How much travel is involved?
The ever-expanding reach of NEGOA makes travel for NEGOA easier than ever. Umpires associated with our association find that NEGOA game sites are not far from where they live or work. Travel is always left to the preference of the individual umpire. The location of your job and home can influence these preferences. Assignments are made to ensure umpires officiate games close to home when possible. However, some umpires find better variety and quality-of-play as an incentive for additional travel.
Is there a minimum age?
The minimum age is 17. We have had several umpires start umpiring with NEGOA during their high school year. We encourage men and women of all ages to umpire.
Must I have prior playing experience to umpiring?
No. Your dedication to the sport and desire to be a part of it is all that is required.
What kind of time commitment should I expect?
That’s up to you and your schedule. A benefit of the NEGOA is our flexible assigning practices. In a given season, some umpires work as many games as they want and as few as they want. Prior to the baseball season start, umpires complete their availability on the Ref Town website so the assignor is aware of umpires’ preferences and availablity. For example, several umpires choose to officiate only a few games to accommodate their work schedules. Time spent studying the rules can add to the time dedicated to umpiring, but this is at the discretion each individual umpire. We do ask that you attend our mandatory meetings starting in early January and ending just before the season starts.
What levels of baseball can I umpire?
Experience, skill, dedication and hustle influence games assigned. The opportunities available can be at any level...High School, College, Local Travel Ball, and more however, performance evaulations by NEGOA instructors will determine the level of games assigned. There are several Umpire Camps available to you in the Atlanta area as-well-as Professional Camps throughout the USA. We encourage all umpires to attend these camps if your are interested in progressing as an umpire. NEGOA holds training session throughout the year and we encourage you to attend as many as possible.
What do you need to get started?
NEGOA instructors will guide you through the entire process, which starts with you contacting NEGOA. We will instruct you on when our meetings will held and assist with pairing up with a veteran umpire for a possible mid-season start. This will depend completely on how much experience you have.
Next, a uniform and equipment are required. NEGOA will walk you through this process:
- • A uniform shirt/pants can cost as little as $95 and an equipment starter package will run as low as $175. Check out or Vendors
- • For the budget conscious, second-hand equipment is available from NEGOA members at a fraction of the cost or check-out websites like: Craigslist or Ebay. Contact us at negoa@negoa.org and we'll get you in contact with the right person.
- • Umpires usually find the initial outlay of cash for equipment and apparel negligible compared to the potential income from game fees and everything you purchase (including your mileage) is deductible from your yearly taxes.
Will I need to take a test? Attend training?
As part of the NEGOA training, we hold training sessions with our new, returning, and veteran umpires to ensure they understand the rules of baseball. We review the GHSA Official Rules and how they differ from year-to-year. Thereafter, umpires are required to attend our annual rules review meetings and field clinics. Regular, intense training is provided by NEGOA to improve our umpires skills both on and off the field throughout the year. We highly encourage you to get to know a veteran umpire and regularly contact him to ask questions and how they would handle a situation.
Will I receive feedback?
Your performance on the field directly correlates to your satisfaction with umpiring. Providing you with feedback is a priority for our association and we make every effort to make that feedback worthwhile. You may also take advantage of requesting your performance be evaulated by our instructors during the season. You can call and request an eveluation for an upcoming game, the request is then sent to our instuctor staff. They will come out to watch you and discuss your performance with you in person. Your performance evaluation will be passed on to our game assignor for a possible level promotion resulting in higher level games. Keep in mind, you MAY be evaulated by an anonymous person from GHSA that can effect your post-season assigments.
Would I be an employee of Northeast Georgia Officials Association (NEGOA)?
No. We are merely an agent to broker games between umpires and schools.
- • As an umpire, you are considered an "Independent Contractor".
- • Your independent contractor status gives you the bonus of tax deductibility of your expenses.
- • As a not-for-profit organization, NEGOA does not hold liability for worker’s compensation or unemployment insurance.
- • Taxes are not withheld, but 1099 tax forms are issued through Dragonfly annually.