What verbal would you want? If you want to see confused players, try verbalizing "FOUL TIP" :eek:

Strike. Just strike.

"Is that a foul ball, blue?" "Isn't that an out?"

The hammer means strike or out, but on such rare occasions that we have foul tips, it'd be good, in my opinion to have a verbal "strike" call. Nothing more.

Do you verbalize on a swinging strike?

This is the route I go, because you never know what ucking fidiots we have in our games. We're not ALL blessed with booksmart players. ;)

No, but that is where the bat does not make contact with the ball. If the bat makes contact with the ball, the lack of a verbal detracts from the call. I believe it does not show certainty in the call, even if the PU gives an immediate visual signal. It's almost like it's a half call. A foul tip is not an "obvious call" to everyone in the stands and on the field, which is why we often give no verbal on certain calls like obvious foul balls or, in your example, a swinging strike.

We verbalize a called strike (when the batter doesn't swing). We even verbalize a called ball. Why are we not verbalizing a foul tip for a strike? How would verbalizing "strike" on a foul tip detract from the game?

Maybe this is a slow pitch thing, since a foul tip is not particularly rare in the fast pitch game. Everyone (well, almost everyone) seems to understand the call, although some still think the ball is dead. Occasionally I'll have to remind the batter that she's out on strike 3, but I chalk that up to the batter not actually seeing the signal.

I will state this for the umpteenth time, batters and runners have a tendency to stop when they hear anything out of an umpire's mouth EVEN WHEN IT IS "SAFE". The idea of no verbal is to not interupt play. In this case, the first sound out of your mouth would be "foul" and I guarantee that is all they will hear.

Even if you give a verbal, odss are you will still need to explain what just happened.

I don't think it is necessary and would just muck up the waters that much more. When they argue, cut them off and ask if they would like to protest your call, sign the book and move on.

How did we make it this far without any issues by not verbalizing a foul tip? :rolleyes:

Even when you've got a runner stealing on the pitch, we still verbalize a strike that wasn't swung at, don't we? Does the runner stop? :)

Either way, we've got calls that we verbalize, and those we don't. I just think it might clear some things up if we actually verbalize "strike" on the hammer. Guess we just disagree. I'll still do it the ASA way until it changes (if it ever changes).

I've been moving to the other end of the spectrum on a foul tip. I see little value in a signal that there was a foul tip. There's no verbal - it's a live ball - runners stealing are going to go until they hear something from me.

Yeah, 90'+ away. I call a strike for those around the plate, not the field. THAT is why there are signals.:D

Either way, we've got calls that we verbalize, and those we don't. I just think it might clear some things up if we actually verbalize "strike" on the hammer. Guess we just disagree. I'll still do it the ASA way until it changes (if it ever changes).[/quote]

A foul tip is handled the same as a swinging strike. The reason is that other than a slight sound, the fact that the ball had been hit is barely distinguishable.

One value would be to let anyone who may have heard the contact know that you heard/saw it and it was a foul tip and not catcher's obstruction.

I'm looking at that as having minimal value. Should there be CO, I've got a call to make and they'll know by the call what I have.

Don't we have a signal for that and a verbal as well?

Why don't players understand that if I want you to stop, I'll tell you. If I don't tell you, play on!

Which, IMO, shouldn't exist either. When Fed went to a verbal on OBS, the first two OBS I had that year, I verbalized and the girls looked at me instead of playing on. Since then, I just will not do it.

Like the foul tip, the play is to continue as if the violation never occurred and you deal with it afterward. Don't remember the last time someone started to complain about "interference" (OBS) and someone else didn't say, "he's got it, look at the arm" or something to that effect.

I'm with Steve on this one...I just don't see the value of the "foul tip" signal. It's treated the same as a swinging strike and, usually, everybody knows that the batter swung.

I think this is leaking over from baseball :eek: but I tend to agree with not having a signal for a foul tip and just using the hammer to indicate a strike.