Quote:
Originally posted by tzme415
I have read the rules over and over on the strike zone in slow pitch and it says nothing about where the ball lands, yet as a player I saw so many umpires call the balls and strikes by where the ball landed behind the plate. In fact I even heard one say that the ball did not land in the 'strike box'. I could never understand how a ball coming in at a 6 foot arc and landing just behind the plate was a strike every time. I was told by some one who had been an umpire for many years that it just was. Now I'm not a math wizard, so maybe it is possible the even with the low arc pitch the ball is 20 inches high at the front of the plate. (I measured to the bottom of my knee to be 18 inches, so I figured maybe 2 more inches for someone 6' 4", I'm about 5'11") The 12 foot arcing pitch coming into the back of the 'box' is easier to say it was too high and call a ball, but noone ever calls that low arcing short ball a Ball. Maybe those of you who have done slowpitch for a long time can explain this. Thanks.
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Umpires who call balls and strikes based on where it hits the ground are not doing their job. The only reason an umpire follows the ball to the ground is to insure it doesn't hit the plate.
The strike zone is at the batter's natural stance while adjacent to the plate.
A legal pitch from 50' is going to be at or over the front knee of the batter.