The Official Forum  

Go Back   The Official Forum > General / Off-Topic

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
  #1 (permalink)  
Old Fri May 11, 2018, 02:32pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Rockville,MD
Posts: 1,139
Baseball vs. Softball

I am both a baseball umpire and a softball umpire, and have noticed that some other users (bbman, BretMan) have experience umpiring both as well. I have also noticed that there are significant differences in mechanics between the two sports (softball umpires are less likely to call "Play" or point to the pitcher to signal "Play" than baseball umpires), and that some users in the softball forum have insisted that baseball not be discussed in relation to softball.

AFAIK, some baseball umpires with bad mechanics have borrowed their non-standard mechanics from softball (using "Dead Ball" on a stoppage of play, a big no-no for baseball umpires), and some softball umpires have inappropriately appropriated baseball mechanics (pointing on strikes), so some degree of crossover is inevitable (plate mechanics are similar in both sports, and the process of taking a play at a base is also basically identical).

Do baseball umpires have a similarly dismissive attitude towards softball and softball umpires as (some) softball umpires do towards baseball and baseball umpires?

Are there any baseball mechanics that are seen as unnecessary for a softball umpire, the way that brushing the rubber and bases and/or carrying the ball to the mound is for a baseball umpire?

Mods, please move this post if it is not in the appropriate location.
Reply With Quote
  #2 (permalink)  
Old Thu Jun 21, 2018, 01:10pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: The Land Of The Free and The Home Of The Brave (MD/DE)
Posts: 6,425
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilyazhito View Post
Do baseball umpires have a similarly dismissive attitude towards softball and softball umpires as (some) softball umpires do towards baseball and baseball umpires?

Are there any baseball mechanics that are seen as unnecessary for a softball umpire, the way that brushing the rubber and bases and/or carrying the ball to the mound is for a baseball umpire?

.
It is so much dismissive as trying to avoid confusion when discussing a topic for one sport or another.

I know little about baseball mechanics; but what I notice most are signal differences.

Carrying the ball to the "mound" is apparently frowned on for baseball (per above); and is certainly not a softball mechanic. Handling the ball at all except to put one into play is taboo. Same for bats, except to inspect.
__________________
Officiating takes more than OJT.
It's not our jobs to invent rulings to fit our personal idea of what should and should not be.
Reply With Quote
  #3 (permalink)  
Old Wed Jul 04, 2018, 02:13pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Rockville,MD
Posts: 1,139
Carrying the ball to the rubber may not be a standard softball mechanic, but that is one which I noticed certain umpires use, along with brushing the rubber and bases, and using indicators on the bases (not standard practice in baseball above Little League Majors level).

To avoid confusion, I explicitly specify that something is done a certain way in baseball, and may ask for the equivalent way to do the same thing in softball. Certain things are similar (use of the slot, calls at 1st base, clearing the catcher), so I don't feel that it is harmful to infer a certain similarity between officiating the 2 sports. However, baseball is my primary spring sport, so I use that as a point of reference should I encounter something unfamiliar in softball (I had to explicitly note the differences between the baseball and softball strike zone, the rule on when a bunt attempt can be considered a strike, and whether a base is a safe haven from being called out when hit by a batted ball).

I am interested to hear what both baseball and softball umpires have to say about the two sports and the officiating practices thereof. Maybe softball can borrow a few useful techniques from baseball umpires (the wedge and baseball plate umpire stances), because I have noticed that softball has given me more practice behind the plate, and has helped me improve my timing for baseball.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Baseball Umps for Softball bigsig Softball 5 Mon Jul 14, 2008 07:55pm
Softball bats in Baseball ? _Bruno_ Baseball 2 Fri Mar 28, 2008 11:57am
Softball Baseball IRISHMAFIA Softball 34 Thu Feb 21, 2008 09:52am
Softball Vs Baseball UMP 64 Softball 2 Mon Mar 12, 2007 01:59pm
Need help from those knowledgeable in FED baseball, softball, and OBR baseball. TwoBits Softball 5 Thu Apr 15, 2004 10:21pm


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:13am.



Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.3.0 RC1