Catcher's Box

[TexBlue]

I was reading a thread from another web site, amazed at what the "immature" posters were doing, when a gem of inoformation came up. They were discussing the catcher and where she could be, in relation to the catcher's box and I was wondering about something.

ASA POE 8, 2nd Paragraph states " ....Catchers must remain in the catcher's box until the pitch is released. During a regular pitch to a batter, should the batter be in the front of the batter's box the catcher can move closer to the plate without penalty......"

Now, does this mean the catcher can move right up to the home plate and be OK, as long as she doesn't obstruct? I let 'em kinda scooch up over the line a little, when the batter is in front, but does the POE really mean to allow them to park just behind, or even on top of home plate?

Rick

[Edited by TexBlue on Jan 16th, 2004 at 10:26 AM]

[Dakota]

Originally posted by TexBlue
I was reading a thread from another web site, amazed at what the "immature" posters were doing,

That'll learn ya ... trying to have a discussion on troll-central. What were you thinking?

ASA POE 8, 2nd Paragraph states " ....Catchers must remain in the catcher's box until the pitch is released. During a regular pitch to a batter, should the batter be in the front of the batter's box the catcher can move closer to the plate without penalty......"

Now, does this mean the catcher can move right up to the home plate and be OK, as long as she doesn't obstruct? I let 'em kinda scooch up over the line a little, when the batter is in front, but does the POE really mean to allow them to park just behind, or even on top of home plate?

Here's my view. When ASA says "regular pitch" they mean "not a pitch out." (IOW, the catcher must remain in the box until the pitch is released on a pitch-out.)

The POE goes on to say the batter retains full rights to the full batter's box, so the catcher who moves up had better be able to get out of the way if the batter moves back again.

The whole thing really just says that if the batter is at the front of the box, the umpire should allow the catcher to position him/herself reasonably in order to be able to catch the pitch. It doesn't say "on top" of the plate - it says "closer to" the plate. The front of the catcher's box is 3' behind the back corner of the plate (whatever that works out to behind the tip of the plate -- 2' 3" or so I thnk).

Besides, IMO if this call has to be made, it indicates either,

-- the umpire did not apply preventative umpiring and instruct the catcher to get back in the box / reasonably behind the batter (whatever), or

-- the catcher is willfully ignoring the umpire's instuctions, and there are ample remedies to deal with that.

caveat - answered from the perspective of JO ball. Adults may be another matter.

[greymule]

The catcher's feet still have to be in the box, but the glove can stick out well over the line. With the toes touching the line, the knees are obviously over the line, too. Sometimes, when the batter is way up front, I've seen F2's glove actually over the back of the plate (with the feet still legal). I always caution them that the batter might back up, etc. So far no problems, though.

[whiskers_ump]

Yeppers,

Just read her the riot act.

[TexBlue]

Going by the ASA rule book the catcher is legal as long as her body parts are touching ground in the catcher's box. So, by my wonderful deductive reasoning, she can extend the glove or whatever as far outside the box as she can, as long as her feet or knees or touching inside the box. I was just wondering how far you guys would let her go, towards the home plate.

Good point on the troll-central. I was just bored out of my mind and didn't think, I guess.

[Edited by TexBlue on Jan 16th, 2004 at 12:00 PM]

[Skahtboi]

Hey Rick:

We all drift over there from time to time, to troll central that is. However, I sure don't post near as much as I used to.

How far would I let the catcher go? As far as she needed without running the risk of obstructing the batter. If I think there is a possible chance that she could be hit. or for that matter, force the batter to alter her swing, then she is too close. Since I use the front lines of the catcher's box as the limit that her feet can go when the batter is at the front of the batter's box, there isn't too much further toward the plate she can comfortably reach!

[IRISHMAFIA]

I believe the ASA exception allowing the catcher to move up closer to the plate was meant for the catcher to move up just prior to the release without penalty.

Good points on preventive umpiring if the catcher moves too close and could possibly be in position to obstruct the batter's swing.

Don't care where any part of the body or glove of the catcher is as long as it isn't touching the ground. If the catcher does have any part of their body or equipment touching the ground, I don't want to be the umpire behind that catcher.

[bluejay]

The book means just what it says. They are to remain in the box UNLESS the batter moves up. Therefore the lines don't mater at that point. A well coached team is going to position themselves in the front of the box in order to hit the ball before it breaks and the ASA book says the catcher can move up accordingly. In all the fastpitch games I have ever done, that has not been a problem. It has been a problem if the batter is in the back of the box and they will get back there occassionaly for several reasons. If they are in front, the catcher should not be a problem unless they prevent the batter from making a swing and you just don't see that happening unless you are calling younger un-trained players. More importantly, to me, I don't want the catcher way-back where it is more difficult stopping the short hopper. I had much rather her be up there where she can stop it rather than me stopping it with something not designed for that purpose.

Jay Garner