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I worked last night (Men's SP) for the first time in another town that has a sportsplex with many different fields, with lots of concurrent games. Up until now, I have only worked ASA. They (the complex) use what they told me is their own set of rules, a hybrid of what the complex deems to be the "best" rules from different softball governing bodies.
The pitching arc rule was between 6' and 10', and umps are not to call, nor signal illegal pitches, neither during, nor after the pitch. It's simply a ball. It was a D league, so it had a 1 HR limit. Batters started with a 1-1 count, which made the games go much faster. Plus, I got paid ca$h on the field before the game, which was great, since I'm used to waiting 2 weeks for a mailed check.
Where does this 6' to 10' pitching arc rule come from? It was strange after working all year with a 12' limit, but there were only a couple of pitches that were too high. I found this allowed me to focus more on strike zone location, since the arc in this game was less of an issue than in ASA. The pitches were consistent, in terms of arc trajectory. It made it easier to umpire, but it still seemed weird.
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