Out of batter's box

Dave, without copying and pasting your entire response, I wanted to respond to your lengthy, yet well-pointed discussion. Your AUIC makes a very good point with the advantage/disadvantage argument. That's something we use, not just in softball, but in other sports as well, football and basketball being my other sports. Of course, basketball is the big one on advantage/disadvantage. However, your AUIC probably is forgetting that sometimes you have to throw out that advantage/disadvantage thing when there's been a clear violation that cannot be ignored. An example would be the batter stepping out of the box so obviously the catcher saw it. If the catcher sees it, we really can't avoid calling it because then the defensive coach will be all over our case on it. That's why I don't call ALL of the stepping out of the box stuff. Earlier, it was noted in USSSA, the benefit of the doubt goes to the batter. I've used that to my advantage, and it works. It also depends on the level of play, travel team boys vs. the recreational beer league boys.

I'm not dissing advantage/disadvantage (used it big time in a freshmen football game the other morning, and pissed off an assistant coach so bad I had the head coach rein him in). There's a time and place where you have to throw out that advantage/disadvantage practice when obvious has happened, and going with that philosophy can burn you and create a cluster f**k later.