Slowpitch Plate Umpire - Stance with a mat

[DaveASA/FED]

Originally Posted by Andy

In the SP league that I am associated with, if the ball hits the plate or the mat, it is a strike.

Yes...having the mat does make it easier to umpire, it also leads to lazy umpiring for some people.

Come on Andy, don't blame the mat, plenty of umpires are lazy all on their own!! No mat needed!!

[SNIPERBBB]

Originally Posted by DaveASA/FED

Come on Andy, don't blame the mat, plenty of umpires are lazy all on their own!! No mat needed!!

It just gets worse with the mat. Especially if your trying to still enforce the arc and height requirements. And I hate the opposite side positioning as an umpire because it's the best place to get hit so you better have gear on, not to say that the normal position is safe, my dad years ago had a tooth chipped at a USSSA State tournament by a foul ball. That and most of the games here are solo games and your momentum and positioning suffers from that spot.

One trick I try to get the guys to do is not clean off the mat so much, the ball leaves a nice clean mark when it hits a slightly dirty mat.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by DaveASA/FED

Come on Andy, don't blame the mat, plenty of umpires are lazy all on their own!! No mat needed!!

The mat is not accurate and you lose too many strikes and it does, in fact, lead to lazy umpiring, but Dave is right There are plenty of lazy umpires out there that never used a mat.

[robbie]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

The mat is not accurate and you lose too many strikes and it does, in fact, lead to lazy umpiring, but Dave is right There are plenty of lazy umpires out there that never used a mat.

It's 100% accurate. If one is using the mat, the rules for a strike are what they are. Not what one uses in a game without the mat.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by robbie

It's 100% accurate. If one is using the mat, the rules for a strike are what they are. Not what one uses in a game without the mat.

It is accurate to pretend softball. Not at all accurate to the real game which is why I stopped doing games with mats after my first 20-some years ago