ASA Fast pitch mechanic - dropped 3rd strike
 

All of the nuances that softball has that I am trying to learn. There has got to be a different mechanic for dropped third strikes (be it verbal, signal, or both). What is the mechanic for PU for the following:

1) On a called 3rd strike that the catcher drops e.g. pops out of glove or catcher flat out misses it (I have seen this in younger FP SB)?

2) Swing strike 3?


Thanks in advance.....

Question: what is the current mechanic you are using so that we can tell if there is a different one?

Your sitch covers obvious D3K situations to which there is no mechanic/signal for D3K. It is (should be) obvious to all that ball is live when D3K occurs. If D3K, position yourself a live ball situation.

Associated sitch's requiring signals/mechanics:

B1 is occupied, less than two outs - Declare 'Batter is Out' if they start to run so that all are aware they are out.

Pitch is low, dug out by catcher, may have hit the ground (trapped) - Whenever you are not sure if the catch was 'clean', err on the side of keeping the ball alive, so it is uncaught unless you know you have a catch. In NCAA, there is a signal for BU to help PU. The signal is to keep the arm tight to the body, bent at the elbow to the side.; point for a drop, fist for a catch. Additionally, if I am certain I have a catch, I will call 'catch' to alert the batter and F2 that I have an out.

The mechanic for both would are the same that you would use to if it were a caught third strike. There is no need for anything else, really. It is the job of both the offense and defense to know the situation and to act accordingly.

In the NCAA, they added a new "communication" mechanic a couple of years ago for the BU to use in on uncaught 3K's to communicate to his partner what he saw. If, as a BU, I see the ball hit the ground. I will point to the ground with my right hand out to my side. If I clearly see the ball caught, I will extend a fist out to my right side.

Right now I use the tried and true ASA mechanic for calling strikes. On a called third strike I verbalize the same way, but do a "punch out" motion.


Hopefully a team does know this and if they still throw.. too bad ball is still live.

I would always keep the ball live. Why wouldn't I (I cant think of why I wouldn't.. unless the batter somehow interfered with the catcher trying to make a play on a D3K). The mechanic of the BU and the verbalization of the "catch" are the things i am looking for. Do you also verbalize "no catch"? Does teh ASA use this mechanic also? Would the ASA frown upona crew using it?


I was curious because I am coming from a baseball background where I would give a strike signal followed by a no catch signal if it wasn't an obvious no catch e.g. the ball is against the backstop.

Sounds like what wa said above which sounds like good idea. I wont be doing any NCAA ball for along, long time (if ever). I still have a ton to learn.


Thank you all for answering my questions.