Usfa?
 

Can anyone offer commentary on calling USFA games?

They are expanding big-time into Michigan this summer and there are several tournaments in my neighborhood. I am considering joining the association, but I have concerns about calling a competitive game under such a simple rule set.

Or, do they really achieve their stated goals to keep it "simple" and "fun?"

WMB

we have done some USFA in North Texas ..... I don't really recall the specific rule set, but we basically used ASA rules except for those few diffs. Was no problem, especially cause all of the teams were used to ASA anyways,

USFA, the only problem is, you never know who is in, who is out of the game.
They can have two EP and also a DEFO. Also if everyone is in the game they
can use the last out as a CR. They have a 14 page rule book.

I have a couple of questions:

First: 3afan and whiskers-ump, what do umpires wear for USFA sanctioned games? Color of pants, shirts, and hats?

Second: WestMichBlue, give me a PM when you get more information about USFA tourrnaments in SE Mich. A couple of friends and I would be interested in traveling to "that state up north" to umpire possibly.

MTD, Sr.

USFA has no Virginia UIC or tournaments scheduled in Virginia for the 2008 season.

USFA is big in La. and East Tx. We normally utilize the lgt blue, gray slacks and blue cap.
2008 rules can be found at
usfastpitch.com

Whiskers and 3afan

I believe that it is impossible to call a competitive tournament game strickly by USFA rules; they are so incomplete that you have to use your knowledge of another rule set (ASA, USSSA, NSA, NFHS, etc). Do you agree?

There are no illegal pitches, except for a balk when the pitcher fails to complete her delivery. There are no penalties for failing to pitch according to the rules. There is nothing to stop a pitcher from stepping on the plate and immediately pitching, thus catching the batter off balance.

There is no obstruction; just offensive and defensive interference. ie., if F2 interferres with the batter's swing, the batter goes to 1B. But what if she hits the ball? What if someone gets out? What if someone scores? No rules to cover that.

No rules to cover positioning of runner if the ball goes out of play. Base runners cannot attempt to steal before the ball leaves the pitcher's hand. But what if the runner simply walks off the base? Is that stealing? If a batter steps out of the box and hits a ball fair, she is out. But what if it is foul? Apparently just a foul ball. But if she steps on the plate and hits the ball foul she is out!

Runners should avoid contact with a defender making a play at a base. But what if they don't? No penalty. But an aggressive acts results in an out. So what do you do when a runner slides into a defender?

There are no rules to cover player violations (helmet removal, bat throwing, language, fighting, M.C. etc).

Several rules are so different from the formal rules you may be using to call a game that it may be difficult to remember how to call the game.

ie. A RH batter swings and misses 3K, steps toward her dugout, but coach tells her to run because the ball was dropped. But you have to call her out because she attempted to go to the dugout. I already mentioned the batter out of box when hitting a foul ball. Lookback rule - no stop, no count. If the runner is moving towards a base when the pitcher has the ball, the runner must continue. Or she is out! But she can just stand in one place forever with no call!

BOO - the batter wrongly in the box is the illegal batter and will be called out if appealed at the end of a play. Pitcher can ask for a different ball at any time. A batter can call time out by raising her hand and stepping one foot out of the box. A runner cannot interfere with a defender making a play on the ball ("about to receive" back in?), but the definition of interferrence is a deliberate physical act that affects the outcome of a play. (you either call everything deliberate, or you never have offensive or defensive interference.)

Well, enough of this. You get my drift. So how do you call games?

WMB

It is. That is why most tournament directors tell ya, if not in USFA rule book,
go by ASA

All due respect to the many fine umpire who call USFA games, their book is a joke, and the instruction Glen says most TD give the umpires is a cop out. I have the link to the USFA rule book in the humor section of Softball Umpires.

If the USFA truely believes what they publish in the opening pages of their book, ...
... let 'em put their money where their mouth is and call the games by their book only.

They go on to anoint themselves the "premier" fastpitch organization in the country. What baloney... they can't even conduct a tournament without leeching off of other organizations rule books and umpire training to fill in for their laziness or sloppiness or perhaps self-righteousness.

I say, let 'em call it strickly by the book. I dare them!

You got that right..

Mens FP in our area switching from ASA is going through the same thing .. and guess who was at our Clinic wandering around trying to get the ASA ASA ASA umpires who normally work the mens FP to work their lame gig? Their people.

I politely declined.. I put up with enough BS to work mens FP to sacrifice myself to an inferior organization. There is plenty of JO ball going on at the same time, with a lot less hassle.

The organization?

AFA

The rule set on their site?
http://www.afasoftball.com/rulebook.html
Copied from NCAA

What was I promised?
They would use ASA mens FP rules, not female softball NCAA rules.

So what is the point? (other than losing my ASA coverage, the back up of my Metro, etc)

NONE

Piss on em.

once we wore beige shirts with the USFA logo that the local Assn provided & cap w/ no logo .... another time we wore ASA

I called a USFA tournament once. They had some royal blue, almost, polo shirts that had been picked up at a Wal-Mart or somewhere, and someone had ironed a decal on them that said "umpire." We all ended up wearing our ASA stuff that weekend.