Poorly written / trick questions on umpire tests

[PATRICK]

Originally Posted by ASA/NYSSOBLUE

Don't knock anything until you have seen it or tried it! Like these:

1. Our set up at 1B with none on- instead of setting up 18 deep or whatever, here they/we teach to set up at [B]12[B] ft (if you are a setter, and 16 if you are a pacer). And then on ordinary infield grounders, instead going WAY out to 45 degrees, we literally take two, maybe 2 1/2 steps in from the line, and BAM - we can see EVERYthing on that play. You NEVER get blocked out with that angle. Yes, its a baseball mechanic - so what?? It WORKS. If you doubt this - TRY it - even just as a drill. Might open your eyes a little!

I took the new umpire class. They were not teaching this. They were teaching traditional 18-21 if you walk the line, or 16-18 if you come set. But they were also discouraging walking the line.

Originally Posted by ASA/NYSSOBLUE

2. This is the one that just KILLS ASA old timers - On routine base hits to the outfield, with no one on - the roller the goes just under the SS's glove, the one or two bouncer to CF, etc - instead of having to bust our butts inside on a button hook, WE rim along the outside of the diamond 20-25 ft, while watchng the B/R. It is our opinion that you can actually follow the B/R naturally with your eyes, you are avoiding any kind of trafic that might be happening with the fielders, and quite frankly we think that button hooking in that situation is so much false hustle. By the time you get into the infield, 90% of the time that B/R has already turned back, and is talking to her coach. In our case, we are already just about at B, and we are ready to keep playing. Is it lazy? I will tell you right now, our local clinician comes right out and says that it is...BUT....he also points out that if you are button hooking ALL the time on plays like that, you are using a lot of unnecessary energy that you might need in the 6th/7th inning. I also know for a fact our local guy has been asked to show it to several ASA guys, who have expressed interest.

NYSSO didn't invent working the rim, (don't use "rim" as a verb, google it and see what comes up!) I've beem working the rim for over 5 yrs.

Originally Posted by ASA/NYSSOBLUE

Again, don't knock it until you've tried it....ASA changes the playing rules ALL the time, and IMHO, they have NOT changed our mechanics to keep up with the changes in the game - especially at the JO/HS level.

ASA has trained most, if not all, of the softball umpires I know. Their mechanics work. If it ain't broke, don'/t fix it!