Umpire Certification and Clinic Information
The Baseball Canada/Baseball Alberta Umpire Certification System (Level System)
There are 5 possible levels of certification that can be achieved in umpiring through Baseball Alberta and its governing body Baseball Canada. They are briefly described below.
A further, official explanation can be found in the Baseball Canada Operations Manual (.pdf 725kb).
Level 1 - With level 1 you may umpire most levels at a local and regional level all depending on your age and experience level. You must attend a level 1 clinic and pass a written exam with a score of >60% to achieve Level 1 status.
Level 2 - With level 2 you may umpire most levels at a local, regional and occasionally provincial level all depending on your age and experience level. You must have been a level 1 umpire for at least 1 year, attended a level 2 clinic and passed a written exam with a score of >70% to achieve Level 2 status.
Level 3 - With level 3 you may umpire all levels except national and international competitions once again depending on your age and experience level. You must have been a level 2 umpire for at least 1 year, attended a level 3 clinic and passed a written exam with a score of >80% to achieve Level 3 status.
Level 4B - With level 4B you may umpire all levels including national and international competitions once again depending on your age and experience level. You must have been a level 3 umpire for at least 1 year, attended a level 4 clinic, passed a written exam with a score of >86% and passed 2 on-field evaluations (one at each position) to achieve a level 4B status.
Level 4A - Identical to Level 4B but has also attended and worked at least 1 National tournament.
NOTE: To maintain your current level you must attend a clinic each year and pass the written exam. Failing to do so makes you ineligible to work at your prior level.
Umpire Clinic Information
In the province of Alberta the clinic structure is usually as follows:
- Every city/region/town (eg. Sherwood Park, St. Albert etc.) may hold an annual Level 1 and 2 combined clinic.
- Level 3 clinics are usually only held in major centers such as Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer and Grande Prairie etc.
- Each year there is only one Provincial Level 4 clinic held in either Edmonton or Calgary.
Each clinic is a 2-day weekend clinic with a written exam at the end of the 2nd day. The exact clinic content varies per clinician but always covers rules, positioning and incorporates a practical component.