Catchers setup position?

[Eric F]

Glove almost being able to touch hitter's back knee is a more consistent reference point as the elbow position may vary significantly depending on style.

What he ^ said.

 

[GA42sDad]

Do you mean to say that she is "5-10 inches" behind the plate?"

She sets up about 5"-10" behind the back line of the batters box.

 

[CPEM]

When umping, only time I move a catcher is when I think she is too close to the batter and in danger of getting hit in the head when the batter swings. Other than that, it is up to me to adjust to the batter and catcher to see my strike zone, and it is up to the coaches to position their player where they want them.

BTW, there is no such thing as "catcher's interference" (now known as catcher's obstruction) for being too far away from the plate. Only limitation on where the catcher can be in ASA is found in Rule 6, Section 7: The catcher must remain in the white lines of the catcher's box until the pitch is released. The catcher's box is 10' deep (starting at the back of the batter's box) and 8'5" wide (from the outside line of one batter's box to the outside line of the other other batter's box). As long as she's in that box, she should be ok. Rule Supplement #8 goes on to further clarify that CO doesn't require contact between the catcher and the bat or batter, and that an umpire's request to move FARTHER AWAY to AVOID INJURY OR OBSTRUCTION should be obeyed, but mentions nothing about making the umpire's job easier by moving closer to the batter.

Last thing I want to do as an umpire is move a catcher closer to a batter and have her get whacked on the hand, shoulder, or head. I hope that umpire has his keys ready if that ever happens.

 

[GA42sDad]

When umping, only time I move a catcher is when I think she is too close to the batter and in danger of getting hit in the head when the batter swings. Other than that, it is up to me to adjust to the batter and catcher to see my strike zone, and it is up to the coaches to position their player where they want them.

BTW, there is no such thing as "catcher's interference" (now known as catcher's obstruction) for being too far away from the plate. Only limitation on where the catcher can be in ASA is found in Rule 6, Section 7: The catcher must remain in the white lines of the catcher's box until the pitch is released. The catcher's box is 10' deep (starting at the back of the batter's box) and 8'5" wide (from the outside line of one batter's box to the outside line of the other other batter's box). As long as she's in that box, she should be ok. Rule Supplement #8 goes on to further clarify that CO doesn't require contact between the catcher and the bat or batter, and that an umpire's request to move FARTHER AWAY to AVOID INJURY OR OBSTRUCTION should be obeyed, but mentions nothing about making the umpire's job easier by moving closer to the batter.

Last thing I want to do as an umpire is move a catcher closer to a batter and have her get whacked on the hand, shoulder, or head. I hope that umpire has his keys ready if that ever happens.

She got hit twice in the hand after being told to move up. I thought it was up to the umpire to adjust, but wasn't sure. The one umpire was one I thought ead a respectable umpire, but when I heard he said this not sure now.

 

[Greenmonsters]

She sets up about 5"-10" behind the back line of the batters box.

It really just depends on where the batter is in the box. If the batter's up front in the box, that's too far away; if the batter's on the back line, obviously that's just too close. To start off conservative, use glove to knee plus about 12" and have her inch her way closer (and watch for batters that change their position within the box!). It becomes automatic after doing it a few thousand times!

 

[CPEM]

She got hit twice in the hand after being told to move up. I thought it was up to the umpire to adjust, but wasn't sure. The one umpire was one I thought ead a respectable umpire, but when I heard he said this not sure now.

Even respectable umpires make mistakes, so don't let this one thing change your opinion. If you have a chance, sometime when he isn't umping a game, hit him up on this issue. Tell him you were looking through the rule book to give your daughter the proper instruction on where to set up, and saw that she has this 10' by 8'5" box to be in, and couldn't find the part about having to move closer upon instruction.

Did he call catcher's obstruction when your daughter got hit on the hand by the batter?

 

[Momo'sDad]

I couldn't understand why so many clear strikes were going uncalled in an elimination game Sunday morning. It's 1 thing if a pitcher is being squeezed, but this was something else altogether.

On the long ride home, Mojo said that the PU told her that he wasn't calling more strikes because she was set up too close to the plate. I don't know the timing on when that admonition came and I'm not saying that was the difference in the game, but for a pitcher who rarely walks anyone (I don't have the exact stats, but I'd guess she walks 1-2/game), I could see it being a bit frustrating to have so many great pitches called balls.

She was taught to set up where she's able to touch the knee or foot, but now knows to communicate with the umpire as to whether that's acceptable when a batter is set up forward of the plate.