North Central Alabama
Softball Umpires

NCALSOFTBALL.COM

Gear and AHSAA Uniform

This page is intended to serve as part “starter pack” list of gear and uniform information for umpires, and part personal “review” of specific options based on my experience. I hope you find it helpful. There are, of course, many factors and many choices. Feel free to contact me if you have different experiences or have other recommendations.
– JT Williams

Equipment

  • Cap Carrier
    • UmpLife Cap Carrier ($33, Ump-Attire)
    • This cap carrier holds all my high school and travel ball caps (5 total) easily and keeps them from getting messed up in your gear bag.
    • “La Couve” cap carrier ($17, Amazon), is the carrier I use for my college games, as it has a pocket that accommodates my ReadyRef timer and protects it from going off inside my bag. The downside is that doesn’t hold as many caps, with 3 being the max I feel good about squeezing in there. But if 3 is all you need, it might be a better option for less money.
  • Mask
    • Diamond All-black Aluminum Mask ($100, Ump-Attire)
    • The main thing to pay attention to with masks is their weight. The longer you work, the less weight you’ll want to hold up with your neck. This mask is made from aluminum and weights about 1 pound.
    • I tried 3 other masks before settling on this one. I used a Wilson Dyna-Lite ($130) for a long time, but I switched to the Diamond because the Diamond had just a little bit more deflection capability on the top of the mask where the Wilson had none. Sometimes we’re looking slightly down when a foul ball comes straight back. That little bit of extra protection can mean the difference between deflecting a ball and taking a hit to the top of the unprotected head. The memory foam padding of the Wilson Dyna-Lite felt like a gimmick.
    • I also tried the Wilson helmet ($280), but it was much too tight; and the All-Star Black Magnesium ($250), but it wasn’t worth the extra cost all. Maybe if you also call baseball consider the All-Star Magnesium.
    • Currently my unused Wilson Dyna-Lite has the harness sized for wearing with a skull cap, but I never end up using it. For those extra concerned about head injuries this might be a mid-way step between a regular mask and a full hockey style helmet.
  • Mask Harness
    • UmpLife Mask Harness ($30, Ump-Attire)
    • Your mask will come with its own harness, but of all the masks I tried, none of them shipped with a harness as comfortable as UmpLife’s. It’s a vast improvement for comfort. The flexible stretch of the strap reduces the “grab” when you take it off to basically zero. For something you’re going to do thousands of times, it makes a difference.
    • The cam buckles could be a little bit tighter in my opinion, but I’ve only had an issue with them maybe 1 in 100 games, and all it takes to fix is to close the buckle again.
  • Mask Sun Visor
    • Champro Sun Visor ($15, Ump-Attire)
    • This does not protect your eyes one bit because it fits above your cap’s bill, but it does block the UV rays from reaching your cap, which in theory should keep it (and you) cooler. Cheap and easy to install on almost any mask.
  • Throat Guard
    • Champro 6″ Throat Guard ($9, Ump-Attire)
    • You can get them shorter, but I like the long one because if I get hit in a manner where I’m going to need a throat guard, it seems like the shorter one would just flap up and hit me anyways. This 6″ guard gets stopped by my sternum/chest protector. I’ve never taken a hit to one.
  • Chest Protector
    • Champro Pro-Plus ($80, Ump-Attire)
    • This is one of the cheapest chest protector’s available, and it’s the one I started with when I didn’t know anything. After hundreds of winter and summer games, I’m still pretty satisfied with it. Taken many hits and never felt any pain. A lot of experienced umpires like the smaller Honig as well.
  • Ball Bags
    • Smitty Oversized Navy Ball Bags ($15, Ump-Attire)
    • These are the largest size ball bags I’ve found. “Oversized” are bigger than the “XL” and can hold 5 softballs. Realistically, I only need one bag, but I wear two for aesthetic reasons. In my left ball bag, I keep things like my sunglasses case, my keys, gloves on cold days, water bottles when going to/from fields on tournament days, etc.
    • Should be Navy for AHSAA. Two is the standard for aesthetics, even if one is sufficient for function.
  • Cup / Supporter / Compression
    • Shock Doctor Men’s AirCore Cup ($22, Academy)
    • McDavid Athletic Jock Strap ($19 for 2, Amazon)
    • UA Heatgear Leggings ($35, Academy)
    • The general layering that produces a good balance of protection with comfort is underwear > cup > strap > compression. This prevents chafing while still holding the cup close enough to be protective. The compression layer is important to hold the cup in place. The AirCore cup is very light weight but doesn’t compromise on protection.
    • I’ve tried other supporters and they work ok, but the McDavid gave me the most freedom to position things correctly. However, the McDavid will wear out faster and I’ve had one snap broken on me in the middle of a game, so I always have a backup ready to go. The cup pockets built into leggings, however, are useless as far as I’m concerned as they never allow things to position correctly – and without being positioned correctly, there’s no protection.
  • Shin Guards
    • All Star Cobalt ($100, Ump-Attire)
    • These shin guards are some of the lowest profile and thinnest, but for softball, they offer sufficient protection. Occasionally a shot to the knee that hits just right will sting, but otherwise, they do the job. For me, it’s worth it because they barely show through the pants and they never catch on them. The biggest negative- like many shin guards, these use metal hooks and rings for the straps, and after one summer of travel ball, they will be rusted no matter what you do.
    • Bonus mention for the Force3 Shin Guards ($130, Ump-Attire). I got them on sale on Amazon for $70 because they have plastic buckles and I wanted to avoid the rust issue. However, for me, these are more protection and size than needed and because they show more and sometimes catch on the knee, I very rarely wear them.
    • Whatever shin guard you choose, don’t worry too much about size. Unless you’re very tall, or very short, choose whatever is closest to 17″ and don’t sweat it.
  • Shoes
    • Plate Shoe: Mizuno Pro Wave ($150, Ump-Attire)
    • Base Shoe: New Balance v3 low-cut ($90, Ump-Attire)
    • I also liked my cheaper 3N2 base and plate shoes, but they just didn’t hold up and I was having to replace them each year. I absolutely love the Mizuno Pro Wave plate shoes (like walking on pillows), but their Ambition base shoes fitted weird and narrow on my feet and were so uncomfortable, I only wore them for a few weeks before switching to the New Balance.
  • Shoe transport and cleaning:
    • Force3 XL Plate Shoe Bag ($20, Ump-Attire)
      • Even though my gear bag has dedicated shoe pockets, putting them in a bag first is a no-brainer for keeping the dirt out of the gear bag and limiting the dirt to the easy to clean shoe bag. These fit my size 13 Mizuno plate shoes pretty easily. I haven’t tried the UmpLife shoe bags that are slightly more expensive.
    • Shoe Shampoo ($8, Ump-Attire)
      • I keep this in my shoe bag and ready to clean my shoes on game day. Works great. The built is brush is great for our “on the go” needs.
    • Pedag Shoe Polish ($9, Ump-Attire)
      • Great for polish on the go. Squeeze a bit on the built in brush and it lasts forever.

More Gear

  • Sunglasses
    • Tifosi Intense Sunglasses ($25, Ump-Attire)
    • I’ve tried Under Armour’s $120 “Playmaker” sunglasses, but they failed to fit right under the mask and and all the other name brands are too expensive for my taste, so I’ve not even tried them.
    • For $25 these fit great, have vents (to prevent fogging), and they’re not uncomfortable. They could be more comfortable, but they’re not bad and they stay put. I also have a clear pair (ordered on Amazon) for night time that sometimes I wear, and sometimes I don’t, to block dirt from getting in my eyes.
  • Indicator (Clicker)
    • Champro 3/2/2 Indicator ($9, Ump-Attire)
    • This metal indicator is thin, light weight, durable, and the dials turn easily and “click” in one swipe. (Some other indicators have dials that take two swipes just to “click” once.) For me, I used a Dremel to notch it in such a way that I can read it without looking.
    • 3/2/2 means no wasted clicks for Ball 4, Strike 3, or Out 3.
    • My only complaint about this indicator is that the shiny metal catches the light – both the sun and lights at night, which can be temporarily blinding. Don’t bother with the $20 copycat black indicator on Amazon by “Team3” though. Although it looks like the same indicator coated with a matte black finish, it’s functionally much worse with hard to turn wobbly dials. There’s a reason it’s now listed as “frequently returned.”
  • Plate Brush
    • Champro Black Plastic ($5, Ump-Attire)
    • Rawlings Black Plastic ($4, Amazon)
    • Get at least two brushes that are small enough to tuck away in a pocket. One for the side pocket of your Smitty ball bag, and one to keep as clean as possible for your pants pocket to clean the pitching plate when working the bases.
    • I’ve had marginally better success keeping the bristles in tact with the Rawlings brush, but there’s very little difference.
  • Lineup Card Holder
    • UmpLife 6.5″ Lineup Card Holder ($23, Ump-Attire)
    • This 6.5″ lineup card holder with two magnetic clips is about perfect. Hold it vertically for small lineups, or flip it sideways and fold the lineup in half for teams that use their own printed lineups that tend to be about half the size of a full sheet of paper. It holds a pen inside when folded, and even when the clip breaks on your pen (it will), it will still hold the pen tight and secure when closed. It also fits perfectly in your Smitty ball bag side pocket for quick access without getting lost.
    • I’ve tried everything from the cheap, generic Smitty lineup holders (which are a pain to get paper in and out of), to server books, to full size tri-fold nurse clipboards (which are just too big, unless you want to dedicate your entire left ball bag for one). I’ve always come back to the UmpLife 6.5″ holder.
  • Timer
    • GymBoss timers ($20, Amazon) can be conveniently worn on your belt, but they can be awkward/difficult to set and operate.
    • A simple stopwatch can be used, especially if they have a countdown timer function as well, like the Perfect Fitness Pro from Academy ($20) (which seems to be always out of stock now).
    • But perhaps the most practical, even if a little bit taboo, is to pull out your cell phone and use its timer function, while also using its clock to write down an official start time, which avoids any ambiguity and keeps everyone in sync.
  • Gear Bag
    • Wilson Umpire Equipment Bag ($130, Ump-Attire)
    • This wheeled bag saves your energy for those long walks from far away parking lots (looking at you Heritage Park) and lets your carry pretty much everything (except your cooler) in one bag. It has two shoe compartments; an upper compartment with a large zipper pocket and a smaller mesh zipper pocket; and a lower compartment with straps for clothes. Fitting my gear in the upper compartment squeezed between the two shoe compartments is a bit tight, but it fits everything (even two different pairs of shin guards), and the large bag area is nice for extra-anythings while leaving the mesh pocket free for your main indicator, brush, coin, timer, etc.
    • Under Armour Undeniable Bag ($40, Amazon)
    • Sometimes it’s nice to have a place for everything, but sometimes it’s also nice to save money and just carry a bag. This UA bag is big enough to hold all your plate gear and it holds up well. What’s lacking is room to keep clothes and it might be a tight fit to get both sets of shoes inside, but those are small compromises to save almost $100.

AHSAA Uniform

For uniform pieces that require the AHSAA logo it’s a bit more difficult to find vendors, especially if you need it ASAP and not special order.

Generally, Ump-Attire, which is my favorite for gear due to their selection and speed of shipping, requires 7 to 10 business days extra for AHSAA branded items. PurchaseOfficials is pretty reliable for having AHSAA in stock and they have a good selection of uniform apparel. Bonus mention to FifthRegionOfficials who also carry AHSAA branded items, but I’ve never personally ordered from them.

Locally, 1StopSports in Birmingham has many things in stock and ready to go, but their website is an absolute disaster to navigate. WinningEdge in Huntsville focuses mainly on having shirts and pants. Woodrow’s Apparel in Florence doesn’t have a physical storefront, but they’ve been good to show up at meetings and camps and provide discounts. They’re local guys and fellow sports officials.

  • Caps
    • Must be navy in color with the current AHSAA logo.
    • Umpire caps come in different bill lengths, usually referred to by the number of stitches in the bill. You will probably want a 4 stitch cap for working the plate, and a 6 or 8 stitch cap for the bases. If you get used to it, a 6 stitch cap can work pretty well for both plate and bases. 8 is too long for the plate (it will stick out of your mask, which is dangerous), and 4 is too short to be useful on the field (but if the sun isn’t a factor, it’s fine). I would recommend you get the 4 stitch and 6 stitch, because there will be a game where you grab the wrong cap for the plate and you can at least make the 6 stitch cap work.
    • I like the Richardson L/XL Flexfit cap. I’ve worn the fitted Richardson (“Surge”) but I like the FlexFit (“Pulse”) feel and material a little better.
  • Shirts
    • You must have a powder blue shirt with the current AHSAA logo. It’s the “default” color shirt.
    • Many experienced officials will have a navy shirt as well, and many of us think it looks better because it doesn’t show dirt as badly. Navy is required for post-season work.
    • Long sleeve shirts are optional, and most umpires will just wear a jacket instead. Wearing long-sleeve shirts for warmth underneath short sleeve umpire shirts is verboten (but it happens).
    • To keep your shirt tucked in (especially when working the plate) consider getting a shirt tailor like the Hero’s Pride keeper, which is a rubber belt worn under your pants to hold your shirt tucked in place.
      • Tip: I’ve also tried Smitty’s velcro belts (work well, but wear out) and the BeltAway TuckStay (doesn’t hold). The Hero’s Pride is the best I’ve found, except for one flaw: the metal button is held together by friction and prone to separating. To fix this, with the button locked inside the rubber, I used lineman pliers to compress the button together, being careful not to squish it so small that it won’t stay locked in the rubber hole. Since doing this, I’ve had no issues and the Hero’s Pride does a great job staying together, keeping my shirt tucked, and for basketball season it helps keep those belt-less pants up.
  • Pants
    • You must wear heather gray pants with a belt. No logo is required on the pants. There is “light” heather gray, and “dark” heather gray. But charcoal (which is used by baseball and NCAA softball) is not within the definition of the uniform. Sometimes heather gray selections can be more limited.
    • There are three kinds of pants: plate, bases, and combo. Plate pants are sized to fit over your gear, base pants are sized more normally, and combo pants are somewhere in the middle. Most umpires here will wear combo pants.
    • You should avoid pleated pants for aesthetic reasons, and many of us prefer the Smitty “new” style 4-way-stretch poly-spandex for comfort and temperature reasons. I also like the expander waistband, but my current high school pants don’t have it. (I got them for $20 on clearance because they also have, useless, western cut pockets.)
  • Belt
    • Any black belt with silver buckle is acceptable, but ideally it should not be shiny/glossy. You probably want the larger size 1.75″ or 2″ belts, but I wear a 1.5″ Mizuno belt that I like because it’s less to fuss with. My 2″ belt looks good, but it’s a tight fit through the loops and just annoying to buckle and unbuckle.
  • Shoes
    • I listed shoes with the gear above, but for uniform purposes I’ll add here that they should be “all black.”
  • Jacket
    • The uniform compliant jacket is “an AHSAA approved black jacket,” which leaves a little wiggle room for wearing one without an AHSAA logo, but in general you probably want to have the standard, half-zip, black pullover jacket with white trim and AHSAA logo. This is mostly a rain jacket so it isn’t super warm, but you can wear your long sleeve thermals, extra layers, whatever you like underneath it for those extra cold days. If you want a jacket for warmth without the fuss of wearing extra layers underneath, there is a more expensive and much warmer (too warm for most days, probably) AHSAA approved thermal jacket with full zip.