Czechia hosts WBSC Baseball Umpire Clinic

The Czech Baseball Association hosted a Umpire Clinic at the Prague Tempo indoor facility from March 19 to 22, in collaboration with the WBSC and Olympic Solidarity.

The Clinic, held by WBSC Instructors Carlos Rey, Delfín Colón, Marek Vičar and Zdeněk Židek, included both theoretical lectures and practical sessions, and focused on three-umpire mechanics, fitness tests, plate work, pre-season preparation and game management.

A total of 37 umpires, 32 from Czechia and five from Slovakia, participated in the clinic.

"The aim was to improve the level of umpires, prepare them for the new three-umpire system in the Czech Extraliga, and align them with WBSC standards for international competitions," commented CBA Executive Director František Přibyl. "The level of Czech umpires exceeded the expectations of WBSC instructors, and the event significantly contributed to improving their readiness for the international level. It also strengthened the participants' motivation for further development."

"It is certainly worth mentioning that all instructors recently participated in the World Baseball Classic," Přibyl added. "Carlos Rey served as a supervisor, and Delfín Colón, Marek Vičar, and Zdeněk Židek worked as umpires."