Is it allowable? As has already been mentioned, certainly. Does the BU, from around 70 feet away have the ideal view to make the call? Of course not.

What? You've never called off apartner in a two man on a long ball hit down third? Or do you not cover the plate when you release at 2nd?

The BU should not make that call unless it was so obvious, the CIA could have picked it up during a satellite passover.

The BU has the pitcher's feet, the pitcher's motion, the baserunner's and possible check swing, batted ball off the batter or ball hit second time. Combine that with only a 2-dimensional view and the BU has no more ability to make that call than the lady selling hot dogs in the concession stand.

So this could be apochryphal and is being told about fourth-hand here, but...

Two fine umpires working for an organization not represented by SMSUA. Girls FP. PU is blocked and can't see the batted ball hit the (right handed) batter. She's easily thrown out at first. OC asks PU to get help from BU, who is in C.

They (of course!) don't come together to talk. PU doesn't remove mask, points to his partner, and shouts, "Did you see the ball hit the batter?"

"Yes! AND she was out of the box."

Sounds like an FYC to me.

In a two man system, the general rule of thumb is the BU NEVER makes a call at home. It is taught this way in all of the clinics, in all of the manuals, and in the recent ASA DVD.

Also, with no runners on, the BU should take the runner all the way to third. If I call them off in this situation, that means that they either a) fell, b) tripped and almost fell causing them to lose several steps, or c) aren't doing their job.

I worked an ASA SP rec league last night. The field was lined and we even started with batters boxes that appeared to be roughly correct, i.e. 4' forward, 3' back, and 3' wide.

Second player of the game stepped out of the front of the batters box with his left foot and hit a fly ball to the outfield. I called dead ball and the batter out for contacting the ball with one foot completely out of the batters box.

We had a little discussion about it, but since the fly ball was caught, the batter didn't make too much of an issue of it.

Anyhoos, first game ended in about an hour as we were done by about 9 PM. We're waiting for one team to scrounge up their 9th player and didn't get started until 9:30. In the interim, I had some discussions with some of the players from the first game [and others] regarding the batters box.

I heard that the batters box on the field was a "little league" batters box. I heard that there shouldn't even be a batters box for ASA slow pitch. I heard that you could start outside the batters box prior to the pitch. I heard that you could actually [legally] hit the ball if one foot was completely out of the batters box. The last point was apparently confirmed as "legal" by another umpire at one of their games as there was much head-nodding and agreement. I heard that the batters box dimensions had been changed this year and when I asked when, I was told in April [maybe]. I heard that a lot of these guys play in NIT ASA tournaments and that's why they know these things.

My partner_du-jour concurred with all of these points and even offered that the slow pitch rule for the batter in the batters box was different than that of fast pitch, and perhaps that was why I was confused. I told him that I'd have to check on that one.

So I came home and scoured the rule book. I looked first at the 2009 changes and then Rule 2, the Playing Field. I didn't see any changes to the batters box dimensions. I logged onto the ASA website and looked at the rule clarifications and plays for 2009 which included the months of March, April, May, and June. I found no references to the dimension changes of the batters box.

Then I thoroughly read Rule 7 Section 3 and Section 6. I was particularly enamored with Section 6 The Batter Is Out.
D. When an entire foot is touching the ground completely outside the lines of the batters box at the time the ball makes contact with the bat.

I couldn't find that passage referenced by ump_du-jour on the differences between slow pitch and fast pitch, so perhaps I have an outdated edition of the 2009 Umpire Manual?

In the 2007 rule book, the batters box for slow pitch was temporarily widened from 3' to 4', but this change was later rescinded. And as far as I know, the dimensions are 3' wide by 7' long.

So, if I've missed this critical rule update, please advise and provide a reference so I can follow up. I feel terrible that I may have made a bad call on the batter, even though he would have ended up out anyway.

Good news, Ted. You are right, the players and your weak partner are incorrect. More likely, they are confusing ASA with another org.

If you deviate communicate
 

Have you ever heard "If you deviate communicate"? There is nothing wrong with deviating from the mechanics. The ASA Mechanics manual even says so. Now I don't deviate much because I believe that in most situations I see no reason to. And you should have a good and logical reason for doing so. For example, I will call my partner off at Third if I have to go up the line on a ball hit to left field. Why not? I'm already there. To suggest that they are not during their job is not accurate. They may have 4 games in a row that night and the PU is trying to save the BU's legs. There's nothing wrong with taking the call at Third in this situation. However, you should pre-game it. Again, I don't deviate much, but when I do its for a good reason. Not just because I don't like the mechanic. I never deviate for that reason. In fact calling my partner off at Third is the only time I do deviate. Every other instance I follow the prescribed mechanic.

The way I read this, that is all Scott did, gave his "good reason" as to when he would deviate.

I was thinking he was saying "that aren't doing their jobs" if they deviate.
That's what I was disagreeing with.

Yup.

Ejection...right then, right there....firm and emphatic. This guy was tip toeing around "crossing the line" all game. At that moment (based on your post) this giuy crossed it. Toss him. No more problems with all the other stuff that followed.
Please note that I said "this guy crossed it".In another game if a guy has been a "good citizen" all game, and gets all over me on a borderline pitch...the ejection while not as quick, we be coming shortly after if he doesn't immeadiately calm down when I remind him that "you're not going to argue "balls&strikes coach."