To become a baseball umpire in Virginia, you must follow specific steps to get started. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know:
Registration:
All umpires must first register with the Virginia High School League (VHSL).
Exam and Other Requirements:
Regardless of level, all officials must attend an annual rules clinic to keep updated on rule changes and critical points of emphasis and take a written exam.
Local Sports Groups:
The VHSL allows local sports groups to teach and train people who want to be umpires for high school games. These groups must ensure that new umpire trainees get at least 10 hours of training during live games in the classroom and on the field. These groups also hold meetings to discuss rules, situations, techniques, and other vital things for umpires to learn and improve.
Umpire Classifications:
The state of Virginia has three classifications of Umpires.
Registered: New umpires who start at the sub-varsity level. To become registered, a score of at least 70% on the rules exam must be achieved.
Approved: Umpires with more experience can officiate varsity games but not post-season. Must score at least 75% on the rules exam.
Certified: Top-level umpires who can officiate post-season tournament games and regular varsity matches. To reach this level, umpires must score at least 85% on the annual rules exam.
Fees and Dues:
Be prepared to pay registration fees to the VHSL. These fees cover the cost of essential resources like the NFHS Rule Book, Case Book, and Officials Manuals.