WCWS Softball

[Wasson]

Why are the young ladies striking the ball while out of the batters box not called out? I just saw #26 for LSU step on the plate and get a hit that scored a run , even though she should have been called out.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by Wasson

Why are the young ladies striking the ball while out of the batters box not called out? I just saw #26 for LSU step on the plate and get a hit that scored a run , even though she should have been called out.

Do you umpire? If so, how often do you focus on the batter's feet when a pitch with as much movement as these women at the highest levels of the NCAA can put on them is coming at you?

When it comes to making an out-of-the-box call, it has to be pretty danged obvious. The batter's foot has to be completely out of the box and on the ground when bat/ball contact is made, and if you're watching those feet at that moment, your not doing your job, IMO. Yes, you could glance down after you hear the bat hit the ball, but then you're seeing the feet a moment after the batter hit it, so how do you know if her foot was above the plate (legal) or on it (illegal) when contact happened?

[MD Longhorn]

We've seen the replay on this. Her foot was not obviously on the plate, and most likely not completely out of the box when the ball was contacted.

[CecilOne]

Even though I agree with Manny about difficulty, especially on an outside pitch, this was pretty obvious and these are the best umpires in the U.S.
Her toe was clearly down at the front of the plate with her heel up at the moment of contact.

[MNBlue]

And that is why we don't guess outs.

2 people saw the exact same video and see it completely differently.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by CecilOne

Even though I agree with Manny about difficulty, especially on an outside pitch, this was pretty obvious and these are the best umpires in the U.S.
Her toe was clearly down at the front of the plate with her heel up at the moment of contact.

Yes, exactly - completely legal in NCAA. The NCAA rule includes the phrase "completely on the ground" - the interp being that if only part of the foot is touching the ground (the toe) and the rest is not (the heel in this case) but that "rest" would be touching the batters box line if it WAS touching the ground, then they do not have one foot completely on the ground, completely outside the batters box.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

but that "rest" would be touching the batters box line if it WAS touching the ground,

Not the case, and if it were, only in NCAA.

Elsewhere AFAIK, "entirely touching out means none touching in"
All, please correct me if wrong.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by CecilOne

Even though I agree with Manny about difficulty, especially on an outside pitch, this was pretty obvious and these are the best umpires in the U.S.
Her toe was clearly down at the front of the plate with her heel up at the moment of contact.

Obvious if you have a second umpire watching only the foot, perhaps.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by CecilOne

Even though I agree with Manny about difficulty, especially on an outside pitch, this was pretty obvious and these are the best umpires in the U.S.
.

Don't kid yourself

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Don't kid yourself

Do I really need smilies every time I am being facetious?

OK