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The Arbiter

Posted On: Wednesday, May 29, 2013
By: Sherm McElwain

It has been said that “umpiring is the only occupation where a man has to be perfect on opening day and improve as the season goes on.”  The source of that quote is not known, but anyone who has been an arbiter understands its sentiments completely.  The excitement when the home team wins and the frustration when they lose is felt by many, and often the arbiter – the referee, the umpire, the official who makes the calls – is singled out as the cause when the team loses.  Many fans don’t stop to consider that that official is there, is getting paid, to make the tough and controversial, calls.  If all calls were easy and noncontroversial, the players or coaches or fans could call them.  It is the close, difficult decisions that led to the need of professional arbiters.  And the need for professional arbiters in turn led to the need for their training.

It takes an investment of time to become an official.  First year officials for high school sports have to train extensively before they get on the field or court, logging dozens of hours in classroom instruction and on-site training.  They must pass written tests and participate in simulated game evaluation before they are allowed to begin actual officiating.  Once started, they begin at the lowest levels of the sport and are constantly evaluated by active officials.  If their performance is deemed satisfactory, they can begin the often slow process of “moving up” to the higher levels of the sport.  Depending on the sport and the particular official, it can be four or five years before being permitted to do varsity level games.  In order to umpire at the highest levels, i.e. Sectionals and State Championships, active umpires are rated by their peers and asked to officiate.  They are then rated at the sectional level and a select few are allowed to officiate at the state level.    

It also takes a financial investment to become an official.  An arbiter must pay dues to various organizations and purchase the necessary uniforms and equipment.  They also usually pay a percentage of their game fees to the assignor who schedules the officials.  Taking into consideration travel and other expenses such as accident and liability insurance, most arbiters make at or near minimum wage for the first four or five years of their careers.       

In addition to time and finances, it ultimately takes a personal and emotional investment to become a successful official.  To be able to ignore one’s own feelings and make a correct call that favors a coach that has been critical of you the whole game is not easy.  But it is necessary.  To be just as intense for a minor league youth game as you are for a high school sectional championship game isn’t easy.  But it is necessary.  Umpire Doug Harvey, in his acceptance speech to the Baseball Hall of Fame put it this way, “I have heard it said that umpires are a ‘necessary evil.’ Well, we are necessary, but we are not evil. We are hard-working and dedicated people whose primary interest is to make sure the game is played fairly. We are the integrity of the game.”

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