Q&A
Q. Can anyone be an umpire?
Yes. RCUA does not discriminate based on gender, race, creed, or color. There is, however, an age limit. Middle School umpires are required to be at least 16 yrs of age, while High School umpires are to be at least 18 years of age.
If you are interested in becoming an umpire and joining RCUA, fill out the RCUA Membership Form found on the JOIN US page and attend the first training meeting in January, which is always the first Monday in January.
Q. Is there a cost to join RCUA? When is payment due?
Yes. RCUA, as all associations, charges a non-refundable $90 fee for a one year commitment. We accept multiple forms of payment, such as Venmo, Paypal and always a check (made payable to RCUA).
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New member? Non-refundable payment is due on or before the first Monday training session in February..
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Current member? Non-refundable payment is due on or before the first Monday training session in February..
Note: If you do not pay the $90 fee, you will not be assigned any games. This fee is non-refundable.
Q. Once I have joined RCUA, do I need to join any other groups?
Yes. You will need to register with TSSAA and Arbiter. You can find more about this at our first training meeting or go to our JOIN US page for additional information. We will also go over the training schedule and expectations at the first training meeting of the year.
Q. Training? What kind of training will I receive and how many meetings am I expected to attend?
TRAINING
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RCUA begins extensive training starting in January, on Monday nights, for ALL RCUA umpires, with an additional on field training for new RCUA umpires on Thursday nights. Established umpires with RCUA are welcome to join the Thursday evening on field training, but it is not mandatory.
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Training is held Monday nights at Soddy Daisy High School. If school is not in session on a Monday, we will meet the next evening, a Tuesday. Specific training dates are listed on the training page.
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You will receive training both in the classroom and on the field so come prepared for being outside. Expect each meeting to be at least 1.5 hours.
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Your instructors are RCUA board members, as well as former MILB and MLB umpires.
MEETING ATTENDANCE
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Every umpire in the state of Tennessee must attend one state meeting. If you attend an in person meeting, you will be given a card with a number and instructions on how to get credit for attending the meeting. There will be a number on the card that is specific to you. DO NOT LOSE THE CARD. If you do, you will have to attend another state meeting.
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ALL RCUA umpires must attend a minimum of three regular Monday night sessions in addition to the state meeting. Attendance will be taken at the meetings. Failure to attend the minimum required meetings will result in your schedule being pulled and makes you ineligible for consideration to umpire at the state tournament.
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NEW RCUA umpires are encouraged to attend as many Thursday night sessions as your schedule permits. Established umpires may attend, but again, it is not mandatory.
Q. Why is it so important that I obtain an Arbiter account?
There are several reasons why it's imperative that you obtain an Arbiter account, but the more important reasons are below:
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Schedule. Our assigner CAN NOT assign you any games until you have completed registering with TSSAA and Arbiter, so it is vital that you obtain an Arbiter account. Our RCUA assigner is required to obtain and assign certified and qualified officials (umpires) to games based on their experience, skill level, and availability. Our assigner relies heavily on your availability as he seeks to assign officials to well over 1,000 games a season.
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Pay. You will be paid through your Arbiter account. Your pay WILL NOT go directly into your bank account or cash app, so you are responsible to transfer the money out of your Arbiter account into whatever banking institution or cash app you use.
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When will I be paid? Your pay is usually within 3 - 4 days after the completion of the game. However, when you umpire a game for a school that is not in session for a holiday or break, you will more than likely be paid when the bookkeeper returns from the break, which is standard practice.
Q. What kind of umpire equipment needs to be purchased?
This information is for ALL umpires who work on behalf of RCUA.
All items are mandatory, except where "optional" is noted.
RETURNING UMPIRES Please take a good inventory of your umpire equipment and replace any item needed during the off season. Please do not wait to do this a week before the season starts!
NEW UMPIRES Please note the specific instructions regarding Pants (Charcoal Gray in color only), Caps, Shirts, and Jackets listed below.
Umpire Equipment is broken down in three categories, as follows:
Protective Gear
(all items to be purchased through umpattire or OfficiallyDalco):
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Approved Mask/Helmet (includes Umpire Skull Cap and Umpire 1-Piece Helmet)
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Chest Protector
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Shin Guards (preferably that cover the knees)
Optional: Protective Cup, Chin Extender on Mask; Ankle Protector
Accessories
(all items to be purchased through umpattire or OfficiallyDalco):
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Stopwatch (you can not use the stopwatch feature on your smartphone as phones are prohibited on the filed)
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Indicator
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Lineup Book
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Plate Brush
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Ball Bag - Blue only
Uniform
(all items to be purchased through umpattire or OfficiallyDalco, except for Shirts, Jackets, and Caps which can only be purchased through OfficiallyDalco):
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Pants (2) charcoal gray in color (as explained above)
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Base pants
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Plate pants
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Pants come unhemmed so either plan on having someone hem them locally or purchase the hemmed version
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Combo plan option is approved and acceptable to wear during games
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Socks
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Shoes (2)
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Plate Shoes (should never be worn on the bases)
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Base Shoes (should never be worn as Plate shoes)
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Belts (2)
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Plain Black Leather (used for base assignments)
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Patent Leather (used for plate assignments)
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Navy Blue t-shirt (2 at minimum - short and long sleeved) to wear under your shirt or jacket (t-shirts may be purchased from other vendors). Note: The sleeve of your t-shirt can not extend past the sleeve of your TSSAA umpire shirt. Wearing a long sleeve t-shirt under a short sleeve TSSAA shirt is prohibited.
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TSSAA Shirts (2) only TSSAA approved shirts, new logo noted below*
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Short sleeved (wear short sleeved navy blue t shirt ONLY under this shirt)
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Long sleeved (wear short or long sleeved navy blue t-shirt underneath this shirt)
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TSSAA Jacket (2) only the TSSAA approved outer jacket can be worn, new logo noted below*
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Short sleeved
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Long sleeved
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TSSAA Caps (2) only the TSSAA approved caps can be worn, new logo noted below*
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Four Seamed - to wear under mask
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Five Seamed - to wear on the bases
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*Shirts, Jackets, and Caps: RCUA complies with the TSSAA rules for all shirts, jackets, and caps. The TSSAA introduced their new logo in 2023 and it is now MANDATORY for all umpires. The new logo is a RED circle with three blue stars and TSSAA in blue on a white background which is the outline of the state of TN. The shirt logo is on the left sleeve. The jacket logo is on the left front. The cap is navy with TSSAA in red. If your shirt and jacket have the old logo you must replace it with the new TSSAA logo, examples below, which can be purchased through OFFICIALLYDALCO.
Note: some items may be on backorder. At the state meetings there is usually a representative from OfficiallyDalco and you can purchase items at that time and save on shipping costs.
