MOULTRIE – The little things. Working together as a unit.

Ball teams are told day after day if they excel at these two statements, they will be winners.

For any ball game to work out successfully, players need to be able to execute, and so do officials. Whatever label they have or whatever the perception of their work is from the crowd, they do not just show up in proper uniform and say, ‘Play ball.’

In the sport of girls fast-pitch softball at the high school level, knowing the rules and the mechanics – plus the dynamic of teamwork whether there’s two or three on the diamond – can mean the difference in receiving the prestigious assignment of calling postseason contests. To that end, while Colquitt County High softball hosted the Vereen Summer Tournament Tuesday and Wednesday at Knuck McCrary Park, a group of umpires from various parts of the state were there to enforce the rules and get an evaluation of their performance … written that is from another group with officiating experience at the highest college levels.

Lee Folsom served as camp director for the GHSA Southern Post-Season Softball Camp, and he said this was their vehicle to improve and become playoff eligible. He said just like teams are measured by wins and losses, umpires need a “measuring stick” for their progress, and the more training and positive reviews they receive, the more tournaments they will be assigned.

Folsom himself has college and high school umpiring experience, and one of his evaluators, Robbie Guest, also works games at the prep level, the Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference.

“We’re observing tendencies of the umpires, how they can be stronger, more athletic, more decisive, how they can use better timing, judgement and mechanics,” said Guest.

No umpire should feel as if he or she is out there alone. To make more comparisons with the softball teams they are overseeing, umpires must work as a unit.

“You live and die as a crew,” said Guest. “You all look the same in the eyes of the fans, coaches, so you have to work as a crew to get calls right, be in position, cover each other when things go wrong.”

And training is not just rummaging through a rulebook and giving a pop quiz. Not only did the camp use Knuck McCrary for game observation, but also the building at the Magnolia Sports Complex for lectures and Power Point presentations. Off to the side, Folsom stood by a field diagram projected on the wall and discussed game situations with a few of the gathered officials.

“We were looking at a play at home plate with a ball that was bunted around the area of the plate,” said Folsom. “We were trying to decide whether the plate umpire should move to the right or the left to clear the catcher. The proper mechanic is to move to the left towards third base to allow the catcher room to field the ball.

“Using diagrams and discussions amongst umpires is a great way for us to work on our mechanics and share our experiences and best practices so we get better game after game.”

“The ability to see things in a classroom first, so that when the umpire goes out to the field they can prepare based on things they saw in the classroom, adds a lot to it,” said Guest. “Being able to visualize.”

Umpire training does come with its challenges. Folsom said the most difficult lesson to get through is to be consistent. It’s certainly the thing any and all softball coaches will beg for time and time again.

“Make the same call. Be in the same position,” said Folsom. “Be able to hustle. You can’t teach hustle. By and large, everybody in this room hustles every time. It’s something you’re born with.”

“A lot of times there are differences of opinion on judgements when it comes to obstruction and interference,” said Guest. “So we try to be clear on those. We saw in the Women’s College World Series there were differences of opinion between coaches and fans on what obstruction is. Those are rules that are difficult to understand.

“Game management is a difficult thing to master. You have multiple personalities going on, and the ability to keep a game moving in a fair fashion is tough.

“The most misunderstood thing is we’re human, too. When we make a mistake, we are the first ones to know it. The times have changed. In the old days, it used to be, ‘I made my call. That’s what it is.’ There’s a big push in the umpiring world change it to get the call right. You’ll see a lot more cooperation and coordination in a crew on TV, at your high school games, (recreation) games, a crew get together more often to get a consensus on a sticky play.”

This was not a gathering of rookies, either. Everyone calling games at this tournament are veterans at the job. That includes Charlie Godwin of Bainbridge, who started out officiating football and baseball 20 years ago then added softball about 12 years ago. He said by far the girls softball is the more enjoyable to call because it appears to him these players know more about their game and that everyone – on at least a good team – is moving on every play.

“Most of the time, you don’t get this opportunity,” said Godwin about the real-game evaluations. “The teams are working towards the fall season, and when umpires go to camps or clinics a lot of times there are no live games going on. Actually getting on the field in a relaxed game situation gives you a chance to do what you do with someone watching you.

“You think you’re doing everything right. You might be, you might not. To have an extra set of eyes on you to help you with positive feedback, it helps you get better.”

“Relaxed” means no coaches are screaming over calls, and evaluators speak with you afterwards. Also, Godwin says umpires learn something new at every camp. Umpires going to a tournament as a group, he said, will watch each other and provide more postgame feedback.

“You have a mechanics manual, and everything in the book is set, but there’s nothing that says you can’t deviate from it according to the situation,” said Godwin. “Somebody may have a better way of doing that particular mechanic you haven’t thought about.”

What does it mean to an umpire to get the biggest assignment, the GHSA Elite 8 in Columbus where state championships are crowned?

“That’s what you get into officiating for,” said Godwin. “It doesn’t matter if it’s single-A or 7A, private school or public school. You want to be at your best. You get to see the best of the best. You do the job right, you’ve earned that right.”

For Godwin, the hardest aspect of umpiring softball is the rule regarding designated players and the flex players.

“The more you talk about it, the more confusing it gets,” said Godwin. Several times, he said a coach will say he wants to do certain things with the lineup, so the umpire must then ask, ‘Do you understand the rule?’ The response, ‘Well, yes and no.’ Godwin said an umpire should try his best to help the coach use the rule right, but it’s another thing where everyone can interpret it their own way.

“Get the job right, no matter what,” said Godwin about his bottom-line of umpiring. “If you blow a call, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Make sure it’s right. If it makes me look bad, I have to live with it.

“It’s not about the officials. It’s all about the players. When they come out to play a game, it’s their time to shine. We’re just here to administer the rules, stand out of the way and watch, and if we see something, call it. If not, let it go.”