Welcome to the 2026 Behind the Plate Preseason Course!

Behind the Plate umpires receive a 20 percent discount off the list price of $35 when registering through the association’s direct link or by using the coupon code BEHINDTHEPLATE at checkout. If you don’t have the code, reach out to BTP leadership and they’ll get it to you right away.

Whether you're a new or returning umpire preparing for your best season yet, this course gives you everything you need to enter 2026 confident, sharp, and ready to work. The entire course is built specifically to support your preseason preparation as part of Behind the Plate Baseball.

You’ll progress through five focused modules covering every major area of preseason readiness:

1️⃣ Rules Updates
Full review of all NFHS rule changes and points of emphasis for 2026–2027.

2️⃣ Major Rules Reviews
Deep dives into the most important areas: Player/DH, baselines and base paths, appeals, balks, and when a run scores.

3️⃣ From the Diamond
Real play analysis using NFHS game footage with expert breakdowns.

4️⃣ Game Management
How to handle weather delays, ejections, tough conversations, and the game’s most challenging moments.

5️⃣ Mechanics Mastery
Positioning fundamentals, rotations, teamwork, and communication across every crew size.

Everything is on demand, so you can complete the course on your schedule without driving to meetings, rearranging work, or juggling other commitments.

Across the country, umpire associations, travel programs, and state organizations have adopted Umpire Classroom to modernize their training. GHSA in Georgia now uses Umpire Classroom statewide for varsity officials, ensuring every umpire receives consistent, high-quality instruction before the season begins.

When you finish the course:
The system will email your Certificate of Completion directly to you. Forward it to:

Dennis Hill
[email protected] 

Natalie Hill
[email protected] 

This confirms your preseason requirement for Behind the Plate.

If you're a trainer or assigner interested in evaluating Umpire Classroom for your group, contact me at [email protected]  for trial access and integration information.

Start the season ready. Train smarter with Behind the Plate and Umpire Classroom.