Home Plate

[k-blue]

Question concerning home plate.

In slow pitch softball, often times, the ball will hit the black rubber around home plate. At times, it hits near the top where one could argue that it also hit the plate, but other times it hits the side and is quickly deflected away from the plate.

How do you judge the pitch in, a(the ball hits the top of the rubber near the plate, b(the ball hits the side of the rubber?

I'm just curious how others call it. It seems that with the officials that I work with, some consider the rubber part of the plate, and some do not consider it part of the plate.

[SNIPERBBB]

You can generally tell by the bounce. If it goes up, it hit the plate. Sideways it's the rubber.

We've always called it as not hitting the plate. Course now everything slow pitch around here use the strike mats.

[chapmaja]

Originally Posted by SNIPERBBB

You can generally tell by the bounce. If it goes up, it hit the plate. Sideways it's the rubber.

We've always called it as not hitting the plate. Course now everything slow pitch around here use the strike mats.

I have always been told the black IS part of the plate.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by chapmaja

I have always been told the black IS part of the plate.

Don't know about slo-pitch softball, but in fast-pitch, you've been told wrong. I can't imagine why it would be different in the "slower" side of the house.

[SNIPERBBB]

USSSA specifically defines the black edge as not to be considered as part of the plate.

[AtlUmpSteve]

The black is a visual edge that is beyond the dimensions assigned to the plate, therefore it is treated as part of the river. A sliding runner that touches black is similar to touching the side of a base by a runner or fielder.

Take a softball ball, and place it on the black part of a home plate. Place it so that it touches the black but no part touches the white.

Guess what? It can't be done with a 12" softball, it will always touch the edge of the white (with part of the ball hanging over the white, meaning a strike if it didn't hit the plate), too. No matter which way the ball bounces, it touched the plate, and is a ball by rule (and a dead ball when stealing is allowed).

While it shouldn't be said it is part of the plate (because it isn't), it should be treated that way. Simple response when the pitcher/catcher argue it hit the black; you tell them it hit the white, too. Play on.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Or the simple answer is that ASA states if the black is visible, it should be handled the same as the white for defensive and offensive purposes.