2016 Fed changes

[Insane Blue]

Originally Posted by Little Jimmy

Any thoughts on the point of emphasis on pitching? The new rule book says in part the committee "encourages umpires to call the strike zone according to the rule". Meaning the full zone, armpit to top of knees?

I know that this is what our Instructional chair will teach but in So Cal the top teams will be pissed if we call that zone.

[RKBUmp]

Considering the rule is any part of the ball passing through the zone is a strike, and the armpit is the top of the strike zone that would make a ball up around the chin a strike. You call strikes up that high and more than a few coaches are going to be headed to the parking lot .

[Little Jimmy]

I don't have any problem using the full ball at or below armpit as a strike. I can quote the rule book to any coach and feel like I did the right thing. I'll take that over the "nothing over the belt" approach that some of the locals use.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by RKBUmp

Considering the rule is any part of the ball passing through the zone is a strike, and the armpit is the top of the strike zone that would make a ball up around the chin a strike. You call strikes up that high and more than a few coaches are going to be headed to the parking lot .

Isn't the general teaching the whole ball based on zone height (arm pit or knee), any part on zone width?
i.e., "tight on height, wide on side"

Also, when did coaches' temperament become part of the rules?

[RKBUmp]

Originally Posted by CecilOne

Isn't the general teaching the whole ball based on zone height (arm pit or knee), any part on zone width?
i.e., "tight on height, wide on side"

Also, when did coaches' temperament become part of the rules?

This has nothing to do with general "teachings" of the strike zone. For that matter I have heard I dont know how many different versions of what strike zone should be called. It seems every instructor has their own version, shorten the top and extend the outside corner, call the river both sides, call the college strike zone, call the letters etc etc etc.

The point of emphasis put out by the NFHS says to call the strike zone by the book. The book says the zone is the the armpits to the knees and any part of the ball passing through this zone is a strike. So, take the armpit, measure up 3.8" and you have the top of the ball up near the chin. That is the "rule" strike zone.

And no, I generally dont care what coaches think. But, you start calling strikes up around the chin that have never historically been a strike and you are going to have coaches going to the parking lot.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by RKBUmp

But, you start calling strikes up around the chin that have never historically been a strike and you are going to have coaches going to the parking lot.

Of course, many batters will swing at that pitch, because they see it best.