A long baseball season can take a toll on umpires—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Whether you’re working youth leagues, high school, college, or beyond, staying fresh is key to maintaining your focus and consistency on the field.

In this episode of Life Behind Home Plate, we’re diving into the best ways to stay sharp all season long, including:

⚾ How to maintain your physical conditioning without burning out

⚾ Mental strategies to stay focused during long games and tough situations

⚾ The importance of rest, recovery, and off-field balance

⚾ Building a support system to prevent fatigue and burnout

If you want to improve your endurance, sharpen your mental game, and keep your passion for umpiring strong, this episode is for you!

🎙️ New Episode: Breaking Down Sliding Rules in High School Baseball (NFHS) ⚾️

In this episode of Life Behind Home Plate, we’re taking a deep dive into the sliding rules under NFHS guidelines. Understanding what makes a slide legal—or illegal—can make all the difference in managing a clean and safe game.

💥 What You’ll Learn:

✅ The difference between legal and illegal slides.

✅ How to identify and handle malicious contact.

✅ Pro tips for umpires to position themselves for the best angle on close plays.

Whether you’re a seasoned umpire or just starting out, this episode will help you feel more confident making the right call when the slide is on the line!

🎧 Listen now on Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts!

#LifeBehindHomePlate #BaseballUmpire #NFHS #SlidingRules #UmpireTalk #GameManagement

I am excited to drop a brand-new episode of Life Behind Home Plate tomorrow! This week, I’m breaking down the first week of the season—and it was a wild one!

⚾️ JV Game Recap: A 31-0 blowout after 4 innings.

⚾️ Varsity Game Recap: A tight 7-5 battle that included 2 ejections for unsportsmanlike language.

⚾️ Key Learnings: How I’m working to be more efficient and effective with game management—tracking subs, warming up pitchers, and keeping conversations with coaches focused and concise.

⚾️ Rule Breakdown: We’re diving into Rule 3.4 on Charged Conferences—what you need to know about defensive and offensive timeouts.

You won’t want to miss this one! Be sure to tune in and let me know your thoughts after the episode drops.

Welcome to Life Behind Home Plate, the podcast where we dive into the world of baseball umpiring—one call, one game, and one lesson at a time. I'm John, your host, and today we're talking about one of the most critical aspects of umpiring: being a good partner.

Umpiring isn’t a solo act. Whether you're working a two-man crew or part of a larger officiating team, your success on the field depends just as much on your ability to work with your partner as it does on your ability to call balls and strikes. A strong partnership means better communication, smoother mechanics, and a more enjoyable game for everyone involved.

In this episode, we’ll break down what it means to be a great partner, from the importance of trust and clear communication to small but meaningful ways you can support the person wearing blue beside you. Whether you're a seasoned umpire or just getting started, these tips will help you build better partnerships on and off the field.

So, mask up, get set behind the plate, and let’s talk about how to be the kind of partner every umpire wants to work with. Let’s get into it!

Let's break down a check list for a home plate umpire!

🎙️ Welcome to Life Behind Home Plate! ⚾

I’m your host, John, and whether you’re a seasoned umpire, a curious fan, or someone who just loves the quirks of baseball, you’re in the right place. Each episode, we dive into the fascinating—and often bizarre—world of play situations and rules that make our favorite game so unique.

Today, we’re tackling three of the strangest scenarios you might see on the field and breaking down the most commonly misapplied rules. From the double-play drama to tag-up tangles, we’ll clear the confusion and bring clarity to the chaos.

So grab your lineup card, dust off your rule book, and let’s step into the batter’s box of baseball’s most intriguing mysteries. Let’s play ball!

Umpires, coaches, players, and fans—do you know the difference between obstruction and interference? 🤔 These two rules are often confused but can make or break a game when the call matters most!

In the latest episode of "Behind the Plate," I break down these crucial NFHS rules, share clear definitions, and walk through real-life case plays to help you understand the nuances of each. Whether you're on the field or in the stands, this episode will sharpen your baseball IQ and give you the confidence to make—or trust—the right call.

💡 Highlights:

✅ NFHS definitions of obstruction and interference.

✅ Case plays to illustrate real-game situations.

✅ Pro tips for umpires to signal and manage these calls.

🎧 Tune in now and let’s level up your knowledge of the game!

#HighSchoolBaseball #UmpireLife #BaseballRules #BehindThePlatePodcast #ObstructionVsInterference #NFHSBaseball

🎙️ Welcome to "Life Behind the Plate," the podcast where we step into the world of umpires and uncover what it takes to stand tall behind the dish. Whether you're a seasoned veteran, a rookie behind the plate, or someone just fascinated by the game, this is the place for you.

⚾ As the crack of the bat echoes and the season approaches, we know one truth: a great season starts with a solid pre-season. In today’s episode, we’re diving deep into the importance of preparation. From sharpening our mechanics and reviewing the rulebook to ensuring we’re physically and mentally ready to handle the grind of the game, pre-season is more than a warm-up—it's the foundation.

👀 So grab your mask, lace up those plate shoes, and let’s talk about what it takes to call a great game and set yourself up for success all season long.

🧢 This is "Life Behind the Plate," where preparation meets passion and every call counts.