1. Objective of the Game
  2. Definition of Terms
  3. Game Preliminaries
  4. Starting and Ending Games
  5. Putting the Ball in Play
  6. The Batter
  7. The Runner
  8. The Pitcher
  9. The Umpire
  10. The Official Scorer

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9.00 - The Umpire
9.01 - (a) The league president shall appoint one or more umpires to officiate at each league game. The umpires shall be responsible for the conduct of the game in accordance with these official rules and for maintaining discipline and order on the playing field during the game.
(b) Each umpire is the representative of the league and of Dixie Youth Baseball, and is authorized and required to enforce all of these rules. Each umpire has authority to order a player, coach, manager or league officer to do or refrain from doing anything which affects the administration of these rules and to enforce the prescribed penalties.
(c) Each umpire has authority to rule on any point not specifically covered in these rules.
(d) Each umpire has authority to disqualify any player, coach, manager or substitute for objecting to decisions or for unsportsmanlike conduct or language and to eject such disqualified person from the playing field. If an umpire disqualifies a player while a play is in progress, the disqualification shall not take effect until no further action is possible in that play.
(e) All umpires have authority at their discretion to eject from the playing field; (1) any person whose duties permit that persons presence on the field, such as ground crew members, photographers, newsmen, broadcasting crew members, etc. and; (2) any spectator or other person not authorized to be on the playing field.
9.02 (a) Any umpire's decision which involves judgment, such as, but not limited to, whether a batted ball is fair or foul, whether a pitch is a strike or a ball, or whether a runner is safe or out, is final. No player, manager, coach or substitute shall object to any such judgment decisions.
(b) If there is reasonable doubt that any umpire's decision may be in conflict with the rules, the manager may appeal the decision and ask that a correct ruling be made. Such appeal shall be made only to the umpire who made the protested decision.
(c) If a decision is appealed, the umpire making the decision, may ask another umpire for information before making a final decision. No umpire shall criticize, seek to reverse or interfere with another umpire's decision unless asked to do so by the umpire making it.
(d) No umpire may he replaced during a game unless injured or ill.
9.03 - (a) If there is only one umpire, that umpire shall have complete jurisdiction in administering the rules. This umpire may take any position on the playing field which will enable said umpire to discharge all duties (usually behind the catcher, but sometimes behind the pitcher if there are runners).
(b) If there are two or more umpires, one shall be designated umpire-in-chief and the others field umpires.
9.04 - (a) The umpire-in-chief shall stand behind the catcher. This umpire usually is called the plate umpire. The duties of the umpire-in-chief shall be to:
· (1) Take full charge of, and be responsible for, the proper conduct of the game;
· (2) Call and count balls and strikes;
· (3) Call and declare fair balls and fouls except those commonly called by field umpires;
· (4) Make all decisions on the batter;
· (5) Make all decisions except those commonly reserved for the field umpires;
· (6) Decide when a game shall be forfeited;
· (7) If a time limit has been established by the league, call the game after both teams have completed an equal number of innings unless the home team is ahead after the time limit expires;
· (8) Inform the official scorer of the official batting order; and any changes in the lineups and batting order, on request;
· (9) Announce any special ground rules.
(b) A field umpire may take any position on the playing field best suited to make impending decisions on the bases. A field umpires duties shall be to:
· (1) Make all decisions on the bases except those specifically reserved to the umpire-in-chief;
· (2) Take concurrent jurisdiction with the umpire-in-chief in calling "Time," balks, illegal pitches, or defacement or discoloration of the ball by any player;
· (3) Aid the umpire-in-chief in every manner in enforcing the rules, and excepting the power to forfeit the game, shall have equal authority with the umpire-in-chief in administering and enforcing the rules and maintaining discipline.
(c) If different decisions should be made on one play by different umpires, the umpire-in-chief shall call all the umpires into consultation, with no manager or player present. After consultation, the umpire-in-chief (unless another umpire may have been designated by the league president) shall determine which decision shall prevail, based on which umpire was in best position and which decision was most likely correct. Play shall proceed as if only the final decision had been made.
9.05 - (a) The umpire shall report to the league president within twenty-four hours after the end of a game all protests, violations of rules and other incidents worthy of comment, including the disqualification of any manager, coach or player and the reasons therefore.
(b) When any manager, coach or player is disqualified for a flagrant offense such as the use of obscene or indecent language, or an assault upon an umpire, manager, coach or player, the umpire shall forward full particulars to the league president within twenty-four hours after the end of the game.
(c) After receiving the umpire's report that a manager, coach or player has been disqualified, the league president shall require such manager, coach or player to explain his conduct. In the case of a player, the manager shall appear with the player in the capacity of an advisor. The local league shall impose such penalty as they feel is justified.
9.06 - Umpires shall not wear shoes with metal spikes or cleats.