GET IN THE ZONE A Plate-Full of Principles to Digest

By Carlos A. Santana

The most controversial aspect of any game is the strike zone. There are several reasons for this, but it is likely because it is the most common judgment call made during a game. In an average seven-inning game, the plate umpire will see 150-200 pitches from both teams combined. While the umpire needs to be prepared to judge each one, if you subtract the pitches that are swung at, you still have a substantial number of pitches to judge. This article will give tips and techniques for calling an accurate and consistent zone. Ultimately, you will need to find a style that works for you. But you are not left to discover that style by yourself.

Strike Zone Defined

Calling an accurate and consistent strike zone requires knowing the dimensions of the zone used by the rule set of the game. Three of the four (NFHS, USA Softball and USSSA) are almost identical in their definition.

NFHS, USSSA — The strike zone is the space over home plate which is between the batter’s forward armpit and the top of the knees when the batter assumes a natural batting stance, as shown in PlayPic A on the next page (NFHS 2-56-3; USSSA 3 –Strike Zone).

NCAA — The zone is the area above home plate between the bottom of the batter’s sternum and the top of the knees when they assume their natural batting stance, as shown in PlayPic B on page 66 (11.3.1).

USA Softball — That space over any part of home plate, when

Fast Pitch Strike Zone

a batter assumes a natural batting stance adjacent to home plate, between the batter’s arm pits and the top of the knees (1 – Strike Zone).

In determining a strike, the ball must meet the width and height requirements of the zone. In reviewing the strike zone definitions above, you should notice the common aspects and the differences. The common aspects include the width of the zone. The width is fixed and determined by the width of home plate. The width of the zone does not change with each batter. Home plate is 17 inches wide. The ball is 3.82 inches wide. Any part of the ball crossing over the plate is considered within the width of the zone. So doing the math, the strike zone becomes 24.64 inches wide, as shown in MechaniGram C on page 67.This precise width may not help in calling strikes on the inside or outside, but it is important to know that any part of the ball crossing over the plate is considered within the width of the zone.

Now that you have considered the width of the zone, let’s cover the height of the zone. This is where the codes diverge. Each code agrees on the bottom of the zone, the top of the knees. However, the codes differ on the top limit. In NFHS, USA Softball and USSSA, the top of the zone is the armpits. Specifically, NFHS and USSSA use the “forward armpit” while USA Softball states “the batter’s arm pits.” The top of the NCAA zone is at the “bottom of the batter’s sternum.” All codes concur these limits are determined when the batter assumes a “natural batting stance.” In addition, in NFHS, USA Softball and USSSA, any portion of the ball traveling through any part of the zone is considered a strike. In NCAA, the entire ball must be below the upper limit of the zone while any portion of the ball hitting the other three boundaries is sufficient to be within the strike zone.

Quicktip

While it is generally in our nature to be empathetic and even sympathetic when an athlete gets injured during a game, remember you are not there in a certified athletic trainer capacity. Allow the appropriate team members to tend to injured athletes. Avoid touching injured players and avoid giving any medical advice. Give the injured athlete space and allow medical personnel to diagnose the player.

By The Numbers

1.1 The rating for the 2023 Women’s College World Series

Final between Oklahoma and Florida State, an increase of seven percent from last year.

1.86M Number of viewers on ESPN for the championship game, up 15 percent from last year.

2.3M The peak number of viewers for the championship game, which trails only Game 2 between the same two teams from two years ago as the most-watched WCWS game since 2015.

The umpires for the championship game, which saw Oklahoma win, 3-1, were Robbie Guest, Christina Drumm, Megan Rabin and Mike Burwell.

They Said It

“A lot of people had concerns about these types of plays. We wanted to make this easier for the umpires to call. It also should allow catchers to be able to play their position without being called for obstruction. It allows catchers to make plays and be athletic.”

— Shena Hollar, NCAA Softball Committee chair, on the new obstruction interpretation proposed by the committee for next season. It states defensive players would not be called for obstruction if they are making a legitimate reaction to the trajectory of the ball after it is thrown.

SOURCE: NCAA.ORG

Each of the following includes a situation and possible answer(s). Decide which are correct for NFHS, NCAA, USA Softball or USSSA rules and which might vary. Solutions: p. 85 a. Courtesy runners are illegal and may never be used. b. Legal. A courtesy runner may run for both the pitcher and catcher, provided the courtesy runner isn’t used for both in the same inning. c. Illegal. Courtesy runners may be used for the pitcher and catcher, but the same courtesy runner may not be used for both in the same game. a. Any infielder only. b. Only the pitcher or catcher. c. Any defensive player only. d. Any defensive player or coach. e. Any infielder or coach. a. The ball is dead and R1 is ruled out for interference. B2 is awarded first base. b. The ball is only dead if the base umpire determines the contact by R1 is intentional. c. The ball is dead, R1 is ruled out for interference and B2 is also ruled out because B2 had not reached first base. a. B1 must leave the grounds and have no contact with umpires or participants in the game. b. B1 shall remain in the dugout/bench area. c. B1 may remain in the dugout but shall not remain on the playing field or communicate with opponents or umpires.

1. In the top of the first inning, team A uses A1 as a courtesy runner for the pitcher. In the sixth inning, team A wants to use A1 as a courtesy runner for the catcher.

2. With R1 on first and R3 on third, B3 hits a single to right field. R3 scores and R1 advances to third. After the ball is returned to F1 in the circle, time is granted. The defense wishes to make a deadball appeal that R1 missed second base. Who may make the appeal?

3. With R1 on first base and no outs, B2 hits a hard ground ball to F4. As F4 is playing the ball, R1 interferes with F4. In the judgment of the base umpire, the interference by R1 did not prevent a double play and B2 had not reached first base.

4. B1 is called out on strikes and is ejected for arguing the call.

Fast Pitch Strike Zone

Stance and Head Position

Now that you have the dimensions and boundaries of the strike zone, let’s get into the practice of calling an accurate and consistent zone. The key to this vital skill is a relentless commitment to positioning and mechanics.

Starting from the ground up, let’s focus on foot positioning first. During your training, you may hear terms like “heel-toe stance,” “box stance,” and “Gerry Davis.” The heel-toe stance means the umpire’s toe of the foot closest to the batter (“slot foot”) is in line with the catcher’s heel. Your body is angled toward the plate so you are at an angle no more than 45 degrees in relation to the pitcher. In the box stance, the foot farthest from the batter (“non-slot foot”) is placed about one foot behind the catcher in line with the point of the plate. The slot foot is parallel to and in line with the non-slot foot. In this stance, you are square to the pitcher. The heel-toe stance puts you closer to the catcher while the box stance should be about one foot from the catcher’s back. The Gerry Davis stance starts like the box stance. However, in the Gerry Davis stance, you place your hands on your thighs above your knees with your elbows locked, which provides consistent head height.

Having set your base, we turn to head positioning. This is where you will hear the term “slot.” The slot is the area between the catcher’s inside shoulder and the batter in a natural stance and the catcher in a natural catching position behind home plate. Practice placing your head in this position using the various stances described above. Use the spread of your feet to control the height of your head. Practice different heights to determine which is best to allow you to see the entire zone. Ideally, your head height will be between the top of the catcher’s helmet and the batter’s rear elbow.

With these basics in mind, there will be times when you will need to adjust because either the batter, the catcher or both will block your view. It is important to adjust to see the entire zone prior to the pitch being released. If the catcher moves inside and into the slot, you might be tempted to move to the outside portion of the zone. Avoid this temptation. This will place you in a position that increases your chances of taking a foul ball to the mask or chest. Instead, slightly increase your head height to be above the catcher’s helmet and look through the zone.

Sometimes, the batter will have her elbows in your line of sight. If this happens, you may lose sight of the pitcher’s release, but you should still be in a good position to view the ball coming to the catcher. Pick up the ball as soon as possible and watch it travel to the catcher.

Summary

A consistent strike zone provides a smoother game. Pitchers and batters will quickly adjust to your zone. An inconsistent zone confuses both pitchers and batters and will cause you grief throughout the game. Take the time to mentally prepare before the game.

Think about what you want to work on during the game. Do not try to work on everything. Pick one or two specific aspects and master those before adding more. Remember, you are going to make approximately 100 judgment calls related to balls and strikes during the game. You will miss a few. Mastering the techniques described will provide you with the skill necessary to be a successful umpire who calls a consistently accurate strike zone.

Carlos A. Santana lives in Honolulu, Hawaii. He officiates NFHS, USA and NCAA softball as well as NFHS basketball. *