Baseball: Home Plate Umpire and a Hoop Strike Zone

Students train as home plate umpires: they learn to call balls and strikes, keep the count and award walks. A hoop held between two poles behind the plate makes the strike zone visible so umpires can check their accuracy.

How to play

1. Explain the count: three strikes is an out, four balls is a walk; review the home plate umpire's signals and how to call the count (balls first, then strikes) (3 min).
2. Umpiring stations in groups of four: pitcher at 10 m, a hoop between knee and chest height held between two poles, umpire behind the hoop at a safe distance and an observer to the side; the umpire calls each pitch and the observer checks whether it went through the hoop; rotate every ten pitches (7 min).
3. Three-inning game with no catcher behind the batter: the hoop or the wall stops the ball; the home plate umpire calls the count out loud and the scorekeeper records it (12 min).
4. Each umpire learns their accuracy rate from the station, and the group discusses which pitches were hardest to judge (3 min).

Rules

• Nobody stands behind the batter except the umpire, at least 3 m back and to one side of the hoop.
• Pitches are underhand, at moderate speed and with a soft ball.
• The count is called out loud after every pitch.
• Umpire calls are not argued during play; questions are reviewed at the end.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: umpires from a chair, with the hoop at eye level.
• Hearing impairment: the umpire shows the count with fingers as well as calling it.
• Autism: starts as observer at the station to get comfortable before umpiring.

Learning goals

• Apply the rules for balls, strikes and walks.
• Umpire confidently and consistently in front of classmates.
• Appreciate how hard umpiring is, using accuracy data.

Equipment for a class of 25

• soft baseball bats: 2
• soft baseballs: 8
• hoops: 4
• poles: 8
• ropes: 4
• bases: 4
• cones: 8
• cards: 4
• pencils: 4

Teacher tip

Tie the hoop firmly to the poles and set the poles in weighted cone bases. This class makes it easier for students to umpire later games without relying on the teacher.

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