Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Baseball Coaching and Officiating

PE 2850-01

Course: PE 2850-01
Credits: 2
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: PEHP
CRN: 12981

Course Description

Coaching baseball: team play, training, and offensive and defensive strategy. Rules and mechanics for officiating men’s baseball. Attention will be given to other game officials and to game administration. 

Required Texts

- NFHS Baseball rule book (digital or hard copy) (not required) 
-Athletic attire for practical sessions

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate understanding of baseball rules, regulations, and officiating mechanics.
     

  2. Teach and evaluate basic baseball skills, including throwing, fielding, hitting, pitching, and base running.
     

  3. Design structured practice plans that develop athlete skills and team systems.
     

  4. Explain offensive and defensive strategies used in competitive baseball.
     

  5. Understand ethical, safety, and administrative responsibilities of coaches and officials.
     

  6. Analyze game situations and make appropriate coaching or officiating judgments

Course Requirements

Athletic attire for practical sessions

Course Outline

Week 1 — Course Introduction & Overview of Baseball
  • Course policies, expectations
  • History and evolution of baseball
  • Roles of coaches and officials
  • Practicum: Throwing and catching fundamentals
     
     
Week 2 — Rules, Field Layout & Safety
  • Understanding the baseball field, equipment, and safety zones
  • Review of basic rules
  • Practicum: Warm-up protocols & safety drills
     

Week 3 — Introduction to Officiating
  • Umpire roles, responsibilities, and professionalism
  • Game management and conflict resolution
  • Practicum: Plate stance & signaling basics
 
 
Week 4 — Plate Umpiring Mechanics
  • Strike zone definition
  • Pitch-tracking focus drills
  • Practicum: Calling simulated pitches


 Week 5 — Base Umpiring Mechanics
  • Proper positioning at all bases
  • Safe/out calls
  • Rotation and coverage
  • Practicum: Live play simulations
     

Week 6 — Rule Interpretation & Case Studies
  • Handling disputes
  • Special situations (interference, obstruction, balks)
  • Practicum: Case-play decision making

 
Week 7 — Midterm Exam & Umpire Practicum
  • Written midterm on rule
  • Umpire Practicum

 
Week 8 — Teaching Fielding Fundamentals
  • Ground balls, fly balls, footwork
  • Position-specific fundamentals
  • Practicum: Fielding stations & error-correction techniques
 
 
Week 9 — Hitting Mechanics & Instruction
  • Stance, grip, swing plane, contact points
  • Coaching cues & drills
  • Practicum: Tee, soft toss, cage instruction
 
Week 10 — Pitching & Catching Basics
  • Pitching mechanics, grips, injury prevention
  • Catcher responsibilities and signals
  • Practicum: Bullpen fundamentals & receiving/blocking drills
     
     
Week 11 — Base Running & Offensive Strategy
  • Reading pitchers, base-stealing, running form
  • Hit-and-run, bunting, situational hitting
  • Practicum: Live base-running reads
     

Week 12 — Defensive Strategy
  • Team defense, cutoffs, relays, bunt defense
  • Game-situation decision making
  • Practicum: Defensive alignment and communication


Week 13 — Practice Planning & Season Management
  • Building practice plans
  • Conditioning and athlete development in the off season
  • Practicum: Students design and run a practice segment
     
     
Week 14 — Scrimmage: Coaching & Officiating Application
  • Students coach and umpire live or simulated scrimmage
  • Evaluation & feedback
     
     
Week 15 — Final Assessments
  • Final written exam
  • Practical officiating evaluation
Coaching portfolio due
 

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

-          Students who turn in late work will lose 10% per day until the assignment is turned in. 
  If you need an extension due to emergency (e.g. family death or illness) all scenarios will be considered privately and will be done on a case-by-case basis.

Attendance Policy

-          Because this is a hands-on skills class, attendance is required.
  More than 3 unexcused absences may result in a grade reduction.

Course Fees

NA

Assessment/Evaluation/Grading

 | Component | Percentage
| Midterm Exam (outcome1,5,6)                                    | 20%

| Final Exam (outcome 2,4,6)                                        | 20%

| Coaching Practicum Assignments (outcome 2,3,6)      | 15%

| Officiating Practicum Assessments (outcome1,5,6)     | 15%

| Coaching Portfolio (outcome 2-6)                                | 30%

-Midterm exam: will test your knowledge on the umpiring and rules that we have covered to date. Including home plate and base umpire mechanics and case studies.
 
-Final Exam: will test you on the coaching knowledge that we have covered to date. Including Game scenarios and drill teaching progressions of important skills.
 
-Coaching practicum: there will be a hands-on demonstration that will allow you to make a game-like decision and then defend it to the class using your knowledge of the game and the rules.
 
-Officiating practicum: there will be a hands-on demonstration where you will be given a scenario that happens in a game, and you will have to make the call and defend it to the class using your knowledge of the rules of the game. Attend at least one high school or higher in person and evaluate the umpire.
 
- The Coaching Portfolio: you will be assigned early in the course, and you will have the full semester to work on it. The portfolio should include Offseason workout plan, in season practice plans, position specific drills and your coaching philosophy

Other Information

 Acceptable and Unacceptable Use of AI :
-          AI is a Great tool but it should be a starting point not be the end all be all. You are smarter than AI. Therefore don’t copy and paste straight from AI.
             
Other:  
                                             
Statement of safety or risk assumption: This course includes or could include, a laboratory, physical activity, personal travel, or field trips. Participation in the course may expose me to certain foreseeable and unforeseeable risks of injury such as, but not limited to illness, injury or even death. Knowing of these risks, I freely and voluntarily participate in the course and hereby agree to assume and accept any and all associated risks.      
                                                                                                                                                            
Southern Utah University Syllabus Policy Statements:  
 

DISCLAIMER STATEMENT: Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor. 

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.