Improve chair umpire techniques

As college officiating increases, there are more and more needs for good chair umpires. Since many of us do not get evaluated very often, and we are often working alone, it's is hard to improve. We are doing the best we can, but we don't always know that we could do better.

If you are a beginning umpire and want to have experiences as a chair umpire, you really cannot suddenly jump in and do a tournament final. You need to practice chair techniques without affecting the outcome of a match when you practice. A great way to practice is to do all the chair umpire techniques while you are roving on a court. Make copies of a blank score card and practice marking up the score during the roving assignment. This will give you practice in keeping track of your card while still concentrating on what is happening on the court. All the proper score marking information is on p 155-157 in the 2008 Friend at Court.

As you watch the match progress, practice your verbiage in your head exactly as you need to say it every time you need to say it. The precise verbiage and chair umpire procedures are given on page 150-154 of the Friend at Court. The language is as stated. Even if you say something that means the same, it is not what is expected. So memorize the verbiage and use it. Nothing shows up a rookie as one who uses the wrong verbiage. If you listen to the professional chairs you will find that they all say the same phrases. This is not an accident.

We have plenty of roving opportunities, so you should have plenty of opportunities to practice chair techniques. Practice during roving allows you to be prompt with your words. You also should practice watching the losing player long after the point is over. Don't be so eager to mark the score card. When you head is down in the score card is when something bad may happen and you are not watching it happen. Watch the player to the bench on the change over. Keep track of the match balls. If one ball stays into the next court, keep track of it so you can remind the players where the ball went when they are looking for the lost ball. Be aware of all the match balls.

When doing chairs, one way to keep track of the current score is to say the score everytime the server hits the ball. Say it is 30-15. Every time the server hits the ball, say to yourself, 30-15. Then when the point is over, even after 45 hits, you know exactly what the next score should be and you can announce it without looking into your score card.

Try it. You'll find that it really helps you become a better chair umpire. The key is court awareness. Know what is happening on and around your match court.