WMBUA Rating System

The subcommittee on Ratings was formed in 2009 by President John Cote due to concerns expressed by several members regarding our rating system. To address some of the grievances and issues raised by members, the subcommittee solicited input from members of the board for changes they would recommend. Based on the suggestions and the grievances presented, the following system was proposed by the subcommittee and approved by the entire Board in June 2009. Each member’s rating will be made up of the score on the exam (20%); the aggregate rating given by coaches of games worked by the member (10%); peer evaluations (60% to 70%); and an optional voluntary rating (10%). The details are as follows.

1. Closed Book Exam. Beginning in 2010, all members must take a closed book exam. The exam will have a written part and may have a visual part; the Interpreter will administer the visual part of the exam. The format of the exam is 50 true/false questions. The test will be given the same day the mandatory Rules and Mechanics Clinics are held. Two exams will be made each year with one test being used as a make-up test for members who are excused from the original exam date. The Examination Committee, composed of the Interpreter, President, both Vice Presidents and the Secretary/Treasurer, is responsible for creating the exams.

The test will count towards 20% of an umpire’s rating. For example, if an umpire gets 43 questions correct out of 50, then his rating for the test category is 4.3. Get all 50 questions correct, and the test rating is 5.0.

2. Ratings by coaches. The second change to the rating system is to have school coaches rate the umpires for each of the coach’s games, immediately after every game. Having the coach rate every umpire for all that coach’s games ensures a rating will be given to the umpire for every school game. Coaches must rate the umpire within the week following the date the game is played.

The Ratings Subcommittee will oversee the coaches’ ratings to make sure the ratings are not skewed or the coach is being vindictive.

This category is worth 10% of the overall rating. The categories the coaches will be rating the umpires on are:

A) Professionalism;

B) Appearance;

C) Control of Game;

D) Consistency; and

E) Communication.

3. Rate only partners using the Arbiter. The third change is that umpires will only be able to rate those partners they work with on games assigned by the Assignor through the Arbiter. The rating may be done at any time following the completion of the game, but must be done on the Arbiter before November 15^th each year.

The reason for this change is that it will stop umpires from rating people they only see work games and it will prevent fraudulent ratings from members filing ratings for umpires they don’t work with or never see. It also ensures that if a member does a game with a partner, that member will receive a peer rating.

The peer ratings will count at least 60% towards the total rating, but no more than 70%, depending on the 4th category explained below. The categories that umpires will rate their partners on are:

A) Professionalism;

B) Mechanics;

C) Plate; and

D) Base.

A more detailed description on what should be considered when rating for each category will be explained.

4. Voluntary Raters. The fourth category is the use of voluntary umpires to go watch and rate umpires who have 3 years of fewer of umpiring experience. Any other umpire who wanted to be rated by this committee could make that request. This committee will consist of those members of WMBUA who work college games and other experienced umpires who are highly rated, as selected by the Ratings Subcommittee. If a member is rated by these voluntary raters, this rating will count 10% and the peer ratings will count 60%. These ratings will take place during the summer ball season.

5. Review of Varsity Assignments. The final change is that the Executive Committee will review all school games assigned by the Assigner. The Executive Committee will not see who does what particular game but will check the level of game each umpire is doing. The reason for this recommendation is to ensure that our umpires are working at the level of their rating.

Each member will receive his or her ratings and rank around the end of the calendar year. Ratings are confidential. Only the Secretary/Treasurer sees the ratings that are submitted by members and coaches.