Join the VFA Blue Crew!

Interested in joining VFA's Blue Crew?

To work as an umpire in 2026, you will need to complete the following steps:
1. Register as an umpire with Softball BC (fee payment required).
2. Register for and attend a Theory Clinic (no additional fee) - online.
3. Register for and attend a Mechanics Clinic (no additional fee) - in-person on March 7th in Richmond, other dates available in other locations.

Information on umpire certification is found on the Softball BC website at: https://www.softball.bc.ca/content/umpire-certification-clinics.

To help you, there is a step-by-step guide to help you register as an umpire and how to register for clinics: https://cloud.rampinteractive.com/softballbcca/files/Umpire%20User%20Map%20How%20to%20Register.docx.pdf.

Notes on Registering as an Umpire

- in the "Choose Officiating Level" field, select the following:
   - if you are a new umpire, select "Level 1 - New."
   - if you were a new Level 1 umpire last season, select "Level 1 - Returning."
   - if you were a Level 1 umpire last season, are born in 2011 or earlier, and want to upgrade to Level 2, select "Level 2 - New." NOTE: to become a Level 2 umpire, you must attend all 5 Level 2 theory clinic Zoom sessions (see below)
   - if you were a Level 2 umpire last season, select "Level 2." NOTE: to re-certify as a Level 2 umpire, you must attend all 5 Level 2 theory clinic Zoom sessions (see below)

- in the "Primary Club" field, select "District 5 - Vancouver Fastpitch Association"

- if you are 18 or older and if you did not do so last year, you will need to complete a Criminal Record Check
   a. Online Link: https://justice.gov.bc.ca/criminalrecordcheck
   b. Access Code: A3R26FJDHL

- In the Payment Information section, you will need to enter your credit card to pay the fee in full. Vancouver does not have a Promo Code. Once you have umpired 5 games in Vancouver, VFA reimburses the fee so you will get your money back.

Notes on Registering for a Theory Clinic

Once you have registered as an umpire, you will need to register for a theory clinic. In addition to completing the theory clinic, you will also need to complete the Umpire Exam. As we did last season, we will be planning a VFA umpire exam night on an evening in May so that we can complete the exam together. More information about thee exam will be shared in a few weeks.

Here is more information on the theory clinics:

Level 1

The Level 1 theory clinic is being delivered via an online course. The course consists of 9 sections which you can complete at your convenience. There is a quiz at the end of each section. Once you have completed all the sections, you will receive credit for the theory clinic. To get the most out of the mechanics clinic, it is recommended that you complete the theory clinic BEFORE you attend the in-person mechanics clinic. Either way, you will need to complete the theory clinic before the season begins. You will receive a link to the course once you register for the Level 1 Theory Clinic on the Softball BC website.

Level 2

The Level 2 theory clinic is being delivered online via Zoom. The clinic consists of 5 sessions and you will need to attend all 5 sessions in order to receive credit for the clinic. There are limited options for this clinic:

March 9 or March 17
Session 1
Session 2

March 10 or March 18
Session 3
Session 4

March 11 or March 19
Session 5

The sessions can be taken in any order after Session 1 so you can choose the dates that work best for you. Please note that the dates above are the only sessions scheduled and no additional sessions are being planned.

In-Person Mechanics Clinic - MARCH 7

The last step in certifying as an umpire is to attend an in-person mechanics clinic. District 5 (Richmond and Vancouver) is hosting an in-person mechanics clinic on the following date:

Date: March 7th 
Time: 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
Location: Bridge Elementary School in Richmond
Level: 1 & 2
Please wear athletic clothing, bring a water bottle and lunch.

If you are unable to attend the March 7th clinic, you can attend a clinic in another location.  Here is an option currently on the Softball BC website that is nearby: March 14 - North Vancouver. District 5 is also targeting April 3 to deliver a last-chance mechanics clinic. Please note that there is no guarantee that the April 3 clinic will happen as we are still looking for a venue.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to:

Baukje Edamura
VFA Umpire Assignor
umpire.vfa@gmail.com
604-836-9935