Original ASA Rule Book

[Dakota]

Thanks to WestMichBlue, who owns the original and scanned it for us, and to tcblue13 for providing the web host for the document, we can all read / download the original ASA softball rule book. The book dates from the 1930's (I'm not sure of the exact publication date).

Eventually, there will also be an accompanying article on the history of the rules of softball. The article, written by WestMichBlue, is not quite ready, so the link for that will just download a placeholder (empty) document.

Go to the Softball Umpires web site, click on the Handouts page, and then click on Rule Articles.

Have fun.

[BretMan]

I guess you'd really have to be a "rules geek" to say this, but...

cool!

[NCASAUmp]

WestMichBlue has been calling ball since the 30s?? Man, you must be in pretty good shape for an old fella.

It's pretty amazing how the rules haven't changed all that much since the rules were first organized...

[Skahtboi]

Well...so far I have learned one thing from reading over this. "Steam welded Kapok, Elastic shell winding did the trick."

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by Dakota

The book dates from the 1930's (I'm not sure of the exact publication date).

Near the end of the rules book it states that it is "reprinted from the 1936" edition, that would lead one to conclude that it is circa 1937 or so.

Thanks to all who made this possible. This is a great resource to have in understanding the history and the evolution of the game we umpire.

[Al]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Thanks to WestMichBlue, who owns the original and scanned it for us, and to tcblue13 for providing the web host for the document, we can all read / download the original ASA softball rule book. The book dates from the 1930's (I'm not sure of the exact publication date).

Eventually, there will also be an accompanying article on the history of the rules of softball. The article, written by WestMichBlue, is not quite ready, so the link for that will just download a placeholder (empty) document.

Go to the Softball Umpires web site, click on the Handouts page, and then click on Rule Articles.

Have fun.

I add my thanks to WestMichBlue, and tcblue13! And thanks to you, Dakota, and all the others who post here and also contribute to the Softball Umpires web site! Great site! I will add this site to my favorites list!

Nothin' like fun at the ole' ball park. ...Al

[NCASAUmp]

Out of curiosity, how did you come by this rulebook, WestMichBlue? Let's get the story behind it, if you'd care to share.

[BretMan]

I collect antique and vintage baseball equipment and see old rule books on eBay fairly often. They can also be found at antique shops and shows and such.

And I can't get the phrase "steam welded kapok" out of my head, either!

One thing I found strange was the photo in the book of the poor Java villagers, sitting on the dirt floor of their grass hut, hulling kapok pods by hand. Hard to imagine a time when this would be considered a selling point for any product.

It's kind of like Nike taking out an ad playing up the fact that their shoes are proudly produced by under-age workers in a dreary Malaysian sweatshop.

In honor of our 1930's softball rule book, here is a 1930's softball glove from my collection. Better use two hands!

[mick]

Originally Posted by BretMan

In honor of our 1930's softball rule book, here is a 1930's softball glove from my collection. Better use two hands!

In the early 60's, I watched my uncle play shortstop without a glove in northern Minnesota. I wasn't bad.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by BretMan

...One thing I found strange was the photo in the book of the poor Java villagers, sitting on the dirt floor of their grass hut, hulling kapok pods by hand. Hard to imagine a time when this would be considered a selling point for any product.

It's kind of like Nike taking out an ad playing up the fact that their shoes are proudly produced by under-age workers in a dreary Malaysian sweatshop....

It is amazing how what is acceptable regarding such things has changed in our society in 70 years! The USA of the 1930's was very inward focused.

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by mick

In the early 60's, I watched my uncle play shortstop without a glove in northern Minnesota. I wasn't bad.

Yeah...but how was he???

[greymule]

WestMichBlue has been calling ball since the 30s??

One of our guys has been umpiring since the 1930s. Our association was started in 1948, and he's a charter member. He is now 92. I have partnered with him countless times. Up until 2003, he umpired a regular schedule of Fed and ASA.

[mick]

Originally Posted by Skahtboi

Yeah...but how was he???

What was I thinkin' (...or not)?

Correction to previous post -> Uncle wasn't bad, but my bad.
Thanks.

[WestMichBlue]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

Out of curiosity, how did you come by this rulebook, WestMichBlue? Let's get the story behind it, if you'd care to share.

Sorry to ruin your conspiracy theory, but it is too simple. I bought it – on eBay – where I bought many (over 40) for several years.

When Dakota said “original,” he meant the original source for the on-line book, not that I had the original ASA book.

I suspect that the original rules were probably typed and mimeographed just before the hundreds of teams showed up for the first national SB championship games at the 1933 World’s Fair. Despite the new set of rules, confusion reigned as all the teams previously played under different rules and equipment. I assume that the Rules Committee sorted all this out in 1934. Also that year the fledgling ASA organization got financial help from the Athletic Institute, a nonprofit organization of sporting good manufacturers. That probably put the rules in the hands of various manufacturers who printed and sold rulebooks for many years. When I started playing SB everyone stopped by the local sporting goods store and, for a dime, got a copy of the new rulebook published by Spaulding, Rawlings, Adirondack, or Louisville Slugger etc. None of them were more than 1/8” thick and were easily carried in our hip pockets, readily available to argue with the umpires!

Anyway, I suspect that in 1934 or ’35 the first mass printed books appeared. One of my undated books (Sears Roebuck) has a reference to a 1935 field diagram. The one you see (the Kapok) has a slow pitch reference to 1936. I also have a 1936 Gold Smith (kapok balls) and a Wilson 1937. All of these books are identical in rules text, so my assumption is that they represent the original rulebook – whatever year that is. 1939 is the first year that I see changes to the rules.

For more background on the origins of ASA and its rulebook, see my History of Softball Rules when Dakota finishes editing and posts it on-line.

WMB

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by mick

In the early 60's, I watched my uncle play shortstop without a glove in northern Minnesota. I wasn't bad.

When I used to call intramural ball in college, I saw one guy run onto the field without a glove. I joked with his team's "coach" by saying, "what? Can't your right-center afford a glove?"

His coach replied, "he's Australian. He plays cricket."

Sure enough, the next inning, a very high fly ball was hit his way (probably 50' in the air). He caught it with his bare hands like it was a feather, and threw it to the cutoff.