Brushing off the picthing plate and the bases

[Julio Caliente]

My significant other umpires FP softball and was selected to do a national tournament and luckily the tournament is about a 5 min drive from my house. Anyways I went to watch her umpire today and saw her brushing off the pitching plate in between innings and a base if it got dirty. I was asking myself WTF because she is no "smitty", but I wasn't going to ask her during the game. Well, after the game I asked her what the heck she was doing and she said the UIC wants them to do it and she would have gotten marked off on her "grade" if she didn't. Here is something we are adamantly against doing, yet in FP softball they are required to do it. I thought that was hilarious........

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Julio Caliente

My significant other umpires FP softball and was selected to do a national tournament and luckily the tournament is about a 5 min drive from my house. Anyways I went to watch her umpire today and saw her brushing off the pitching plate in between innings and a base if it got dirty. I was asking myself WTF because she is no "smitty", but I wasn't going to ask her during the game. Well, after the game I asked her what the heck she was doing and she said the UIC wants them to do it and she would have gotten marked off on her "grade" if she didn't. Here is something we are adamantly against doing, yet in FP softball they are required to do it. I thought that was hilarious........

ASA has the BU brush the pitcher's plate when necessary.

[ManInBlue]

Yeah, from what I've heard, "we" have to be able to see the pitcher's plate - F1 has to be in contact when she releases the ball. I got the same explanation - It's an ASA thing.

What's funny though is to have an ASA guy on the bases during a baseball game and watch him clean the rubber and 2B - talk about WTF? I wasn't sure I could keep from laughing.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by ManInBlue

F1 has to be in contact when she releases the ball.

Not true..

[ManInBlue]

Originally Posted by waltjp

Not true..

OK...

I'll make it right - they brush it off cuz they have to see it for some reason.

[LakeErieUmp]

Nice mouth, thinking "WTF" around a lady!

[etn_ump]

Originally Posted by waltjp

Not true..

Then, why do FP umpires clean off the rubber? Is it a required mechanic in softball?

If memory serves, watching the College World Series, the pitchers were 2-3 feet in front of the rubber as they released the ball.

[mbyron]

I found an entire forum dedicated to answering this kind of question. Check it out!

http://tinyurl.com/2ovevw

[ManInBlue]

Originally Posted by etn_ump

Then, why do FP umpires clean off the rubber? Is it a required mechanic in softball?

If memory serves, watching the College World Series, the pitchers were 2-3 feet in front of the rubber as they released the ball.

I think he meant that F1 doesn't have to be in contact when she releases the ball as I stated (I really need to find better sources!!!)

Hey, Erie, since when can she hear what I'm thinking? We'd all have dislocated jaws if women could hear everything we think around them. He didn't say that he verbalized it.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by etn_ump

If memory serves, watching the College World Series, the pitchers were 2-3 feet in front of the rubber as they released the ball.

Exactly. There's no requirement to be in contact with the rubber at the time the pitch is released. Same as in baseball - it's a starting point.

[VanStanza]

Originally Posted by etn_ump

Then, why do FP umpires clean off the rubber? Is it a required mechanic in softball?

If memory serves, watching the College World Series, the pitchers were 2-3 feet in front of the rubber as they released the ball.

In fastpitch softball, because it is such a pitcher driven game, strict rules are created to limit what a pitcher can and can't do. One of the requirements of youth and women's fastpitch is that the pitcher come to a pause with two feet in contact with the rubber. If the pitcher is right-handed, they will put their right heel in contact with the front of the rubber, and the left foot's toes in contact with the back of the rubber. From this position, the pitcher must push forward and the pivot (right) foot must drag away from the pitcher's plate. The reason for cleaning the pitcher's plate is to monitor the back foot (toes) of the pitcher. Every inch a pitcher is able to move their back foot backward (illegally) gains that pitcher an immense advantage in the velocity the pitcher is able to throw. And so, it must be clear to the BU that the pitcher does have both feet in contact with the pitcher's plate at the beginning of the pitching motion.

It should be noted that in men's fastpitch, the pitcher is allowed to keep only the pivot foot in contact with the rubber and the other foot may be positioned any distance back of the rubber. This is because the hitters in fastpitch softball are better than in women's and youth ball, and so, to give the pitcher's a better chance to throw at a high velocity and be more effective. Thus, the umpire is less likely to clean the pitcher's plate.

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

ASA has the BU brush the pitcher's plate when necessary.

Brush off, kick the dirt off, what difference does it make? Kick a base clean, brush it clean, what difference does it make?

I have learned many things from FP and SP umpires, it's really (b)anal to make fun of them as if we have some kind of exclusive corner on wonderfulness.

[tcblue13]

Another thing to consider is that the rubber in small ball is elevated on a mound while the pitching plate in softball is on level ground. Softball umpires have to see where F1's feet land in respect to the pitching plate as well. It is 24" wide and F1 has to stay within that width in delivering the ball.