A running thread of local umpire frustration

[flash277]

I wish I knew what fair pay for an umpire was. I know what we pay at the HS level (the assigner I have set the price, but I use that price even for umpires I get on my own; it's higher than what pretty much everyone else pays), and if the game is not a miserable slog, I think it's decent but obviously not going to make anybody rich. But we pay more than umps make for travel. We pay more than our state association pays for state tournament games, I think.

Also curious what the umpires think pay should be if doing a game solo. We used solo umps for varsity baseball/softball this week and we always use two. We paid a little extra. Not sure what the standard on something like that is.

Where I umpire, for Travel ball games it's $55 a game with two umpires, but for some dumb reason, it's $60 a game for one umpire. I told the guy who runs the organization it should be time and a half for one umpire ($82.50) but he just shrugged it off, because it would take money out of his pocket. Plus we have to pay 10% of every game to assigner. So I told him to never schedule me by myself, no need to run a game on my own for $5 more.

In high school, we get paid the following: Varsity-$130 two umpires, or $195 for one umpire (never happens, varsity will always have two umpires), JV-$111 for two umpires, $165.00 for one umpire, and middle school is $93.50 for two umpires, $140.25 for one. As you see, solo games we get time and a half. Plus we get $21 extra if a game starts later than 20 minutes from game time. All in all, I'm happy with the pay, sounds about right. Where TB games pay is lower, those games are usually 1:20-1:30 long, so it's not too bad....(Bonus for doing middle school games, they are 2 hours long, while Varsity and JV no time limit)

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[flash277]

Update from our games Wednesday (loss)/Thursday (win): No issues. The only small issue was a catcher's obstruction the umpire thought was a foul ball, but that's a missed call and those happen.

If I'm going to post when they're bad, it's only fair to point out when everything goes well.

And, for what it's worth, here's how I'm doing my part: I'm trying to get one of our boys who graduated last year into umpiring, and he's interested. His sister is on my team now, and I talk to her dad all the time (he is an AC for the baseball team, too). Our state association is doing what is essentially and umpire drive, and I sent them the info.

Coaches (and parents, even), try to get former players into umpiring. If 1 kid from every HS baseball/softball team who doesn't play beyond high school gets into umpiring, we no longer have a shortage. They don't all even have to have aspirations of umping at the highest levels. Rec needs umps, too. Middle and High School needs umps, too. It doesn't need to be an umpire's career for them to be good at it.

One thing I would tell any new umpire, that it's not so bad with unruly parents or coaches. In the short 4 years I've been umpiring a couple hundred games, I've never had a real bad incident with anyone. Sure, I've heard the chirping and comments, but I've never had a full blown argument with a coach or had to address out of control parents. Although you hear more from the parents of the younger players, not so much from the older players parents.

 

[Tango]

Where I umpire, for Travel ball games it's $55 a game with two umpires, but for some dumb reason, it's $60 a game for one umpire. I told the guy who runs the organization it should be time and a half for one umpire ($82.50) but he just shrugged it off, because it would take money out of his pocket. Plus we have to pay 10% of every game to assigner. So I told him to never schedule me by myself, no need to run a game on my own for $5 more.

In high school, we get paid the following: Varsity-$130 two umpires, or $195 for one umpire (never happens, varsity will always have two umpires), JV-$111 for two umpires, $165.00 for one umpire, and middle school is $93.50 for two umpires, $140.25 for one. As you see, solo games we get time and a half. Plus we get $21 extra if a game starts later than 20 minutes from game time. All in all, I'm happy with the pay, sounds about right. Where TB games pay is lower, those games are usually 1:20-1:30 long, so it's not too bad....(Bonus for doing middle school games, they are 2 hours long, while Varsity and JV no time limit)

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Do you get travel for HS games? Our school has to pay travel expenses on top of umpire pay.

 

[EdLovrich]

For a single umpire, it depends. If it was a single when the contract was issued, then 1.5 X what you pay for a 2 man crew is about right. If it was scheduled to be a 2 man crew and for some reason it reverts to 1 man.....you pay the full price. You were already contracted to pay that and the 1 ump working the game didn't sign up to work alone initially.

 

[EdLovrich]

Do you get travel for HS games? Our school has to pay travel expenses on top of umpire pay.

Depends on the school and the distance. But no school in my area pays mileage for less than 51 miles one way. So, about 25% of my HS games I get mileage. (about half of the games that are far enough away to qualify)

As for rates, A low of 50/game to a high of 90/game, all dates are DH and all dates are 2 man. The schools that are paying mileage pay .585/mi

 

[flash277]

Do you get travel for HS games? Our school has to pay travel expenses on top of umpire pay.

No pay for mileage, although we don't go any further than 30 miles.

 

[CoachJD]

Where I umpire, for Travel ball games it's $55 a game with two umpires, but for some dumb reason, it's $60 a game for one umpire. I told the guy who runs the organization it should be time and a half for one umpire ($82.50) but he just shrugged it off, because it would take money out of his pocket. Plus we have to pay 10% of every game to assigner. So I told him to never schedule me by myself, no need to run a game on my own for $5 more.

In high school, we get paid the following: Varsity-$130 two umpires, or $195 for one umpire (never happens, varsity will always have two umpires), JV-$111 for two umpires, $165.00 for one umpire, and middle school is $93.50 for two umpires, $140.25 for one. As you see, solo games we get time and a half. Plus we get $21 extra if a game starts later than 20 minutes from game time. All in all, I'm happy with the pay, sounds about right. Where TB games pay is lower, those games are usually 1:20-1:30 long, so it's not too bad....(Bonus for doing middle school games, they are 2 hours long, while Varsity and JV no time limit)

​

We pay $78 for HS varsity. We almost always have two, though we have had just one a couple times this year. They were planned that way. It's not as though a second umpire didn't show up. The other day we paid $88 for the solos. I think we should probably go higher, but I suspect my principal will balk at a three-digit number.

The good news is that all of our "bad" games this year have also been pretty quick (90 minutes or less). The only two to go two hours were also better games, and while an umpire isn't too concerned with how good the game is, I imagine that two hours doesn't feel as much like two hours when it's a good, competitive game and not full of walks and HBP and no action.

 

[flash277]

Umpires are like everyone else in that they also want to see good games, a well played two hour game goes quick, while a walk and error fest 2 hour game seems much longer.

 

[gdc03120]

I know in NYS for HS ball (2 officials): Modified gets $63.50, JV gets $73.50, and varsity gets $98. All umpires get an extra $7 for travel regardless of distance (5 miles or 45).

Travel Ball (scrimmage or solo games) is $48 each per 2 officials
Travel Tournaments are $50 each per 2 officials
Travel Indoors is $40 each per 2 officials (i.e. winter softball)

ANY of these games with a single umpire is 1.5x the double umpire rates (listed above).

I have a 12U scrimmage tomorrow by myself, so that's $72 for about 1:30 work (not counting driving to/from the site, about 25 minutes from me, etc.) Not all that shabby.

Assignor for these games (by contract) gets 5% of all game fees at the end of a season (not counting travel fees).

 

[flash277]

I know in NYS for HS ball (2 officials): Modified gets $63.50, JV gets $73.50, and varsity gets $98. All umpires get an extra $7 for travel regardless of distance (5 miles or 45).

Travel Ball (scrimmage or solo games) is $48 each per 2 officials
Travel Tournaments are $50 each per 2 officials
Travel Indoors is $40 each per 2 officials (i.e. winter softball)

ANY of these games with a single umpire is 1.5x the double umpire rates (listed above).

I have a 12U scrimmage tomorrow by myself, so that's $72 for about 1:30 work (not counting driving to/from the site, about 25 minutes from me, etc.) Not all that shabby.

Assignor for these games (by contract) gets 5% of all game fees at the end of a season (not counting travel fees).

You must be upstate NY, I'm on Long Island. I also have to pay $200 a year for travel ball, $130 for School ball.