USSSA USSSA Pitching Standards

hacks_pack

Addicted to Softballfans
I had a question about pitching in my USSSA league about the strike zone. I understand that balls/strikes are always left up the the judgement of the umpire & that everyone has a different zone. I was pitching in a game last night & "Blue" was calling a lot of balls deep. 9 out of 10 of my pitches were across the plate about waist high (give or take) on all the batters I faced. according to the official USSSA rule book it states that as long as the pitch is between 3-10 feet in arc & not of excessive speed if it crosses the plate between the front shoulder & knee of the batter it's a strike. I couldn't find anything about a ball, again according to the official rules, ever being called deep.

I also help umpire games in our league & have always used the rule if it is within the arc limits & crosses any part of the plate between the batters front shoulder & front knee it's a strike. Am I wrong in my understanding of the rule or was "Blue" just calling a match book size zone on me last night? any input would be greatly appreciated
 

hookumsnivy

Addicted to Softballfans
Just to clarify, it is the front knee and highest shoulder.
"Deep" is a pet peeve of mine. I absolutely hate that call, it makes no sense whatsoever. It's either inside, outside, high, low, flat, too much arc, or too fast. The only time is matters where the ball lands is if it bounces on or before the plate.
Unfortunately there are a ton of umpires, especially in leagues, that call "deep" when it doesn't land in an imaginary box behind home plate.
 

KannonsDad

**** you
I had a question about pitching in my USSSA league about the strike zone. I understand that balls/strikes are always left up the the judgement of the umpire & that everyone has a different zone. I was pitching in a game last night & "Blue" was calling a lot of balls deep. 9 out of 10 of my pitches were across the plate about waist high (give or take) on all the batters I faced. according to the official USSSA rule book it states that as long as the pitch is between 3-10 feet in arc & not of excessive speed if it crosses the plate between the front shoulder & knee of the batter it's a strike. I couldn't find anything about a ball, again according to the official rules, ever being called deep.

I also help umpire games in our league & have always used the rule if it is within the arc limits & crosses any part of the plate between the batters front shoulder & front knee it's a strike. Am I wrong in my understanding of the rule or was "Blue" just calling a match book size zone on me last night? any input would be greatly appreciated

Sorry, you lost me after these words...

Seriously though, your pitching has to adapt to the "red's" strike zone, it's part of the territory. Maybe he was squeezing you 'cause you called him "blue":D
 

mrcub8

maybe next year!-Cub fans
Just to clarify, it is the front knee and highest shoulder.
"Deep" is a pet peeve of mine. I absolutely hate that call, it makes no sense whatsoever. It's either inside, outside, high, low, flat, too much arc, or too fast. The only time is matters where the ball lands is if it bounces on or before the plate.
Unfortunately there are a ton of umpires, especially in leagues, that call "deep" when it doesn't land in an imaginary box behind home plate.

I ump and they say was that deep I said no just needs to come down......no such thing as deep....they are then confused.......I'll gladly call a strike that cather catches a foot off groubd let guy argue and let strike to come in and ring him up........I pitch so I'm a pitchers ump and like to keep game moving.........one key most umps fail to realize is the should LOOK STRIKE AND CALL A BALL IF NEEDED.......not the other way around
 

USSSA

The Veteran
first of all, the umps are called red

arc is 3 feet from release, that means once the ball is released from the hand, it has to rise another 3 feet, so the arc is probly anywhere from 5-10 from the ground

all asscociations now have basically the same arc, they just decribe it differently
 

johnsonrod

Starting Player
first of all, the umps are called red

arc is 3 feet from release, that means once the ball is released from the hand, it has to rise another 3 feet, so the arc is probly anywhere from 5-10 from the ground

all asscociations now have basically the same arc, they just decribe it differently

i see a fair number of utrip pitchers who release the ball about 6" from the ground. many umps use the batters hip as a minimum height gauge.
 

WISEGUY18

Not Very Wise
3 feet from release

first of all, the umps are called red

arc is 3 feet from release, that means once the ball is released from the hand, it has to rise another 3 feet, so the arc is probly anywhere from 5-10 from the ground
all asscociations now have basically the same arc, they just decribe it differently

If the pitcher releases the ball as close to the ground as possible, and has an arc to it, it only has to go 3 feet for it to be a strike, but again it is the reds call
 
I have never seen a ball released at 6" not going to happen

you haven't seen a lot of utrip ball than. a good pitcher can do it,hell i'm down around my knees,if not lower, when i let it go and i'm not even close to what some of the good ones do around here.just takes a good wrist flick.
 

adunn83

Jesus saves!
I've been on the bad end of some wrong calls. The good thing is, red has always kept the same strike zone for both; good or bad.
 

softballjunky_2

Addicted to Softballfans
first of all, the umps are called red

arc is 3 feet from release, that means once the ball is released from the hand, it has to rise another 3 feet, so the arc is probly anywhere from 5-10 from the ground

all asscociations now have basically the same arc, they just decribe it differently

It has to rise 3 feet from release and must drop as well. just because it arcs 3 feet and stays on that plain does not make it a strike. it must go up and down that is an arc. and thier is no such call as deep, but the players understand what it means. I ump and pitch, I dont call deep but when an ump tells me it is deep that tells me it is crossing on a straight line and falling after it crosses the strike zone, making this a ball
 

hacks_pack

Addicted to Softballfans
Thanks for all the great feedback everyone. I actually spoke to the ump in question our next game & he explained to me that he had, & more than likely always will, call the plate instead of the body. He said he's looking for the ball to drop into the "box" behind home plate & not where it's crossing the batter at. Again, I understand it's always up to "red" or "blue" where they call balls/strikes so from now on I'm going to approach them before the game & ask where their zone is. I figure this will let me adjust to their strike zone after I face 1-2 batters.
 
Thanks for all the great feedback everyone. I actually spoke to the ump in question our next game & he explained to me that he had, & more than likely always will, call the plate instead of the body. He said he's looking for the ball to drop into the "box" behind home plate & not where it's crossing the batter at. Again, I understand it's always up to "red" or "blue" where they call balls/strikes so from now on I'm going to approach them before the game & ask where their zone is. I figure this will let me adjust to their strike zone after I face 1-2 batters.

when i have done this they always say they call the plate,ok :rolleyes: :rolleyes:,what happens when the ball curves over the plate ,but lands outside the edge as it crosses over and is called a ball.:mad:,they might as well put a damn mat back there then.
 

BretMan

Addicted to Softballfans
I just wonder how so many umpires get it in their heads that their way is the better way and they should just go ahead and ignore the directives and definitions in the rule book. :confused:
 
I just wonder how so many umpires get it in their heads that their way is the better way and they should just go ahead and ignore the directives and definitions in the rule book. :confused:

even with a lot of the umps being ok,you are right there is still a bunch who seem to think its their way and f the real rules.to me they are just there to get the money,as little as it can be.oh and don't question them as they are never wrong.
 

hookumsnivy

Addicted to Softballfans
I just wonder how so many umpires get it in their heads that their way is the better way and they should just go ahead and ignore the directives and definitions in the rule book. :confused:

I have a theory about this one:
Most people are stupid.
 

JJR12

Addicted to Softballfans
when i have done this they always say they call the plate,ok :rolleyes: :rolleyes:,what happens when the ball curves over the plate ,but lands outside the edge as it crosses over and is called a ball.:mad:,they might as well put a damn mat back there then.

Then you have those umps that call it where it lands UNLESS you throw that curve ball that comes around the inside of the plate, never crosses the plate but lands behind the plate.... And the umpire calls it a ball... Says "It never crossed the plate." But will call a pitch a Ball that crosses the plate but doesn't land behind the plate... with the response... "It didn't land behind the plate."
 

JJR12

Addicted to Softballfans
I just wonder how so many umpires get it in their heads that their way is the better way and they should just go ahead and ignore the directives and definitions in the rule book. :confused:

Yeah Umpires don't like it when you ask them if they are going to call strikes based on the strike zone set out by the rule book, or if they are going to call strikes based on where it lands.... :eek:
 
Then you have those umps that call it where it lands UNLESS you throw that curve ball that comes around the inside of the plate, never crosses the plate but lands behind the plate.... And the umpire calls it a ball... Says "It never crossed the plate." But will call a pitch a Ball that crosses the plate but doesn't land behind the plate... with the response... "It didn't land behind the plate."


tell me,:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Yeah Umpires don't like it when you ask them if they are going to call strikes based on the strike zone set out by the rule book, or if they are going to call strikes based on where it lands.... :eek:

but i have had them tell me they will do it both ways.
 

softballjunky_2

Addicted to Softballfans
That ump sucks ass

If you have an ump calling it where it lands he sucks. In USSSA I can make a ball go 12-15ft and land right behind the plate. That ball will come down over the batters head and is not a strike. The umps that call where it lands will never give you a corner strike and basically makes you throw the ball right down the middle causing batting practice.:D
 

mazzamouth

<font color="#191970">Punching Judy Swinger</font>
Then you have those umps that call it where it lands UNLESS you throw that curve ball that comes around the inside of the plate, never crosses the plate but lands behind the plate.... And the umpire calls it a ball... Says "It never crossed the plate." But will call a pitch a Ball that crosses the plate but doesn't land behind the plate... with the response... "It didn't land behind the plate."

this weekend in Military Worlds.. our game.. our pitcher threw a pitch about 1 ball above the belt..lands behind the plate.. umps says ' it was deep"... I say tot the 1st base ump.. "what is deep, cause it is not in the rule book".. he just tries to tell me some made up crap....that the ball landed to far back, and i was like who cares where it lands, as long as it has at least 3' from release and crosses in the strike zone, it should be called..
 

chiefgator

Crafty Veteran
this weekend in Military Worlds.. our game.. our pitcher threw a pitch about 1 ball above the belt..lands behind the plate.. umps says ' it was deep"... I say tot the 1st base ump.. "what is deep, cause it is not in the rule book".. he just tries to tell me some made up crap....that the ball landed to far back, and i was like who cares where it lands, as long as it has at least 3' from release and crosses in the strike zone, it should be called..

Our umps were pretty good this weekend Mazza. The team of brothers that did most of the games on field 9 were OUTSTANDING.

I heard that the short Hispanic guy was really bad tho. We never had a game with him.
 

Permacatch

Relegated to 1B
I played my first Utrip game last week. Two of the three times I went up to bat, the ump called first pitch strikes when the ball crossed the plate well below my knee...maybe a foot off the ground, & landed behind the plate.
 
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