ASA Locating Pitches

DeputyUICHousto

Addicted to Softballfans
You're a local UIC and you're at one of your complexes observing "your" umpires work league ball. As you stand behind the backstop observing, you notice the plate umpire call a pitch that was 8' high but landed a foot beyond the plate but just outside. When the umpire makes his call, he/she motions with his/her right hand that the pitch was outside and he/she says "Just off the corner". How would you address this with "your" umpire? Would you even address it with him/her? If you do address it with him/her, how would you do so? Just curious.
 

Joe500

Starting Player
When I took the training my UIC told us never describe the pitch. You say "ball", "strike" and sometimes "illegal". If you start to describe each pitch you are setting yourself up for disaster and the pitcher will want to know where it is on every pitch. Let the catcher say where it is when it lands.

You should tell your umpires to keep it simple...ball or strike. Good luck
 

Iceman6409

Active Member
Personally I do not call the pitch based on where it lands. As long as it is within the league stated arc and is not of excessive speed then I call every pitch on did it cross over the plate through the individual batters strike zone. That is my generally my only indicator. If a player asks where it was then I will gladly tell them what I thought. If the pitch is a ball I will generally wave my arm to the side indicating it was outside. If it is a strike I guarantee they see and hear my call all over the field.

What would I do if I saw an umpire in your circumstance. Conversation. We are all different. I would give some guidance that I think would be appropriate but let them develop their own style while staying within guidelines.
 

EAJuggalo

Addicted to Softballfans
I would address it. As to how, I would take them aside between games and explain why we don't do that. To wit, the only thing that matters to us is ball, strike or illegal. If the pitcher or catcher asks about a specific pitch, give them that information. But don't get in the habit of doing it every pitch.

This is a struggle at every level, from youth all the way up to Majors, in fact the Conference guys are some of the biggest offenders, no matter how many times we get told not to do it.
 
When I took the training my UIC told us never describe the pitch. You say "ball", "strike" and sometimes "illegal". If you start to describe each pitch you are setting yourself up for disaster and the pitcher will want to know where it is on every pitch. Let the catcher say where it is when it lands.

You should tell your umpires to keep it simple...ball or strike. Good luck
This... they even still try to ask :D
 

Iceman6409

Active Member
I think you might be reading too much into my comments. Simple scenario. Pitch comes in with proper arc and crosses the plate in the batters strike zone and is not swung on I very loudly call Strike. If the pitch comes in too high or too low of the arc I have to wait until it lands before I can call unfairly pitched. I am aware some leagues prefer to have an illegal pitch called while still in the air. My leagues are almost all USSSA so we wait. If the pitch is simply inside or outside I make a small arm/hand gesture indicating that and tell them inside our outside. I don't do it all the time but I do do it a lot. Nobody has complained or asked for anything different in my 13 years umpiring. To me it is a very quick subtle way to let the pitcher and catcher and some other players know what I felt the pitch was. Takes a micro second to do. It's just what I do and so far after 13 years there are zero complaints
 

DeputyUICHousto

Addicted to Softballfans
I think you might be reading too much into my comments. Simple scenario. Pitch comes in with proper arc and crosses the plate in the batters strike zone and is not swung on I very loudly call Strike. If the pitch comes in too high or too low of the arc I have to wait until it lands before I can call unfairly pitched. I am aware some leagues prefer to have an illegal pitch called while still in the air. My leagues are almost all USSSA so we wait. If the pitch is simply inside or outside I make a small arm/hand gesture indicating that and tell them inside our outside. I don't do it all the time but I do do it a lot. Nobody has complained or asked for anything different in my 13 years umpiring. To me it is a very quick subtle way to let the pitcher and catcher and some other players know what I felt the pitch was. Takes a micro second to do. It's just what I do and so far after 13 years there are zero complaints

Well, since this is an ASA/USA Softball message board we don't call "unfairly delivered" pitch...our mechanics state that the plate umpire "must" call an illegal pitch as soon as the pitch become illegal. You're speaking of a USSSA mechanic. The point I was trying to make when you said "If the pitch is simply inside or outside I make a small arm/hand gesture indicating that and tell them inside our outside." you're locating the pitch for the pitcher/catcher. My question to you is, when the pitch is 8' high and lands directly behind the plate why don't you announce to the pitcher "Strike, right down the middle!" and make a hand gesture like you do when the pitch is inside or outside? If you're going to locate one pitch, you should locate them all. There's no need to locate the pitch...its either a ball or a strike or illegal. Your hand gesture and announcement are not proper mechanics.
 

Iceman6409

Active Member
Well, since this is an ASA/USA Softball message board we don't call "unfairly delivered" pitch...our mechanics state that the plate umpire "must" call an illegal pitch as soon as the pitch become illegal. You're speaking of a USSSA mechanic. The point I was trying to make when you said "If the pitch is simply inside or outside I make a small arm/hand gesture indicating that and tell them inside our outside." you're locating the pitch for the pitcher/catcher. My question to you is, when the pitch is 8' high and lands directly behind the plate why don't you announce to the pitcher "Strike, right down the middle!" and make a hand gesture like you do when the pitch is inside or outside? If you're going to locate one pitch, you should locate them all. There's no need to locate the pitch...its either a ball or a strike or illegal. Your hand gesture and announcement are not proper mechanics.

Thank you for letting me know
 
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