Standing Rules –
PURPOSE: The purpose of standing rules is to establish unit policies and procedures. They are amendable at any meeting of the Executive Board and do not require special advance notice of proposed changes.
The following establishes the requirements for certification to work high school baseball games as a member of the Long Beach Unit:
1. Completion and approval of the Unit’s Membership Application
2. Attend 6 instructional meetings of at least 2 hours each in accordance with the unit By-Laws and Standing Rules (see Missed Meetings and Playoff Policies)
3. Attend a field clinic of at least 4 hours as required by the Executive Board
4. Participate for at least 2 hours at a high school baseball scrimmage
5. Complete the California Baseball Umpires Association (C.B.U.A.) Study Guide with a score of 80% or higher
6. Complete the C.B.U.A. Qualification Examination administered by the Long Beach Unit with a score of 80% or higher
The Executive Board may allow the substitution of other instructional opportunities for any or all of the above requirements if requested by the member in writing. The request shall specify the instructional activity to be substituted and the number of hours such activity was performed. The Executive Board shall decide whether the submitted activity is an acceptable substitution. The decision of the Executive Board is final.
All applications for membership in the Long Beach Unit are subject to review and approval of the Executive Board. Approval shall be by a simple majority of the Executive Board. An application may be disapproved or accepted subject to certain probationary terms and conditions as designated by the Executive Board. Any applicant may appeal the Executive Board’s disapproval or probationary terms and conditions of their application. The appeal must be made in writing to the President within ten (10) business days after the applicant has been notified of disapproval or probationary terms and conditions. The Executive Board shall review all appeals and afford the applicant the opportunity to address the Executive Board regarding the disapproval or probationary terms and conditions of their application.
1. All changes MUST be handled through the assignor.
2. All changes MUST be confirmed by personal contact with the assignor. Unanswered E-mails or answering machine messages are not considered “contact” until confirmed by the assignor.
3. The assignor must approve any replacement. Switching assignments or positions is not allowed without the assignor’s approval. There may be reasons, unknown to the assigned official, why the assignor would not approve the assigned official’s replacement choice or change of position for a particular game. Officials guilty of switching assignments or positions without approval will be subject to disciplinary action.
4. Assignor fees for games turned back will NOT be refunded.
5. The California Interscholastic Federation – Southern Section (C.I.F. - S.S.) Blue Book Article 1218 provides that assigned officials “can be removed from the contest only at the direction of the school principal and by payment of the full fees by the objecting school.”
6. Officials shall not accept games for a school or league in which there may be an actual or perceived conflict.
1. 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.
2. The Executive Board understands that turn backs on the day of a game may be unavoidable. However, multiple turn backs in a single season on the day of a game are not acceptable.
3. In the event an umpire has multiple game day turn backs in a given year, the policy guidelines are as follows:
a. First turn back: No penalty.
b. Second turn back: A $10 fine shall be assessed to the umpire.
c. Third turn back: A $20 fine shall be assessed and the umpire shall be called before the Executive Board to explain the reasons for multiple turn backs.
d. Fourth turn back: A $40 find shall be assessed. In addition, the umpire will be placed on probation for the remainder of the year.
e. Fifth turn back: A $50 fine shall be assessed and the umpire’s schedule for the remainder of the season shall be revoked.
4. The umpire so assessed has the right to appeal any penalty to the Executive Board. The decision of the Executive Board is final.
1. It is critical to the unit and the competing schools that the proper number of assigned umpires works 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 an extra 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 unit 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 Executive Board.
If the Executive Board judges that the no-show was unavoidable or excusable, they may waive these penalties. The decision of the Executive Board is final.
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 Unit 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.
C.I.F. - S.S. Bluebook Article 1221 provides that in case of inclement weather, it is the official’s responsibility to contact the home school to determine whether or not the game will be played. If the official arrives without checking, and the game is canceled for inclement weather, the official in NOT entitled to be paid.
The “magic hour” is 1:00 PM. To be reimbursed for rainouts or unplayable field conditions due to the weather, officials MUST verify the game with the school AFTER 1:00 PM on game day. If the school confirms the contest but the game is not played due to field conditions, the official is entitled to 1/2 game fee. In potential rain-out situations, make sure to check www.Arbitersports.com, your E-mails and your answering devices/service for possible cancellation information.
Do not accept game confirmation from a student, telephone operator, or school secretary when calling schools. Always confirm with the Athletic Director, an athletic administrator or the coach, and note the name of the person who verifies the game.
If a contest is rained out, it is the responsibility of the home school to notify the originally assigned official of the rescheduled date. The school is required to offer that official the first choice for the rescheduled game.
To avoid mistakes, officials should verify assignments on-line at www.arbitersports.com, on game day. Officials should contact the school to verify assignments. Varsity officials are required to contact their partners prior to the game. Due to the enormity of the task, assigning errors (too many umpires, wrong site/date/time, etc.) occasionally prevent the assigned official from working. If this happens, it is the responsibility of the official to notify the assigner.
If the assigner is in error, a 1/2 game fee will be paid by the assigner to the assigned official. If the school is proven responsible, C.I.F. - S.S. Blue Book Article 1220 provides that the assigned official “shall receive 1/2 game fee.” The assigner will make arrangements with the school to pay the assigned official. If payment has not been received after a reasonable time, the official is responsible for contacting the assigner.
Note: Most errors can be avoided by confirming games with school
officials on game day, or one day prior.
1. The Executive Board shall decide on the playoff eligibility for each umpire. The qualifications for working playoffs are applied to all members of the unit.
2. The following are the minimum qualifications for working playoffs in the Long Beach Unit.
a. The umpire must be a member in good standing.
b. The umpire must have a minimum of four years of experience in working high school baseball, college baseball or professional baseball.
c. The umpire must have been a member of the Long Beach Unit for a minimum of two consecutive years.
d. The umpire must have attended a minimum of six scheduled meetings, of which four (4) must have been conducted by the Long Beach Unit.
e. The umpire must have no unexcused no-shows.
f. The umpire must be current on all financial obligations to the Unit.
g. 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.
h. The umpire must have attended the three-man mechanics meeting.
3. All umpires who meet these qualifications are eligible for consideration to work playoffs.
4. The Executive Board shall meet, at a time scheduled by the Executive Board, to determine the playoff rating for each eligible umpire.
5. The Instructional Chairman shall chair the playoff meeting.
6. 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.
7. The determination of ratings will take place in executive session.
8. The procedure for rating of eligible umpires will be as follows.
a. A list of eligible umpires will be provided to each person present at the playoff meeting.
b. Each person will assign a rating to each eligible umpire. Any convenient method of rating may be used.
c. The Secretary/Treasurer will collect all rating sheets.
d. At least one Director will assist the Secretary/Treasurer in totaling the ratings assigned to each umpire.
e. The Secretary/Treasurer will report to the Executive Board the various scores that have been assigned to umpires. The Executive 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.
9. The Secretary/Treasurer will furnish to the Assignor a numerical list of the qualified umpires for use in assigning playoff games.
10. No umpire shall work a playoff game for which he has not been judged qualified.
11. Any umpire has the right to know his level of qualification and his score in the playoff voting.
12. An individual’s playoff ranking is considered confidential and will not be provided to the unit as a group.
1. The Instructional Chairman shall select the staff of instructors with the advice and consent of the Executive Board.
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 Executive 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 scheduled 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.
In addition to meeting the requirements for membership as specified in Article III, Section 3 of the Unit By-Laws, each member of the unit 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 Unit’s Instructional Chair directly, or through the Unit’s instructional meetings
f) Abide by the C.B.U.A. Code of Ethics as printed in the Unit Handbook
g) Abide by the Unit By-Laws
h) Abide
by the Penal Code of the State of
The Executive Board will be responsible for determining whether members of the Unit satisfy the Essential Functions. A determination that a member fails to satisfy the Essential Functions will result in that member being placed on probation and/or 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 Unit’s By-Laws. The member may appeal placement on probation and/or the Improvement Needed list to the Executive Board by submitting, in writing, a request to be heard. The decision of the Executive Board regarding the appeal is final.
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 (C.B.U.A.) as outlined in the C.B.U.A. handbook provided to each umpire and as specified below. If there is a conflict between the C.B.U.A. Handbook and this policy, this policy shall take precedence unless otherwise specified.
2. The pants shall be of a uniform 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 of charcoal 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, Black, or Grey.
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 or jacket. The umpires need not be consistent in this aspect.
12. Uniform numbers shall not be worn.
13. A C.B.U.A. 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 C.B.U.A. 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 C.B.U.A..
1. It is vital that all members attend all schedule meetings of the unit.
2. The schedule for meetings will be included in the preseason mailing to each member sent out by the Secretary/Treasurer.
3. 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 unit.
4. 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.
5. A makeup meeting will be scheduled to be attended by those members who have missed at least one meeting.
6. If attendance at the makeup meeting will not satisfy the required number of meetings, umpires are strongly encouraged to attend meetings of other units.
7. Members attending meetings of other units are required to obtain a visitor’s slip from that unit.
8. 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 instructional topics discussed at that meeting.
9. The visitor’s slip must be signed by either the unit’s Instructional Chairman or the Secretary/Treasurer.
10. It is the responsibility of the umpire to promptly forward the visitor slips to the Long Beach Unit Secretary/Treasurer.
11. 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 units prior to the 3-man meeting.
1. Each year the Executive Board shall accept applications for the three compensated positions: Assignor, Instructional Chairman and Secretary/Treasurer.
2. Any member who meets the qualifications specified in the By-Laws may apply for any of the positions.
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 Executive Board.
4. The Executive 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 Executive Board. No other applicants shall be present during such interview.
7. At the conclusion of interviews, the President shall entertain a motion to appoint one of the applicants. After appropriate discussion, such motion will then be voted on by the Executive Board. Each member of the Executive Board has an equal vote.
8. A simple majority vote of those voting members present will be sufficient for the appointment of a given applicant.
1. The Secretary/Treasurer shall maintain a list of Finals-eligible umpires.
2. It is the policy of C.I.F. - S.S. 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 C.I.F.-S.S. and C.B.U.A., the Secretary/Treasurer shall forward a list of Finals eligible umpires to C.I.F. - S.S. and C.B.U.A. 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 unit 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 C.I.F. - S.S. 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.
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.
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 notify the accused member and the Executive Board of a scheduled hearing date, including the nature and source of the complaint. Notice may be by personal service/notice, or by any method of notification with proof of delivery.
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 shall prepare a written report. The report shall include a finding for each charge and the facts supporting those findings, and penalties to be levied against the accused, if any. The report may also contain recommended changes to the By-Laws and/or Standing Rules to be considered by the Executive Board. Such recommendations are not binding on the Executive Board.
F. As an Ex Officio member of the Disciplinary/Ethics Committee, the President may review the report with the committee members and any other persons which the President chooses, and recommend changes that might be needed to meet the requirements of paragraph F. However, these changes are recommendations only, and the committee is not required to accept them.
G. The Disciplinary/Ethics Committee Chairperson shall provide copies of the committee’s report to the accused member and the Executive Board within five (5) business days of the conclusion of the hearing. The report shall be delivered by personal service/notice or by any method of notification with proof of delivery.
H. The member under complaint shall have three (3) business days after delivery of the committee’s report to present a written appeal to the President of the Executive Board regarding the Disciplinary/Ethics Committee’s decision.
I. After receiving the appeal, the Executive Board shall have fifteen (15) business days to either uphold the decision or conduct an appeal hearing.
J. If an appeal hearing is held, the President shall give the member under compliant written notice of the Executive Board’s decision. Notice may be by personal service/notice or by any method of notification with proof of delivery. The notice shall be provided within five (5) business days of the Executive Board’s decision.
K. The decision of the Executive Board is final.