Or does he just point to the pitcher as if to say, “All right, let’s get started”?
Youth league umpire here.
According to the rule book, we are supposed to call out “Play” to start the game (as well as to indicate resumption of play after a dead ball situation), while also pointing to the pitcher to get things started.
I generally do that; however, what happens most often when I say “Play” is the batter will come out of his stance and look at me as if I was saying something to him. So I don’t think most other youth league umpires do that, or else the batters wouldn’t seem so surprised.
It used to be, “Play Ball!”, but now it’s just, “Play” at all levels.
Official Baseball Rules (used in professional baseball):
4.02 - The players of the home team shall take their defensive positions, the first batter of
the visiting team shall take his position in the batter’s box, the umpire shall call “Play” and
the game shall start.
NCAA Baseball Rules:
Rule 3-7 - The umpire-in-chief has sole authority to forfeit a game, and has
jurisdiction over any rules matters not assigned to the field umpire in 3-8. The
umpire-in-chief’s duties include those covered in 3-6 and also the following:
a. Call or indicate “Play” to start the game, “Time” when the ball becomes dead
and “Play” when play is resumed
(the “signal” is to point to the pitcher - up through a few years ago, it was pointing the right arm with an open palm facing up at the pitcher, then bending the arm up at the elbow until the hand was vertical, as if beckoning the pitcher to pitch)
National High School Baseball Rules:
Rule 4-1-5 - The game begins when the umpire calls “Play” after all infielders, pitcher, catcher, and batter are in position to start the game.
Note that, in softball (at least in NCAA and high school softball), the umpire does say, “Play Ball.”
according to former umpire Ron Luciano (and others) they did but after a while and depending how far back the team was they’d get down to “lets get it over with” ect to just nodding at the end of the season
When I umpired youth softball (about 15 years ago now) I would say it to start the game. I definitely didn’t say after every dead ball, though. IIRC, every uncaught foul ball was a dead ball. If I felt the need to signal the pitcher to restart the game, I’d give him a hand signal. I suppose that an explicit signal to restart the game may not be as important in softball because runner can’t take a lead until the ball is released from the pitcher’s hand.
But surely for broadcast games it’s the broadcaster who makes the decision to ensure that commercials won’t be cut off?
Usually when they break back from commercial at the start of the game, the announcers engage in a bit of chit chat before the game actually starts, so I assume the network has at least those first commercials set to end with a minute or so to spare before scheduled time.