Other Texas AM vs UL Lafayette softball - batter's box

BigSam

Addicted to Softballfans
Watching the CWS and this lady ump has rung up THREE batters for hitting the ball with a foot out of the batter's box. The fans are losing their cajun minds and worse for me, the commentators keep yapping about how there are no lines left for the boxes so it's a "judgement call." :mad:

It's ALWAYS A JUDGEMENT CALL! Batters are jerks, and they destroy those lines so fast you wonder if they were ever down. The ump is clearly using the plate as a guide, because yeah, that's how you do it. It isn't like these umpires are scrubs... these are the best crews in college softball. One of the three girls stepped ON the plate, and the other two were pretty clearly in front of the entire plate.

It'd be great if the commentators did some umpiring. Hell one of them is Michele Smith. You'd hope she would be better with the rules having been a pitcher for so long.
 

Speed Demon

Part Time Player
I was watching the same game with my 10 year old girls picking up some pointers as the older college girls are playing. We were stunned when the pitcher from UL Lafayette was called for an illegal pitch with her back foot was deemed to have not slid on some pitches. I didn't know how some umpires will call it when the actual game speed of the foot sliding or not is imperceptible to me.
 

BigSam

Addicted to Softballfans
Didn't see that illegal pitch but I did hear that the ULL pitcher had struggled with illegal pitches earlier in the season. I believe the first base umpire is tasked with that call, since you need to see it from the side. The international game allows a hop, which I'm told is an advantage to the pitchers in speed.

Also - that wasn't Michele Smith but Amanda Scarborough. Amanda doesn't have quite the resume as Michele, but she's still pitched long enough to know how to call a batter's box.
 

FatBoy28

SBF is a cruel Mistress
If you don't want to rely on the umpires judgement, quit erasing the freakin lines!

Of course the announcers can be idiots too. In the Tennessee-Ohio State game the referred to the Worth Legit as an aluminium bat and how awesome the OSU pitcher was for "sawing off" the bat when the two pieces separated on a hit.
 
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irishmafia

Addicted to Softballfans
1. The pitcher was illegal all season and didn't get called for it (supposedly) until the conference play-offs. During that tournament she was called for an IP more than a dozen times. According to the TH, in one game she didn't last the first inning. This is why an umpire who will not call an IP is not only damaging the game, but that pitcher's ability to get it right. And shame on the coaching staff who knowingly allowed her to pitch illegally all season and not attempt to correct it.

2. All three of the out of box/on the plate calls were correct and the lines don't make the difference in any of them as the batter's foot was in front of or on the plate. The foot cannot be in front of the plate and in the box at the same time.
 

chiefn10

Addicted to Softballfans
slap hitters could be called out of the box 80% of the time. there is no way they can take 3 steps and still be in the box when they make contact with the ball.

my daughter played 4 yrs of high school ball as a lefty slap hitter. I know she was stepping out of the box, but dumb-ass coaches would never let her swing away. glad umps are finally calling it. they are governed by ASA, and we all know how anal ASA can be about the batters box.
 

beernbombs

Abby's dad
I saw the game and she struck the ball before stepping out of the box

Nope, clearly out of the box.
tapatalk_1464226078014_zpsogzyfvm5.jpeg
 

beernbombs

Abby's dad
I believe that is the last hit and how could you possibly think that her left foot is still in the box?
 
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etnstudios

Addicted to Softballfans
location has to be more Austin-centric. they're known to let their emotions govern their judgement
 

FatBoy28

SBF is a cruel Mistress


I see what you're trying to say but doesn't the box extend a little bit past home plate like in the blue line instead of the red line?

not front to back danielsan ... side to side.

Her foot is in line with the umpires head which is blocking the view of the right edge of the plate ergo her foot is in front of the plate and therefore cannot be in the box as there is 6" between the box and the plate

See APPROXIMATE foot position (marked in red) below:
picture.php
 
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-Six-

Weiner
Ive been called out for stepping front of the plate. the batters box isnt directly in front of the plate. it extends past the plate on each side, but not in front thats an out.
 

baldgriff

Lead Oompah Loompah....
See likely foot position (marked in red) below:
picture.php

Not to be totally picky, but the red mark appears to be on the line - which would constitute being in the box (from all that I have ever been taught).

I would agree though in the game shot - her foot appears to be completely in front of the plate. Which would then be out of the box - so OUT.


As an aside - I hate watching games where the commentators throw the umpires under the bus for making a call in a critical moment of a close game. All of the rules are there to be played by during the entire game - no matter how close.
 

-Six-

Weiner
I was told stepping in front of the plate was illegal. regardless of line placement and huge footedness. I never looked up that rule tho, took it as fact.
 

clementeunknown

Addicted to Softballfans
not front to back danielsan ... side to side.

Her foot is in line with the umpires head which is blocking the view of the right edge of the plate ergo her foot is in front of the plate and therefore cannot be in the box as there is 6" between the box and the plate

See likely foot position (marked in red) below:
picture.php

11.2.6 At the moment of bat-ball contact, the batter may not contact the pitch when any part of her foot is touching home plate, even though she may be touching the lines of the batter's box. In addition, the batter may not contact the pitch when her entire foot is touching the ground completely outside the lines of the batter's box.

The line is still considered in the box I imagine. The ump must've been as blind as IrishMafia. 9h well games over already and in the books
 

FatBoy28

SBF is a cruel Mistress
Not to be totally picky, but the red mark appears to be on the line - which would constitute being in the box (from all that I have ever been taught).
But you are being totally picky. Seriously!?!?!? It was not meant to show the EXACT position of her foot but only demonstrate how clementeunknown was thinking in the wrong dimension/direction. I have amended my post for your clarity.

Forgive the crudity of my model, its not to scale.

I would agree though in the game shot - her foot appears to be completely in front of the plate. Which would then be out of the box - so OUT.
I agree on the game shot. I don't understand why players wipe out the lines. In every sport you are always taught not to let umpires/officials determine the outcome of the game and yet by wiping out the lines that is exactly what you are doing. Maybe her foot actually was on the line by the teensy little bit and the line would have given objective evidence of that, but we are now left with the subjective "umpires judgement" and arm chair umpires.
 

irishmafia

Addicted to Softballfans
The line is still considered in the box I imagine. The ump must've been as blind as IrishMafia. 9h well games over already and in the books

Sorry, not blind. Hope that doesn't ruin your fantasies :)

Looking at the still photograph of the hit, the toe/front of the foot extends to the center of the plate. That means the foot would have to be parallel with the front edge of the plate (which it is not) and the player wearing shoes larger than 14 1/2 for her heel to even come to the edge of the batter's box let alone be on the line.
 

vlcmstnaz

volcom stone az
Shows how important a good umpire is. Otherwise players and coaches get away with all sorts of garbage.
 
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