Review of the PBUC Umpire Manual

The Professional Baseball Umpire Corp. (PBUC) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (NAPBL) and is responsible for the training, evaluation, and recommendation for promotion, retention, or release of all umpires in the Minor League Baseball system throughout the United States and Canada.

The PBUC Umpire Manual is the official umpire manual for Minor League Baseball. It contains the official rule interpretations and clarifications used throughout Minor League Baseball and includes sections on equipment, players and the playing field, lineups and substitutions, interference and obstruction, pitching regulations, appeals and base awards, progress of the game, instructions to umpires, three- and four-umpire mechanics, plus policies, general practices, rulings and guidelines.

The manual is full of insightful interpretations of the Official Rules of Major League Baseball (OBR). This manual is focused on the art of umpiring and assisting the umpire in his craft rather than regurgitating the OBR. The PBUC Umpire Manual discusses the rules from an umpire's perspective and aids in understanding how and when the rules are to be enforced.

In some cases the rules are elaborated on by examples with citations to the OBR (Official Rules of Baseball). In other case the manual discusses and describes the issue with a refreshing use of plain language.

The PBUC Umpire Manual will help umpires at any level. Reading the OBR without further study is like spaghetti without sauce (or gravy for my Italian friends). Reading the OBR is one thing, understanding the OBR is another, and applying the OBR is a third. The PBUC Umpire Manual will help with #2 and #3. I give this publication a five indicator rating - essential to the amateur umpire for the study of the OBR.