Getting Down!

[Just Curious]

God was merciful and so were the coaches and fans! My first attempt at umpiring was a success! What a team sport! You wouldn't have believed all the help I got! It was the first officiating job that I completely felt like the fans and coaches were behind me! Well I guess they were since I had the plate. 4-14 half way through the bottom of the 5th and I was actually home before midnight. I could get use to this!
Needless to say, I need a lot of work taking in all the things that are happening when you have a batted ball. But a couple of the questions I left with were:
A. Some of the pitchers take quite a while to pitch that ball. A number of times I hit 8 & 9 in my 10 second count . Is it improper to be moving as the pitcher starts her wind-up? As she started her wind-up, I'd slowly desend to my looking position and usually be there as the ball left her hand.
B. How often should you give a visual count and when is a good time to give it?
C. Whoever designed these face masks didn't give much thought for easy insertion of a whistle into your mouth. Anyone else have this problem?
D. Who picked black shoes? My shoes look worse after an hour and a half of softball than after 5 seasons of basketball.
E. And lastly.. Is there a historical reason as to why the hand clickers show Strikes - Balls and all other verbage tends to point to Balls - Strikes?
Well that's it for this sessions. Thanks for everyone's help and encouragement!
Chuck Lewis

[Bandit]

A) While I do keep track to some degree of the 10 seconds, I find myself watching the 20 seconds between pitches more and that is what most coaches look for or tend to comment on. The time I go down into my set position behind the plate is indeed when the pitcher starts her movement. This is also the time most base umpires will go down (when baserunners are on) because they will take the clue from the plate umpire. B)Everyone differs with when to give the count, I'll always give it after base runners have moved bases (stealing, passed balls, ect.,) and when we have a full count, I'll also ask the catcher before the game when she might like it. This is a good way I've found to introduce myself to the catcher and start a good working relationship. C)If you think it's tough with these masks wait till someone approves the "hockey style" masks. And you know it's coming. D) Don't have a answer for this one. E) Clickers are like the mouse trap, we are always looking for a better design. My question is why don't the clickers have a push down type set-up vs the wheel style they have now ??

[Roger Greene]

Chuck,
I'd be careful with that whistle. In a close game someone might suggest that you place it in a different body orifice!!!

Was this a Fed (High School rules) game? If so there isn't a 10 second clock. The pitcher has 20 seconds to pitch after the ball is returned to her. Thats a long time, and I don't think anybody starts tinking about it until the batter is also in the box ready for the pitch. The batter also has 20 seconds after you tell her to step in.

The important part about the pitcher is to make sure she takes the pitcher's plate properly. (Note: we seldom make comments about pitcher's mounting the rubber in softball. Not PC.) She needs to take the plate with her hands seperated and then take or simulate taking a sign before she begins the pitching motion. This not only gives the batters a fair chance to prepare for the pitch, but lets the umpire set up. I've seen to many umpires allow the pitcher to begin the pitch at the same instant she takes the pitcher's plate.

+POS makes an upside down clicker. It only has 3 balls and 2 strikes with larger numbers. I tried one and gave it away in the middle of the first inning last year. Too many years counting the other way and I couldn't get my fingers to work. If you are new and learn on one of them they would be nice.

Glad your game went well, but in a closer game the offensive coach might have objected to that 3 seconds in the running lane call you made in the bottom of the third.

Roger Greene,
Member UT

[Edited by Roger Greene on Mar 8th, 2001 at 09:16 AM]

[SamNVa]

Chuck,

(A) It's good that you're are counting between pitches, just remember you have to use both fingers and toes for an accurate count.

(B) I show the count after every pitch and verbalize it on the odd pitches after the first pitch, i.e. on the 1-2, 2-1, 3-0 and the 3-2 count.

(C) With a little creativity and some super glue, I've discovered that you can affix the whistle right to the mask so that it's right there whenever you put your mask on. Just be careful when you take it off!

(D) Rumor has it that the decision was made in the early 1900s by a gentleman named William Ramsay who some call a man of exceptional foresight. This is just a rumor however. A futher explanation can be found here.

(E) If you get into the habit of showing the count on every pitch as I suggested, you may find that you can get by without a clicker, but if you do feel that you need one, I highly recommend the +POS oversized version with 3 balls, 2 strikes and 2 outs. You can order one from Honigs, the model K49.

Congratulations on your 1st game success, and welcome to the ranks of the insane.

[Bandit]

Chuck: When are you counting the 10 seconds...If I'm not mistaken there is actually two (2) time frames we are looking for in both ASA & FED. While the pitcher has 20 seconds between pitches she also has to abide by the hands have to come together for not less than one(1) second and not more than ten (10) seconds...Is this what you are refering to ???? There is also available what is called a "Blind Mans" count clicker. It has the wheels indented so that you never have to look down at the clicker, when asked the count you learn the indentions, and go by the feel.

[Edited by Bandit on Mar 8th, 2001 at 11:24 AM]

[Just Curious]

Well I have to say I'm a bit embarrassed... The 10 second count was mentioned in jest. Only because that's what a free throw shooter has once the ball has been made at their disposal... I didn't actually know about the 20 seconds between pitches... I'm always learning something in this forum...

But Roger... I still think that 3 second call was okay.. That lanes only 30 feet long.. That's only 10 ft per second.

The game I called... and I know that there were more than a couple there that would dispute that I called anything... right... was a Fed JV game. Two comments I heard after the game had to do with my strike zone being too tight and the tag comming before the BR makes contact with the bag. Good input..

I keep seeing references made to ASA. Who plays ASA? Youth, College,.....? Why does there seem to be so many differences between ASA and Fed?

In the basketball ranks, there are a number of fellow officials that believe calling Rec ball doesn't help much with Fed ball, because of the rule differences and non-use of a few mechanics. Any thoughts along these lines for umping Rec softball?

Chuck Lewis

[SamNVa]

Chuck,

Some would say that ASA is to softball what Little League is to baseball. Basically it's one of the, if not the, largest sponsor of "recreational" softball in the country. They have leagues from 8yo up to adult. Many of the HS girls play on a 16U or 18U team in the summer and fall. I've put a link to their website below if you are interested.

While there are still a number of differences between FED softball and ASA softball, the NFHS rules committee took some major strides this year to bring the rules closer together (e.g. the new appeal and obstruction rules). So calling ASA ball in the summer and fall is a good way to gather experience for FED ball.

ASA Softball

[Dakota]

Originally posted by SamNVa
Some would say that ASA is to softball what Little League is to baseball. Basically it's one of the, if not the, largest sponsor of "recreational" softball in the country.

I would say, Sam, that your characterization of ASA vastly understates its influence, and and the same time is a bit perjorative.

ASA is the "official" USA softball body. By that I mean ASA is the umbrella organization for USA Softball, the sponsor of the USA Olympic team, and the official body for the other USA international play teams.

The comparison between ASA and LL baseball is only valid with respect to number of participants. Otherwise, there are vast differences. ASA uses professional umpires, LL does not (for example). ASA does not allow co-ed teams to play against single-gender teams, or boys teams to play against girls teams. LL does. This latter issue, BTW, turned the LL fastpitch softball championship into a complete farce in 2000.

ASA does have a large "recreational" program (in ASA-speak "recreational" means less competitive, and includes slowpitch as well as fastpitch), but I would venture to say that the traveling teams / leagues and associated ASA Championship play is by far the most competitive youth softball in the country. There is no doubt in my mind that the any of the top ten 16U / 18U ASA traveling teams in the last nationals would demolish most high school state championship teams. This is because the top ASA traveling teams are recruited teams, more like college teams. They are not town or school teams, and the top teams draw the best players from a wide geographic area.

[SamNVa]

Dakota,

I certainly did not intend to demean ASA softball by comparing it to LL baseball. My intent was to indicate the wide spread influence that ASA has on softball. If you ask almost anyone on the street who sanctions youth baseball the answer will be Little League, even though there are many other programs like Dixie, Pony, and Babe Ruth for example. I wanted to give Chuck a familiar reference to indicate that ASA was the softball equivalent of LL baseball in terms of number of teams, national influence, etc. not in terms of play.

I call HS, ASA, LL, and BR softball in my area. The ASA teams are by far the best teams as you stated.

-- Sam

[Edited by SamNVa on Mar 8th, 2001 at 01:30 PM]

[Steve M]

Chuck,
With you hearing that your strike zone is too narrow - the plate is 17" wide, with a 3/4" black band around it. The ball is 3 & 1/2 inches in diameter. Give them the black - especially in a JV game - you need every strike you can get there. If any part of the ball hits any part of the strike zone, call it. That means that your effective strike zone is about 27" wide.

ASA is the biggest softball sanctioning body in the world and most of the other sanctioning bodies' rules are somewhat based on ASA rules. Up until a few years ago when they started putting together their own book, NCAA used the ASA rule book and listed their few alterations inside the front cover. Over the past few years, the NCAA, NFHS, and ASA have decided to try to move their rules closer to being a single set of rules. Each has a representative and the rules committee meetings of the others. Some of the NFHS changes this year are to bring the NFHS rules in line with ASA's.

NFHS made my section rep responsible for putting together a summary of the rule differences between NFHS and ASA. When I made a very similar suggestion to him that such a booklet would be really useful, I ended up with that task. It's done, for all intents & purposes, with several minor changes having been made by the Fed and then by me. Right now, I again waiting for "final" approval from the Fed. They will distribute it via state organizations - it seems my name won't even be on it's cover, oh well I can live with that. There is also a summary that ASA puts out each year - I have no idea why NFHS did not just use that instead of putting together their own. I just found out a few months ago that ASA has been doing that for years.

You'll find that each pitcher is different and it may take several pitches for you to pick up her delivery motion. Wait as long as you can before dropping into your set position, but be completely set and still when the pitcher releases the ball. You don't want to track a moving target(the ball) from a moving base (you).

I usually give the count after the 3rd pitch and then every other pitch after that. I may give it after 2 pitches if they were strikes.

Like someone already said - welcome to this branch of the insane.

[refjef40]

To Bandit I think they keep the wheel style so that knuckle heads like me don't accidently clear the button.With the wheel you have to make a decison to clear.Anybody else clear a clicker after a passed ball runners with runners going everywhere?

[Bandit]

Refjef40: Good point on the clickers... I know that I have...I've also wondered at times, did I click over after that last pitch, right before the mass movement of runners, when I have been in the field position. Or even after a single stolen base. That's why I try (when behind the plate)and like to have the plate umpire indicate the count after a baserunner(s) move.

[whiskers_ump]

As you can see on the register I am new to the forum here.
Noted that most of you call ASA, FED, and others. In the
past five years I have not only been doing ASA, UIL, LL,
games but have stepped into the AFA group. So pretty good
ball here also.

[Steve M]

Well, Whiskers - welcome to our group. Mike will verify that I'm whiskerless as of the end of Feb when we got together down in Chester Pa. I've heard of AFA - but never seen any of their games. What is UIL?

[Gulf Coast Blue]

UIL (University Interscholastic League) is the governing body of HS extracurricular activities in TX......from athletics, music, debate, spelling bee's, etc. If it is an extracurricular event......UIL governs it.

AFA ball has been heating up in TX also. Some good ball there........my oldest has played it but I have never called it.

Joel