In baseball, the umpire is responsible for officiating the game to ensure the game is fair and that each team has an equal opportunity to come out victorious. But umpires do not simply call an out here and an out there for nine innings. Their responsibilities on the field are various and involve great focus and tediousness.
Pre-Game Responsibilities
Before each game, the umpire must ensure the base lines match regulations. The base lines and batter's boxes are marked with white chalk, set up by stadium employees. The umpire checks every line to make sure they are the correct length and thickness and in the correct places. The umpire must also make sure that the home team has provided enough baseballs to last the entire game, according to Major League Baseball.
Outs
Because there are four umpires in the infield in professional baseball--first, second, third base and home plate--each umpire must decide whether a runner is out or safe when they reach the base. In lower levels of baseball, there is only one umpire for the entire game, so he must determine each runner's destiny on his own.
Strikes
The home plate umpire's main duty during the game is to call each pitch a ball or a strike. Baseball pitches can reach upwards of 100 mph, and can curve and twist in various directions. With the pitches crossing the plate less than a second after being released, the umpire must make a split-second determination of whether the pitch was inside or outside the strike zone.
Lineups
The home plate umpire is given the lineup card for each team before the game begins. He holds on to each lineup card for the entire game, making the necessary changes whenever a team's manager desires to substitute a player. The umpire also must ensure that all rules are followed when player substitutions are made.
Maintain Order
Since players and managers can get extremely emotional and passionate about the game, another one of the umpire's responsibilities is to maintain order on the baseball diamond. Managers in the MLB often come out of the dugout to argue calls, but sometimes cross the line, as do players. The umpire must make the decision as to what is too far and what is allowed by the rules.
Instant Replay
In August 2008, Major League Baseball has allowed instant replay to be used to determine if a hit ball was a home run. Instant replay, however, cannot be used for any play other than a home run.
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