--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Judges are like umpires. Umpires don't…" description: "\"Judges are like umpires. Umpires don't make the rules. They apply them. The role of an umpire and a judge is critical. They make sure everybody plays b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/231/john-roberts-13892_apply_judges-are-like-umpires-umpires-don-t-ma_2798600.png" --- # Judges are like umpires. Umpires don't make the rules… ![“Judges are like umpires. Umpires don't make the rules. They apply them. The role of an umpire and a judge is critical. They make sure everybody plays by the rules. But it is a limited role. Nobody ever went to a ballgame to see the umpire.” quote by John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/231/john-roberts-13892_apply_judges-are-like-umpires-umpires-don-t-ma_2798600.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/231/john-roberts-13892_apply_judges-are-like-umpires-umpires-don-t-ma_2798600.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/231/john-roberts-13892_apply_judges-are-like-umpires-umpires-don-t-ma_2798600.png) > “Judges are like umpires. Umpires don't make the rules. They apply them. The role of an umpire and a judge is critical. They make sure everybody plays by the rules. But it is a limited role. Nobody ever went to a ballgame to see the umpire.” [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Judges enforce existing laws without creating them, ensuring fairness but remaining invisible to the public. **In simple terms:** Judges apply rules, not make them. Key Takeaway Respect the rule of law. Themes law justice fairness Mood formal serious Type legal reflective When to use this quote - courtroom - public perception - legal education Key Concepts judicial authority rule of law Questions to Reflect On - How can judges become more visible while maintaining impartiality? - What limits do judges face in interpreting law? A Different Perspective Judges may lack transparency, leading to public misunderstanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) [Judges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judges/) [Plays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays/) [Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules/) ## Related quotes > [Bishops are like umpires. You have to have them to call the close decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-butler/bishops-are-like-umpires-you-have-to-have-them-to-call-the-close/) [Frank Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-butler/) > [Remember when John Roberts was seeking confirmation of the Supreme Court, and he said judges should be just like umpires, just calling balls and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-deford/remember-when-john-roberts-was-seeking-confirmation-of-the-supreme/) [Frank Deford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-deford/) > [Being an umpire is like being a king. It prepares you for nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-luciano/being-an-umpire-is-like-being-a-king-it-prepares-you-for-nothing/) [Ron Luciano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-luciano/) > [She'll be evaluated like any other Double-A umpire. Major League Baseball has never attempted to influence our decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-fitzpatrick/she-ll-be-evaluated-like-any-other-double-a-umpire-major-league/) [Mike Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-fitzpatrick/) > [In case of dispute, the umpire shall throw it straight into the field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-naismith/in-case-of-dispute-the-umpire-shall-throw-it-straight-into-the-field/) [James Naismith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-naismith/) > [The best recommendation for an umpire in the old days was: "He licked somebody in the Three-I League. He ought to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-cobb/the-best-recommendation-for-an-umpire-in-the-old-days-was-he-licked/) [Ty Cobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-cobb/) > [In sport, part of the game is accepting the umpire's call, no matter how hard that might be. Sometimes the calls go your way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dot-richardson/in-sport-part-of-the-game-is-accepting-the-umpire-s-call-no-matter/) [Dot Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dot-richardson/) > [It isn't enough for an umpire to merely know what he's doing. He has to look as though he knows what he's doing, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-goetz/it-isn-t-enough-for-an-umpire-to-merely-know-what-he-s-doing-he-has/) [Larry Goetz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-goetz/) > [It is the duty of the Umpire to determine all questions submitted to him according to these laws, when they apply, and according to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-staunton/it-is-the-duty-of-the-umpire-to-determine-all-questions-submitted-to/) [Howard Staunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-staunton/) > [No one ever grew up intending to be an umpire, except perhaps my friend Bill Haller. His brother Tom wanted to be a catcher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-luciano/no-one-ever-grew-up-intending-to-be-an-umpire-except-perhaps-my/) [Ron Luciano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-luciano/) > [We are to remember what an umpire Nature is; what a greatness, composure of depth and tolerance there is in her. You take wheat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/we-are-to-remember-what-an-umpire-nature-is-what-a-greatness/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Sometimes you've just got to let an umpire know that you're not satisfied with his decision. That they've missed the play in your opinion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lasorda/sometimes-you-ve-just-got-to-let-an-umpire-know-that-you-re-not/) [Tommy Lasorda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lasorda/) > [“I would like to be an umpire when Sachin is batting, so to get the best possible view of his shots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-would-like-to-be-an-umpire-when-sachin-is-batting-so-to-get-the/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [A good umpire is the umpire you don't even notice. He's there all afternoon but when the game is over, you don't even remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ban-johnson/a-good-umpire-is-the-umpire-you-don-t-even-notice-he-s-there-all/) Ban Johnson > [Whenever you have a tight situation and there's a close pitch, the umpire gets a squawk no matter how he calls it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-barber/whenever-you-have-a-tight-situation-and-there-s-a-close-pitch-the/) [Red Barber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-barber/) ## More by John Roberts > [You can't fight for your rights if you don't know what they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/you-can-t-fight-for-your-rights-if-you-don-t-know-what-they-are/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [Judges have to have the humility to recognize that they operate within a system of precedent, shaped by other judges equally striving to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/judges-have-to-have-the-humility-to-recognize-that-they-operate/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [I will be vigilant to protect the independence and integrity of the Supreme Court, and I will work to ensure that it upholds the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/i-will-be-vigilant-to-protect-the-independence-and-integrity-of-the/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [If the Constitution says that the little guy should win, the little guy is going to win in court before me, ... But if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/if-the-constitution-says-that-the-little-guy-should-win-the-little/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [There is no better gift a society can give children than the opportunity to grow up safe and free - the chance to pursue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/there-is-no-better-gift-a-society-can-give-children-than-the/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [President Ronald Reagan used to speak of the Soviet constitution, and he noted that it purported to grant wonderful rights of all sorts to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/president-ronald-reagan-used-to-speak-of-the-soviet-constitution-and/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [When I worked in the Department of Justice, in the office of the solicitor general, it was my job to argue cases for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/when-i-worked-in-the-department-of-justice-in-the-office-of-the/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [While some of the tales of woe emanating from the court are enough to bring tears to the eyes, it is true that only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/while-some-of-the-tales-of-woe-emanating-from-the-court-are-enough-to/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [A chief justice's authority is really quite limited, and the dynamic among all the justices is going to affect whether he can accomplish much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/a-chief-justice-s-authority-is-really-quite-limited-and-the-dynamic/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [If children do not understand the Constitution, they cannot understand how our government functions, or what their rights and responsibilities are as citizens of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/if-children-do-not-understand-the-constitution-they-cannot-understand/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [I think judicial temperament is a willingness to step back from your own committed views of the correct jurisprudential approach and evaluate those views…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/i-think-judicial-temperament-is-a-willingness-to-step-back-from-your/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [There is a risk of death associated with donating a piece of liver. It's about one in 500 for the risk of death. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/there-is-a-risk-of-death-associated-with-donating-a-piece-of-liver-it/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [An important function of the Supreme Court is to provide guidance, .. As a lower court judge, I appreciate clear guidance from the Supreme Court.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/an-important-function-of-the-supreme-court-is-to-provide-guidance-as/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [Justice Rehnquist was friendly and unpretentious. He wore scuffed Hush Puppy shoes. That was my first lesson. Clothes do not make the man. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/justice-rehnquist-was-friendly-and-unpretentious-he-wore-scuffed-hush/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [If it's a situation in which the public is being given access, you can't discriminate against the media and say, as a general matter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/if-it-s-a-situation-in-which-the-public-is-being-given-access-you-can/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) [Explore all 48 John Roberts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) ## More Apply quotes > [Defeat furnishes good material to the poets and the artists, but none of us care to have the glory of the conquered apply to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/defeat-furnishes-good-material-to-the-poets-and-the-artists-but-none/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [“Apply yourself. Get all the education you can, but then...do something. Don't just stand there, make it happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/apply-yourself-get-all-the-education-you-can-but-then-do-something/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [When you get older, you learn certain life lessons. You apply that wisdom, and suddenly you say, 'Hey, I've got a new lease on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/when-you-get-older-you-learn-certain-life-lessons-you-apply-that/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [“they (rules) will always apply, even if you don't agree with them”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-coelho/they-rules-will-always-apply-even-if-you-don-t-agree-with-them/) [Paolo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-coelho/) > [Spend time reflecting on your emotional and physical existence and how that applies to the voice. You have to apply that wisdom and experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-d-lang/spend-time-reflecting-on-your-emotional-and-physical-existence-and/) [K. D. Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-d-lang/) > [Many jobs at Google require math, computing, and coding skills, so if your good grades truly reflect skills in those areas that you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/many-jobs-at-google-require-math-computing-and-coding-skills-so-if/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [There is a natural link between the effective running of my businesses and the effective direction of philanthropic funds. I apply business principles to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-hussein-al-amoudi/there-is-a-natural-link-between-the-effective-running-of-my/) Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi > ['Boardwalk' has kind of exposed me to a different demographic. And it upped my skills in terms of the speed with which I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pitt/boardwalk-has-kind-of-exposed-me-to-a-different-demographic-and-it/) [Michael Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pitt/) > [I have a good advice to other but I can't apply it to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innah-delos-angeles/i-have-a-good-advice-to-other-but-i-can-t-apply-it-to-me/) [Innah Delos Angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innah-delos-angeles/) > [There is a simple rule here, a rule of legislation, a rule of business, a rule of life: beyond a certain point, complexity is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/there-is-a-simple-rule-here-a-rule-of-legislation-a-rule-of-business/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Before Dream Theater took off I used to teach a lot, and one of the things my students often asked me was how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/before-dream-theater-took-off-i-used-to-teach-a-lot-and-one-of-the/) [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) > [The idea that laws don't apply to the law-makers is for despotic regimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/the-idea-that-laws-don-t-apply-to-the-law-makers-is-for-despotic/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [We can't keep thinking in a limited way about what cinema is. We still don't know what cinema is. Maybe cinema could only really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/we-can-t-keep-thinking-in-a-limited-way-about-what-cinema-is-we-still/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [The task of a judge is not to make the law - it is to apply the law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/the-task-of-a-judge-is-not-to-make-the-law-it-is-to-apply-the-law/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [Being in a relationship is a full-time job. So don't apply if you're not ready.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-in-a-relationship-is-a-full-time-job-so-don-t-apply-if-you-re/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 387 Apply quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Judges are like umpires. Umpires don't make the rules. They apply them. The role of an umpire and a judge is critical. 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