I am a retired Structural Engineer and as such took courses in Soil Mechanics and Foundations Engoneering: "Dirt" is what gets under your finger nails. Soil is a naturally occurring engineering material which can be used as the infield for Softball diamonds, 🤣!

Happy Holidays to everyone!

MRS, Sr.

This next question brings up the discussion about whether or not umpires should or shouldn't inform coaches at the plate conference to have their outfielders raise a hand if a batted ball becomes lodged in fencing, bounces through a hole in a fence, or passes a fence that does not extend all the way to DBT.

We had a situation during a slow-pitch playoff game where the field had the latter scenario where the outfield fence did not extend all the way to another fence demarking DBT. It was essentially a pass-thru area to allow people to get to the other side of the fence to retrieve HR balls.

So in our case, the umpires traditionally tell the coaches that if the ball enters this area, to have their outfielder raise his hand and the base umpire will go out to check the status of the ball. They usually tell the offensive team to keep running as after the fact the umpires can send runners back, but they can't send them forward. So in this case, the runners kept running. Some of the defensive players stopped playing because they saw the ball apparently go past the fence after hitting fair initially. However, before the BU had a chance to check the ball, the right fielder retrieved the ball and threw it in. At that point, the umpires decided that all runners would score. Defense obviously wasn't happy, but we tell the coaches that if you go after the ball, you own it and the results of the play will stand.

I know it's not something that's noted in the Umpire Manual, but what do some of you do in your games/areas?

12) With the score tied in the bottom of the 7th inning, R1 on first base and two outs, B4 hits a deep fly ball down the right-field line. Unable to
make the catch, the right-fielder watches as the ball lands fair and then rolls into foul territory beyond the right-field fence line. R1 scores the
apparent winning run, but the right-fielder informs the umpires the ball rolled beyond the fence line into dead ball territory. What action should
the umpires take?
a. Because the ball rolled into dead ball territory after passing a fielder, the run counts.
b. Because the ball rolled into dead ball territory untouched by the fielder the run counts.
c. This is the same as a blocked ball and R1 should score.
d. This is a two base award. R1 is awarded 3B and B4 is awarded 2B – no run scores.

Ted,

There is nothing in the rule that defines a player raising a hand making the ball in play or out of play. The reality is that a ball blocked or out of play is out and dead whether a player raises a hand or not, and a ball not blocked or out of play remains live even if a player raises a hand. Even if a player makes a play on a ball that the umpire knows is out of play, it is dead; the issue only exists if/when the umpire is unsure if the ball is in play or not.

Raising a hand is only a courtesy so the umpire knows to look and confirm; if the player keeps the umpire from knowing it was out of play, too bad, so sad, the offense gets everything they attain on the play.

Consider this third world example play. On a field with fence openings, the batter hits a fly ball clearly beyond the fence; a defensive player runs off the field, behind the fence, and catches the ball using the Willie Mays basket catch, so as to not raise a hand. Is this a catch on a live ball because the hand was never raised? Don't the rules make it uncatchable because the player is obviously established out of play, without any regard or reference to hand raised or not raised?

I wouldn't change the pregame reminder; I would just add clarification that the ball remains live and assumed playable until the umpire confirms the status as unplayable.

The answer is obviously D.

I don't discuss raising hands or not; but if a partner does, I always clarify that it is only a request to check and more so, the fielder indicating she is not touching the ball.

Because of the shit fields the SP leagues play on in my area and with usually a single umpire, we were trained and continue to use this pre-game notation. It is usually noted that raising a hand or offering some indication simply means the umpire will come out and check when the play is over and if they continue to play the ball, it will be considered in play and all advance will stand if the umpire cannot determine the ball entered DBT.

But I agree with Steve, it is simply a courtesy that just helps the umpire through what could be a difficult situation.

Holy resurrected test question, batman! ASA test question

If this were FED, I'd expect the approved answer to change.

Apparently someone thinks this is important enough to keep putting it on the test. Might this be a result of some analysis that indicates it is one of the questions that the collective group of umpires continues to get wrong from year to year?

28) In the bottom of the 7th inning of a tie game, an unreported substitute for B1 is batting and on the first pitch hits a home run. Before the
umpires leave the playing field the defense, while still in the infield, notifies the umpires that B1’s substitute did not report. The umpire should
rule:
a. B1’s substitute is officially in the game, the run is nullified and B1 is declared out.
b. B1’s substitute run counts because there is no penalty for an unreported substitute and the game is over.
c. B1’s substitute is declared out but the run counts and the game is over.
d. None of the above.

Umpires will understand this verbiage; most players and coaches won't. I dislike the need for the pregame conversation about putting hands up and not playing on a ball out of play, but like Cecil, I usually add the tidbit that a player putting their hands up doesn't kill the play. It only tells the officials, who may be 150+ feet away from dead-ball line, that a player thinks it went out.

Quick question on the Umpire Manual... Will it be posted on the USA website for all to see, or will I need to register and then get some kind of access code to see it?

I have not registered yet.

I thought it was supposed to be posted by 1-1-18.

The umpire manual has been posted on the USA Softball site.

You can download for free. It is ina PDF format.