Arbiter Tips For SRVLL Umpires

Here are some tips for new Arbiter users.

  1. Don’t forget to click the box “Ready To Be Assigned.” Nothing can happen until you do.
  1. Input all of your information for your account. The UIC inputs your name and email address. You need to input your own address and SSN. Both are important. Arbiter assumes you live in Maine if you don’t input your address and no games will show up as available for you because Arbiter doesn’t know you live within 10 miles of our fields. If you don’t input your SSN, you cannot be paid.
  1. Once you are in Arbiter, the website provides a wealth of tutorials to teach you how to use the different features of Arbiter. Don’t ask the UIC a question that could have been answered by watching a tutorial. If you think that you don’t have time to watch a tutorial, the UIC thinks that he doesn’t have time to answer your question.
  1. Your ability to access the various features of Arbiter is based on your “Permissions” which are set by the UIC. If you are having problems with something, it might be that your Permissions need adjustment. Permissions determine a number of things. For example, your ability to Turn Back games is based on the Permissions. Everyone is set to be able to turn back games up to 7 days in advance.
  1. The number of games that you can sign up for is also governed by your Permissions. Most of you are allowed to sign up for one new assignment per day. To illustrate, you can sign in today and sign up for a game on March 20. You won’t be able to sign up for any more games today. Tomorrow, you could log in and sign up for another game. Some of you have permissions to sign up for more than one game per day, because you are more senior, you work divisions that are harder to staff, and you’ve earned that right. First year umpires are limited to signing up for one additional assignment per day, no exceptions.
  1. How far in advance you can schedule games is also governed by your Permissions. Most of you can sign up for games up to 30 days away. So if it is March 1, games in mid April are not yet available.
  1. First year umpires can work AA games. Second year and up, AAA. If you are league age 16, have umpired for at least a year and have done a good job, and the UIC thinks you are ready, you are eligible to work Majors games. In order for games of the right level to show up as available for you, the UIC must input “Ranks” into Arbiter, which are coded to match the different divisions. If you are eligible to move up, the UIC must adjust your Ranks, so you may need to email the UIC to remind him to do that.
  1. To find available games, click on Schedule then Self Assign. Available games should be shown. To assign yourself one of the available games, click on Go.
  1. Arbiter is a self-assigning system. You log in, look, and choose from any available games. No scheduling is mandatory on Arbiter. There is no minimum number of games you must work. You are free to choose games that work for your busy schedule. Therefore, missing games is inexcusable. Find your own replacement if you have a last minute scheduling crisis.
  1. Pay rates:

Minors (AA and AAA), $20 per game for field, $25 for plate

Majors, $30 for field, $35 for plate

  1. The UIC runs payroll at least once per month and tries to do it twice per month but that isn’t always going to happen. Once payroll has run, the league bookkeeper transfers money into your RefPay account. It usually takes a week or two.
  1. Don’t ask the UIC how RefPay works.
  1. If you want to make special arrangements to work with someone, such as working as a father/son team, please let the UIC know in advance and he will try to accommodate you. Parent/child teams have first priority for scheduling. If you have specific partners you like to work with, get on the phone while you are both logged into Arbiter and pick out a game together.
  1. You can click on Schedule and Calendar to see your upcoming games. Arbiter sends you a reminder 3 days in advance.
  1. You may customize your profile, including a photo if you want. Customize it as you will, within reason.
  1. If you need help with Arbiter, your first resource for questions is not the UIC. It is Arbiter technical support. They are very nice and helpful people.