Who is eligible to umpire?

Those 11 and older (as of January 1, 2022). Baseball experience and knowledge as a player and or observer is generally preferred and very helpful to being an umpire. New umpires and those with three seasons or less of experience must attend at least one training session before the season starts. ALL of our umpires must register anew for every season. 

Do umpires get paid?

Yes! Umpires get paid according to a grade scale, division level, plate/base position bonus system. The pay structure, which has been revised for Spring 2022, is made available to registered umpires via the Alpine training sessions and their associated materials. (Note: Parents who specifically volunteer to be umpires are not paid.)

What "uniforms" and equipment do umpires need?

A relatively simple uniform consisting of long grey, black, or navy trousers/slacks with a black belt. An umpire's shirt will be tucked into your trousers.  For umpire shirts, there are a couple options:
You can buy Alpine-labeled navy umpire shirts for you at Goetz Brothers in San Carlos for approximately $20 each. Just ask for them to silkscreen one for you. 

A classic, standard light blue or dark blue collared umpire shirt -- available at Goetz and or most sports retailers and online -- also works, and is in fact preferred for umpires working the Majors level. Examples are linked here: Umpire Shirt (Light Blue) and Umpire Shirt (Dark Blue). 

We won't enforce having the same shirts across the board for 2022, but may in future seasons. 

You should wear a standard blue 'four seam' umpire's hat, bill forward both in the field and under the mask. An example here: Umpire Cap

The plate will need to wear an umpire's mask, chest protector, and shin/leg guards. These are available in each shed at all of our fields.

The home plate umpire should also have a ball-strike-out clicker, plate brush, and ball bag. We do not supply these, but a kit of them can generally be purchased for about $15-$20 at sporting goods stores or online (example here). We cover more detail about umpire equipment in our trainings. 

How do I learn baseball and league/level rules?

Each spring, we go through and later provide a training slide deck that essentially acts as your manual for the rules and guide to the season program. The division-specific rules are also available on the Alpine website under the Resources/Rules section. 

Umpires should should dive deeper into Little League's "green book" or put the Rule Book app on their mobile device. 

What divisions do Alpine umpires work?

We have umpires work games in our AA (machine pitch) to Majors levels. This experience spans games in which umpires are working in machine-pitched games with fairly elementary play and no called ball/strike responsibilities (AA) to gaining called plate experience with pitchers and catchers in more sophisticated game situations (AAA) to our most senior level with generally strong play and more complex game situations (Majors).

How are umpire division level privileges set?

Privileges are set by a combination of age and experience by the umpire coordinators. There are some rough guidelines: 11-12 year olds will be able to work AA games, 13s may have AAA base privileges added, 14s may have AAA plate privileges added with solid experience, and 15s with experience will be able to work Majors bases. Some more veteran 16 year-olds will have plate privileges for Majors, although 17s to adult umpires are preferred for the Majors plate position. Within reason, we encourage umps to work games in divisions appropriate for their grade/age and experience levels, even if they have privileges for all divisions. 

Do I get paid if my game gets rained out?

Generally, no. If a game is canceled on the schedule and the umpire is notified of the cancellation with reasonable notice (at least two hours or more before the game start time) the umpire will NOT get paid for that game. If a game is cancelled so late that you have already come to the playing field or gets called due to weather at any at point after the start of the game, the umpire will be paid for that game. 

When do I get paid?

Unless there is an urgent need for an interim payment explained directly to the umpire coordinator, all umpires will be paid in one cumulative payment from Alpine Little League when the season comes to an end. 

Please contact our Umpire Coordinators if you have additional questions.