure for rating of eligible umpires will be as follows.
    1. A list of eligible umpires will be provided to each person present at the playoff meeting.
    2. Each person will assign a rating to each eligible umpire. Any convenient method of rating may be used.
    3. The Secretary/Treasurer will collect all rating sheets.
    4. At least one Director will assist the Secretary/Treasurer in totaling the ratings assigned to each umpire.
    5. The Secretary/Treasurer will report to the Board the various scores that have been assigned to umpires. The Board will then make the determination as to the cut-off points for each level of qualification. The Secretary/Treasurer will report only the scores that have been attained, without regard to the names of those umpires.
  7. The Secretary/Treasurer will furnish to the Assignor a numerical list of the qualified umpires for use in assigning playoff games.
  8. No umpire shall work a playoff game for which he has not been judged qualified.
  9. Any umpire has the right to know his level of qualification and his score in the playoff voting.
  10. An individual’s playoff ranking is considered confidential and will not be provided to the association as a group.

Instructional Staff

1.      The Instructional Chairman shall select the staff of instructors with the advice and consent of the Board of Directors.

2.      Each class shall have assigned one Lead Instructor and at least one Assistant Instructor.

3.      It is recommended that there be a pool of substitute instructors in the event an regular instructor is unavailable for a given meeting.

4.      The instructors should be selected from those umpires whom it is felt will best represent the philosophy of the Board, the Unit as a whole, and the California Baseball Umpires Association.

5.      The minimum criteria for selection as an instructor is as follows:

a.       The umpire must have minimum of four years experience in working high school baseball.

b.      The umpire must be a member of the Long Beach Unit for a minimum of two consecutive years.

6.      The responsibilities of each instructor are as follows;

a.       To attend the Instructor Meeting held immediately before each schedule general meeting.

b.      To review the lesson plan and points for discussion provided for each meeting by the Instructional Chairman.

c.       To review and be prepared to discuss the rule or rules under discussion for that meeting.

d.      To record the grade on the Study Guides submitted by each member and inform the Instructional Chairman of any members who do not score at least 80 percent.

e.       To grade the Qualification Exam, record the grade of same and inform the Instructional Chairman of any members who do not score at least 80 percent.

f.        To perform any other assigned duties.

Observations and Evaluations

  1. It is vital that all members of the association be observed form time to time to evaluate their performance and be provided appropriate feedback.
  2. It is recommended that all members of the association be observed and evaluated at least once every two years.
  3. The Instructional Chairman, in consultation with the Board of Directors, shall select observers to fulfill this responsibility.
  4. The observation staff shall be selected so as to reflect the philosophy of the Board, the Unit as a whole, the California Baseball Umpires Association (CBUA), and the California Interscholastic Federation, Southern Section (CIF-SS).
  5. The observation staff will be provided with a guide of criteria being observed for each umpire. It is recommended that one observer does not attempt to observe two umpires working the same game. An observer may, if he chooses, observe an umpire with whom he is working a particular game; however, he is under no obligation to do so.
  6. The observer shall meet with the umpire being observed to review his observations. It is recommended that this meeting be immediately following the game being worked.
  7. The observer shall promptly forward his observations, in writing, to the Instructional Chairman. He shall also provide the observed umpire with a copy of his observation.
  8. The observations are considered confidential and the observer is not to discuss his observations with anyone outside the Board of Directors.
  9. Unless he is working the game himself, an observer is not to involve himself in the game being played. It is recommended that he not speak to the umpires during the game, unless there is an issue of safely which must be addressed sooner. The observer is also cautioned not to discuss his observations with the coaches, players or spectators involved in the game.

Essential Functions

In addition to meeting the requirements for membership as specified in Article III, Section 3 of the Association By-Laws, each member of the Association must be able to satisfy the following Essential Functions of an umpire:

a)      Stand in place for long periods of time as a base umpire

b)      Run the bases as an umpire

c)      Wear protective safety equipment commonly used by plate umpires

d)      Maintain and wear clean uniforms that meet the Proper Uniforms standing rule

e)      Exercise sound judgment and proper mechanics as specified by the Association’s Instructional Chair directly, or through the Association’s instructional meetings

f)        Abide by the CBUA Code of Ethics as printed in the Unit Handbook

g)      Abide by the Association By-Laws

h)      Abide by the Penal Code of the State of California

The Executive Board will be responsible for determining whether members of the Association satisfy the Essential Functions. A determination that a member fails to satisfy the Essential Functions will result in that member being placed on an Improvement Needed list and being notified of such placement. If improvement is not made before the beginning of the season following placement on the Improvement Needed list, the member may be disciplined as specified in Article XII of the Association’s By-Laws. The member may appeal placement on the Improvement Needed list to the Executive Board by submitting, in writing, a request to be heard. The decision of the Executive Board will be final.

Proper Uniforms

The proper uniform is vital to the professional appearance of umpires. A professional appearance is one of the keys to gaining the confidence of the players and coaches involved in the contest. Having the confidence of the players and coaches directly affects the quality of the umpire’s performance and the overall quality and success of the game.

1.      The uniform of umpires in the Long Beach Unit shall conform to the guidance of the California Baseball Umpires Association (CBUA) as outlined in the CBUA handbook provided to each umpire and as specified below. If there is a conflict between the CBUA Handbook and this policy, this policy shall take precedence unless otherwise specified.

2.      The pants shall be of a uniform Heather or charcoal grey. When working with a partner their pants shall match in color. If there is any conflict in choice of color, the High School standard or Heather grey shall prevail.

3.      The shirt shall be a Major League style pullover in Navy Blue, Light Blue, Cream, Black or Red.

a.       Each umpire shall, at a minimum, maintain a Major League style pullover shirt in Navy Blue to ensure that there will always be an option for umpires to dress similarly.

4.      Jackets shall be a Major League style pullover in Navy or Black. Piping and trim may be of any color.

5.      An undergarment may be worn. If visible, it shall match all partners’ visible undergarments in color, though not necessarily in style.

6.      The shoes shall be all black except for the manufacturer’s logo. White on the shoe shall be limited to the manufacturer’s logo. Shoes worn while working the plate shall be steel toed. Patent leather is acceptable.

7.      Ball bags used while working the plate shall be Navy, or Black.

8.      The socks shall be Navy blue or black.

9.      The belt shall be Navy blue or black. Patent leather is acceptable.

10.  The hat shall be fitted and be Navy blue or black, matching the shirt.

11.  An American flag of up to 2” x 3” may be sewn on either the shirt of jacket. The umpires need not be consistent in this aspect.

12.  Uniform numbers shall not be worn.

13.  A CBUA patch is required on the outer most garment (jacket or shirt).

14.  All umpires working a game are to be dressed similarly. Shirts shall be of the same color, style and trim. In case of conflict, the uniform policy as specified in the CBUA handbook shall be the deciding factor. Exception: A plate umpire may wear a different outer garment than the base umpires. For example, the plate umpire may elect to wear a plate coat and the base umpire(s) pullover jackets.

15.  The umpire’s adherence to this policy that shall be considered as part of their evaluation.

16.  For semi-final and final playoff games, the umpires shall wear the uniform required by the CBUA.

Missed Meetings

1.      It is vital that all members attend all schedule meetings of the association.

2.      A minimum of six meetings attended is required for eligibility to work playoffs.

3.      The schedule for meetings will be included in the preseason mailing to each member sent out by the Secretary/Treasurer.

4.      A member who knows in advance that he will miss a scheduled meeting is advised to notify the Secretary/Treasurer. If possible, that member should make an effort to attend a meeting in another association.

5.      Members must be in attendance no later than the start of the classroom session for that meeting to count toward required meeting attendance. This requirement may be waived if arranged in advance with the Instructional Chair.

6.      A makeup meeting will be scheduled to be attended by those members who have missed at least one meeting.

7.      If attendance at the makeup meeting will not satisfy the required number of meetings, umpires are strongly encouraged to attend meetings of other associations.

8.      Members attending meetings of other associations are required to obtain a visitor’s slip from that association.

9.      The visitor’s slip should contain the following information:

a.       The date and time of the meeting attended.

b.      The location of the meeting attended.

c.       The rule or rules discussed at that meeting.

10.  The visitor’s slip must be signed by either the association’s Instructional Chairman or the Secretary/Treasurer.

11.  It is the responsibility of the umpire to promptly forward the visitor slips to the Long Beach Unit Secretary/Treasurer.

12.  It is the responsibility of each official to verify with the Secretary/Treasurer the number of meetings attended and visitor slips turned in from other associations prior to the 3-man meeting.

Process for Applying for Compensated Positions

1.      Each year the Board of Directors shall accept applications for the three compensated positions: Assignor, Instructional Chairman and Secretary/Treasurer.

2.      Any member in good standing may apply for any of the positions. The assignor need not be a member in good standing.

3.      Applications for any of the compensated positions are to be sent to the Vice-President. The deadline for submitting applications will be set by the Board of Directors.

4.      The Board shall schedule a special meeting for the consideration of applications. No other business may be conducted during this special meeting.

5.      Each position will be considered separately. Members may apply for multiple positions if they so desire.

6.      Each applicant will be interviewed individually by the Board of Directors. No other applicants shall be present during such interview.

7.      At the conclusion of interviews, the President shall entertain a motion to hire one of the applicants. After appropriate discussion, such motion will then be voted on by the Board of Directors. Each member of the Board has an equal vote.

8.      A simple majority vote of those voting members present will be sufficient for the hiring of a given applicant.

Procedures for Finals Eligibility

1.      The Secretary/Treasurer shall maintain a list of Finals-eligible umpires.

2.      It is the policy of CIF-SS that no umpire shall work a Final in consecutive years.

3.      A rotation system shall be established to ensure that this policy be met.

4.      Prior to the date established by CIF and CBUA, the Secretary/Treasurer shall forward a list of Finals eligible umpires to CIF and CBUA. The umpires so submitted will be those listed at the top of the Finals rotation.

5.      The rotation system will be maintained as follows:

a.       Umpires who are elected to the Finals list for the first time are placed at the end of the list.

                                                   i.      In the event of multiple first-time umpires in the same year, the umpires shall be listed by score, highest first.

                                                 ii.      In the event of scores being equal, the umpires shall be listed alphabetically.

b.      Umpires who work a Final are placed after those umpires voted on for the first time. Thus, umpires who have not worked a final shall be in front of those who have.

c.       If an umpire’s membership in good standing in the association ceases, his place in the Finals rotation shall be eliminated.

d.      An umpire whose score in the playoff vote does not leave him eligible to work Finals does not lose his place in Finals rotation unless it is the third consecutive season he has been so voted.

e.       If an umpire is the first or second name on the submitted finals list, and that umpire is not selected by the CIF to work a final contest two consecutive years, that umpire shall go to the bottom of the finals rotation list as if a final had been worked.

Game Day Turn Back Policies

  1. Once an umpire accepts a game that has been assigned to him, he accepts a contract to work that game.
  2. If an umpire determines that he will be unable to work an assigned game, he is responsible for notifying the assignor. The umpire should make every effort to notify the assignor prior to the day of the game.
  3. The Board understands that turn backs on the day of a game may be unavoidable. However, multiple turn backs on the day of a game are not acceptable.
  4. In the event an umpire has multiple turn backs in a given year, the policy is as follows:
    1. First turn back: No penalty.
    2. Second turn back: A $10 fine shall be assessed to the umpire.
    3. Third turn back: A $10 fine shall be assessed and the umpire shall be called before the Board to explain the reasons for multiple turn backs.
    4. Fourth turn back: A $20 find shall be assessed. In addition, the umpire will be placed on probation for the remainder of the year.
    5. Fifth turn back: A $20 fine shall be assessed and the umpire’s schedule for the remainder of the season shall be revoked.
  5. The umpire so assessed has the right to appeal any penalty to the Board of Directors. The decision of the Board is final.

Split Membership

The Long Beach Unit believes that its long-term success is directly attributable to members who take an active role in improving the Unit through their leadership. Split membership, by its very nature, is not consistent with this view. However, the Long Beach Unit accepts both full and split members.  Split members are accepted with the following understanding:

  1. There is no reduction in the dues or costs associated with being a member of the Long Beach Unit.
  2. Split members are eligible for playoff assignments. However, they may be given a lower priority for assignment, or may not be given an assignment at all if an insufficient number of games are available.
  3. In order to receive a playoff assignment, split members must meet the same eligibility requirements as full members. This includes, but is not limited to, instructional meeting attendance, maintaining Member in Good Standing status, and taking and passing all required Long Beach Unit qualification and/or certification examinations.
  4. Split members must declare for which association they will exclusively work playoff games. The Long Beach Unit does not allow split members to work playoff games in two different Units. If an official works playoff games in more than one Unit, that official may be disciplined by the Board.
  5. Split members are subject to the Long Beach Unit’s Executive Board, and the Unit’s By-Laws and Standing Rules, the same as full members.