Top 5 Most Annoying - Parents that don't know the rules

[sluggers]

"It wasn't the ball going through the shortstops legs or the cleanup hitter swinging at a pitch over her head that cost us the game, it was because the pitcher failed to drag her right foot."

The funniest thing I ever heard at a softball game:

The batter swung at a pitch at her eyes. The umpire called the next pitch a strike even though it was at her shoulders. The batter looked down to the third base coach with a "can you believe the umpire called that a strike?" look. The 3rd base coach said, "Don't look down here at me. The umpire's got a better strike zone than you."

 

[Glipski]

WRT the pic of the pitcher in the air..generally I won't say anything to the blues about an illegal pitcher unless I feel she is gaining an advantage as a result of the illegal pitch..this kid cannot be gaining an advantage by having her pivot foot airborne..she's getting no push!

Funny thing about this little girl-
She can control the leap. One of the coaches had a jugs on her behind the backstop. With the leap: 53mph Without the leap, using a legal rear foot drag: 50mph
Consistent readings. Maybe she's not gaining an advantage using physics, but she definitely gets a mental "push" from doing the airborne pitch. We have a few young pitchers in our area that all leap and so far every single one of them pitches a bit faster when leaping. Regardless of what anyone would like to infer about the leaping event, it helps these particular pitchers. Ironically, the coaches know the pitchers are leaping badly but don't worry about it because the umps never call it.

Saw a young lady (different from the picture) at a tournament who started out with a drag. Once the other team got her speed, she started leaping and was faster, threw off the other teams hitters. If you were on the receiving team, would you mind the leaping? Well, if you were posting on a forum, I suspect you'd just prognosticate that the batters should have been able to adjust quicker and shut her down. However if you were in the dugout with a bunch of parents with angry looks, tones and nooses in their hands eyeballing you, I imagine the leap would bug you just a bit. Not calling a leap because it's "not too bad" is kinda like being a little bit pregnant. A little is the same as a lot. The rule is there for a reason, right?

 

[JC heir]

Since when does knowing the rules and yelling them at the ump make a difference? Heck, even when it IS a leap they won't call it...is this above the plane?

They wouldn't call it. Said they didn't see a problem :-0

Also, on the ball touching the plate thing...how would it hit the plate at any point and be in anyone's strike zone? Seems that the batter would have to be around 18" tall for that to work out, unless the pitcher had an ultra-super amazing kryptonite infused drop ball. From 40'-0 away the pitch would have to around 2" above the front of the plate to hit the back of the plate without outside interference, wouldn't it? Just asking...

Forgive me- not trying to hijack the thread,but- Nice pic- what are you using for a camera??

 

[GOINGDEEP]

The second baseman doesn't look down and ready. Or maybe the pitcher is just that good?

 

[ctfastpitch]

The parents are right on number 4. I f the ball hits the plate, it is call a ball. ASA Rule 7 Batting Section 5. A BALL IS CALLED BY THE UMPIRE.
A. (Fast Pitch) For each legally pitched ball that does not enter the strike zone,
touches the ground before reaching home plate, or touches home plate, and
the batter does not swing.
EFFECT: The ball is live and runners are entitled to advance with liability to
be put out.

This rule is confusing. The important part of the rule is the part that addreses does not enter the strike zone. Once a pitch enters the strike zone this rule does not apply and the ball CAN hit the plate. You can verify this with your umpires. This rule confused me for awhile until an ump explained that the strike rule takes precedent over this rule.

I am still confused by this definition. If a pitch never enters the strike zone, then it is obviously a ball. Based on that, I would interpret this rule such that the following two situations to apply to pitches that do pass through some part of the strike zone, but also either hit the ground first (which I have seen) or hit the plate (which I have never seen). Having said that, I thought I read the "strike" definition as an legal pitch that crosses any part of the strike zone as it passes over the plate. That confuses it even further.

However, like someone else mentioned, I can't realistically envision a valid situation like this. I guess it would have to be a MONSTER drop ball that starts mid-thigh and begins to bite about 10' before the plate. Then MAYBE with its trajectory on its way down it can cross the front of the plate knee high and still catch the back of the plate. I guess its possible, but pretty improbable!!! So regardless of the official rule, I would say that a good rule of thumb is that if it hits the plate, it's a ball.

 

[Glipski]

Forgive me- not trying to hijack the thread,but- Nice pic- what are you using for a camera??

Thanks! It's an old Canon that I've had for a few years. It's too dark, but it was almost night when I snapped the shot.

The second baseman doesn't look down and ready. Or maybe the pitcher is just that good?

I actually sent this to her coach and told him the same thing
She had to run a few laps at practice. The shortstop wasn't looking and the 3rd baseman was looking at the ground while she was pitching. All pictures went to the coach. I got lots of thanks but no cash for the pictures

 

[stephanie]

The second baseman doesn't look down and ready. Or maybe the pitcher is just that good?

just let me catch one with her glove on her hip like she's too good to be playing...just put her on the bench.

 

[qwikvr6gti]

All I can say is. That's softball, Suck it up!

 

[Daddy O]

This rule is confusing. The important part of the rule is the part that addreses does not enter the strike zone. Once a pitch enters the strike zone this rule does not apply and the ball CAN hit the plate. You can verify this with your umpires. This rule confused me for awhile until an ump explained that the strike rule takes precedent over this rule.

I copied this from the Softball Discussions - Did Ump make right call thread. Might want to check it out.

"Don't need to read it. I've already read it, memorized it and been tested on it!

A pitch that touches the plate can NEVER be a called strike- PERIOD. (I will assume that you understand the difference between a called strike and a swinging strike). Once the pitch touches the plate, and the batter has not swung at it, it is automatically a ball, no matter if it has passed the batter or gone through any portion of the strike zone.

The other poster threw in some excess qualifier about it touching the plate after passing the batter, but that that isn't a requirement of the rule (and, it seemed to be tied to his false premise that if the batter is in the front of the box the location of the plate is irrelevant).

What point of rule 7-5-A exactly do you think I'm missing? "

Thanks BretMan!

 

[SnocatzDad]

This rule is confusing. The important part of the rule is the part that addreses does not enter the strike zone. Once a pitch enters the strike zone this rule does not apply and the ball CAN hit the plate. You can verify this with your umpires. This rule confused me for awhile until an ump explained that the strike rule takes precedent over this rule.

A. (Fast Pitch) For each legally pitched ball that does not enter the strike zone,
touches the ground before reaching home plate, or touches home plate, and
the batter does not swing.
EFFECT: The ball is live and runners are entitled to advance with liability to
be put out.

Fpdad5, The person who tried to sell you on this had it wrong. Your argument that entering the strike zone negates the touches home plate rule ignores the key word "or". For those of you who can't imagine a pitch entering the strike zone AND hitting the plate imagine a 10U change up with a 8 ft arc.