slow pitch strike zone

[rharrell]

New to slow pitch this year after years of coaching and calling fast pitch and baseball.

While I base my zone on the batter, player's seem to have the mentality that there is a box behind the plate and if the ball lands in that box it's a strike. I've seen some umpires in our league point to the ground and call "deep" which seems to reinforce this. Had a game last weekend with a couple of 6.5 foot players and some who were barely 5 foot and this led to more than the usual whining about the zone. Also, we normally play with a 4' 10' arc, but it was 6' 12' for this particular tournament.

I'm sticking to calling it either a ball or a strike without explanation. I'm sure this has probably been discussed before, but any advice on maintaining a consistent slow pitch strike zone?

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by rharrell

New to slow pitch this year after years of coaching and calling fast pitch and baseball.

While I base my zone on the batter, player's seem to have the mentality that there is a box behind the plate and if the ball lands in that box it's a strike. I've seen some umpires in our league point to the ground and call "deep" which seems to reinforce this. Had a game last weekend with a couple of 6.5 foot players and some who were barely 5 foot and this led to more than the usual whining about the zone. Also, we normally play with a 4' 10' arc, but it was 6' 12' for this particular tournament.

I'm sticking to calling it either a ball or a strike without explanation. I'm sure this has probably been discussed before, but any advice on maintaining a consistent slow pitch strike zone?

Speaking ASA

The ground has no impact on the strike zone. Only if the ball hits the plate or in front of the plate do I really care where it lands. Umpires which point to the ground and use that as a reference point for the call are either untrained or lazy.

Unfortunately, you are correct about umpires perpetuating the players inaccurate belief of what constitutes a strike. The bad part about that is the umpires who call the zone correctly usually take more heat than those who do not.

[tzme415]

I do mainly SP, this is how I try to stay consistent.

1) Watch the ball from the pitcher's hand to its apex to determine if it was a legal pitch.
2) Only worry about the pitch being over the back shoulder when it crosses the plate - this is a ball; anything lower is a strike (If it doesn't cross the plate including hitting the plate then it is a ball of course).
3) Don't worry about the ball being lower than the front knee - although noone has proved it to me - it is accepted that if the pitch is legal and lands behind the plate that it has to have been at least knee high.

So I try to get my eyes even with the back shoulder of the batter.

[Steve M]

I have not done any SP this year and I may have done as many as 7 games last year. I don't care where the ball hits the ground or much of the other "stuff" that players seem to be looking at. And the ball is pretty much on a G-D tee, swing the bat. And give me a chance to punch you out on a called third strike, better be ready to get buried 'cuz the pitch is a strike until proven otherwise.

I've followed the thought that every pitcher is the "minimum height required, so if the pitch goes higher than the pitcher's head and does not go more than double the pitcher's height, it's legal.

[SWFLguy]

Some good advice here !!
I worked local rec leagues that used a mat !!
Some pitches that missed the mat were really strikes
and one league I worked actually had a pitch hitting
the plate be a strike-- talk about taking the bat out
of the hitter's hands !!!
Most of the players, coaches, and fans have no
clue as to the ASA Slo-pitch strike zone.
And as someone here stated already-- calling it
correctly can actually create some problems !
I walked away from Slo-Pitch a couple of years ago
after nearly 30 years of calling it.
Only high school fast pitch for me.

[azbigdawg]

The use of the mat is a satanic tool and leads to lazy umpires with poor mechanics and NO sense of how to truly work the plate. The mat should be abolished from use, but some misguided fools thought it was easier for umpires to umpire that way. (can you tell I dont like the mat?) where the ball hits the ground has ABOSOLUTELY nothing to do with whether its a strike or not....(assuming it doesnt hit the plate..or in front of the plate)

[FUBLUE]

I used to work a rec league that used the mat...it takes away corners and judgment from umpiring.

I also liked the fact that a pitch which hit the mat next to the back point of the plate was a strike, but one that hit the plate (same plane in relationship to the plate) was a ball.

Didn't make a lot of sense to me then, still doesn't.

A mat that is 25 inches wide would be really nice, wouldn't it?

WOrked SP this weekend and had several players "wince" at the lower arching pitch that hit towards the back of the batters box (but still crossed the plate) being a strike, but they never complained about any height pitch that hit right behind the plate being a strike.

What's up with that?

Had teams from the winners bracket (both teams in the WBF game) and three or four of the 9 teams left in the losers bracket after Saturday ask me if I had their games on Sunday because they liked my zone.

I didn't, because I volunteered to not work Sunday, instead opting to give others more games...I was an emergency fill in.

[noobie]

Originally posted by azbigdawg
The use of the mat is a satanic tool and leads to lazy umpires with poor mechanics and NO sense of how to truly work the plate.

Amen. I called my first two years long ago in a league that used the mat. I hated it then, and I hate it even worse now. I've had all sorts of bad habits to break this year.

It seems that most SP players still think the mat's supposed to be back there ... you wouldn't believe the myths ... well, on second thought, maybe you would.

I always make this statement part of the pregame: "I call balls & strikes by the ASA rule book -- it's where they cross the plate, not where they land. The height of the batter matters."

As long as I stay consistent, I don't have riots breaking out. Some heat, sure, per expectations as PU in any sport with balls & strikes

It's getting that "ILLEGAL" call out on a 13-foot arc in time to warn the batter that I have trouble with ....

[tzme415]

Noobie - It's not the 13 foot high one that gets me, its the one that's just a little too low. The ball has to have a little speed to get to the plate at that height and I have to wait for it to get halfway to see if it will make 6 feet. Sometimes by the time I can even say 'Illegal' the ball is to the plate. Hard for a batter to lay off waiting for the call especially with 2 strikes.

I Hate The Mat Too. It actually makes the game slower, not faster.

[scottk_61]

Sarcastically speaking, I love the mat.
I can just lean against the fence over near one of the dugouts and call balls and stikes from there.
I think the 3rd base side would be the best angle, as then I could see the same thing as the players in the dugout with no problems................

Seriously, I hate the mat but some rec leagues want it.
I call the balls and strikes according to the local rules but it gives me a chance to work and say to myself, That was a ball or that was a strike in spite of the mat.

The rest of the time I spend on working on my mechanics, ie when should I get set, positioning for plays etc.

Take the opportunity to improve yourself whenever you can.

Personally, I think that most mat play was developed because too many of us couldn't figure out what to call or how to manage a game.
The players wanted some kind of consistency and they got it....................such as it is.

[Alameda]

Originally posted by tzme415
I do mainly SP, this is how I try to stay consistent.

1) Watch the ball from the pitcher's hand to its apex to determine if it was a legal pitch.
2) Only worry about the pitch being over the back shoulder when it crosses the plate - this is a ball; anything lower is a strike (If it doesn't cross the plate including hitting the plate then it is a ball of course).
3) Don't worry about the ball being lower than the front knee - although noone has proved it to me - it is accepted that if the pitch is legal and lands behind the plate that it has to have been at least knee high.

So I try to get my eyes even with the back shoulder of the batter.

I'm taking this to the bank tz. Thank you very much. Concise and simple. I've never seen it explained so commonsensical like this before. I had this in my head all night (3 games) and felt all the more confident in my calls.

Again TYVM!

[rharrell]

TZ

What Alameda said!

Plan to try it tonight.

Thanks!

[ChrisSportsFan]

I don't like the mat when I ump because it makes my job so elementary, yet it pretty much takes away anyone who questions balls and strikes. As a player I hate the mat because I'm a pitcher and I throw alot of strikes that don't hit the mat.

Maybe someone will invent a mat that will light up if the pitch hits it, then even the outfielders can tell if we got it right.

[tzme415]

Glad to help!

Chris - Maybe it will say 'Strike' also.

[noobie]

Originally posted by tzme415
Maybe it will say 'Strike' also.

When it calls "ILLEGAL PITCH", I'm quitting