i was at an umpire clinic for our local rec, and the man instructing the clinic talked about how he always had trouble with an infield fly rule, but seemed to think that balks were easy to call. personally, i have a tough time with balks-- its not that i dont know what a balk is, its that i realize it after the appropriate opportunity to call it has passed.

what is easier to call, an infield fly or balk, and what other things are hard to call?

From my experience, the infield fly is far easier to call. The infield fly is situational, meaning it can only be called with runners on 1st and 2nd (and 3rd) with less than 2 outs......and the infield fly calls itself....

The problem for young umpires is the application of judgment. But just a bit of experience will even that out.......

You just have to keep your head in the game to recognize the situation...and you and your partner should be signalling each other to remind yourselves.....In my chapter the signal is to touch the bill of your cap with a fist if the infield fly situation is on with no outs or touch your bill with one finger raised for the infield fly situation is on with one out.... Being aware of the sitatuion is most of the call.......

Balks are tougher....there are 30 separate infractions that a balk can be called on....yet most umpires at the HS and youth level call only 4 or 5.

Why?, a number of reasons, but the most common is the level of play....in youth ball you most often can call balks on every pitcher every inning....as the level of play gets better, so do the pitchers....so what is not a balk at pony level will be called at HS level...and what a HS pitcher can do can get balked at college level and so on......

Plus calling a balk on every infraction, regardless of intent or notice, would cause 3-4 hour games and a lot of unhappy coaches and players.....

Balks are called mainly on judgement by the umpires and the rules education level of the umpire on what is or what is not a balk comes into play.....

Now, when we talk balks, I always fall back on the training I got from the SAL league umpire who trained me.

you call:

100% of the balks everyone sees.....

50% of the balks that baseball people see...

None of the balks that only you see......

There is a lot more to say about balks, and I encourage you to read past posts about calling balks.......

Many of the umpires who post here regularly are very knowledgeable and have posted excellent advice.....

Search the umpire forum....note repsonses from umpires like:

Pilsner
Michael S Taylor
Piratefan
FVB10
JJK

and other who dont post often for more adivce....you can trust these umpires opinions...

P.S. best of luck on the blue side......it gets easier......

Sorry, forgot one part of your question....

hard to call.....in 2 man mechanics.....

with BU in B or C position with men on base...especially runner on 3rd.....fly balls down the lines...where you will have catch, tag up and possible play at the plate responsiblity......

It can be done as long as you get your priorities straight..... ..

My problem with calling an IF is I forget if it stays on for several batters in a row. You have several walks or singles nad it goes to the back of your brain if you don't remind yourself before each batter. I have no problem knowing the situation just remembering after a short time. It's called sometimers disease.
For Balks I have learned to call them over the years. I was a centerfielder when I played so I had no frame of reference when I started umpiring. Thourgh a ton of rule study and clinics I have become the local trainer of umpires and am quite good at the balk rule. It's a litle tougher when you work multible levels because the rules change from book to book but you just have to keep in your mind what level you are working.
The hard ones to learn and properly judge for many are interference/obstruction. They aren't hard rules but many either never learn them correctly or prefer not to call it.
The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to remember that sometimes you have to make calls that some aren't going to like. Many youth umpires don't like to rock the boat. You must get over it and call the book correctly.

well Im glad that im over that part, the pleasing everybody. i just had a game last night where i used the rule that inorder for someone to be out at first, the first baseman must have indepent control. it peeved a lot of people, but hey, thats the way it is.

and a lot of coaches dont like when they are corrected by the 15yr old ump.