This wknd we drew attention to a girl that hit the ball w one foot completely out of the box. Plate ump was brand new said he didn't see It. No problem with that. In between innings field ump who is more seasoned is explaining the rule but states as long as one foot is in the box its legal? I mention they call slappers a lot for stepping out and he said sometimes slappers have their back foot up and front outside the box so they don't have a foot in the bx. What's the correct rule? ASA rule set
stepping out of batters box
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If one foot is on the ground completely outside of the batter's box when the ball is contacted, the batter is out. Doesn't matter if the ball is fair or foul.
It is a very difficult call for a plate umpire in a fastpitch game as s/he is much more concerned with that yellow sphere flying at him/her at 60 mph or so....
It is a very difficult call for a plate umpire in a fastpitch game as s/he is much more concerned with that yellow sphere flying at him/her at 60 mph or so....
More umpires making stuff up...
What you were told has no resemblence to the actual rule.
DOH!
What you were told has no resemblence to the actual rule.
DOH!
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- Jan 24, 2011
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It's a shocker to me, because I work tons of games every season and never run across a tiny fraction of the made up rules that people post about here over and over again.
- Jun 9, 2014
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That's why we're coming here, to seek the advice of people like you whom we give credit for knowing the rules very well. I would imagine your "tons of games" are only a tiny fraction of the number of games that hundreds of other members have here combined. So you're going to get a few shockers that you haven't seen in your own experience.
That is because when you are on the field at there is at least ONE ump who knows all the rules and how they are applied (and my guess is you are the senior umpire or you are working with other experienced umpires you are familiar with at least 80% of the time)
Or working solo.
Just remember....Inexperienced players don't play like Major League ballplayers and inexperienced umpires don't umpire like Major League umpires. And yet, we seem to expect perfection from youth sports officials right out of the chute. And then we expect them to improve after that!
I can understand a new guy getting confused when you have to memorize a rule book that looks like a phone book. The guys that rub me the wrong way are the guys that have been around awhile and make no effort to improve.
Or working solo.
Just remember....Inexperienced players don't play like Major League ballplayers and inexperienced umpires don't umpire like Major League umpires. And yet, we seem to expect perfection from youth sports officials right out of the chute. And then we expect them to improve after that!
I can understand a new guy getting confused when you have to memorize a rule book that looks like a phone book. The guys that rub me the wrong way are the guys that have been around awhile and make no effort to improve.
Very, very true. Though umpires are paid to be there, unlike players and usually the coaches, the non-umpire world seems to have difficulty understanding that the umpires they get are usually the umpires they deserve. That may not always be the case, but most assignors know what they are doing. Most coaches will see the level of umpiring improve as they advance to the older age groups.
The coach who can't get his players to bat in the correct order, tells his runner at 3rd, "Wait, no go, go, go, come back," who hasn't seen two runners miss a base by a foot and who can't teach a player to actually square around on a bunt when it is the most obvious sacrifice bunt (or would-be bunt) anyone has ever seen, is the same coach who gets the umpire sticking out his left arm for interference, who makes up rules to get out of trouble and who won't call an illegal pitch. Some of these umpires are just progressing through this level, others are stuck there and haven't been approved for advancement. Either way, 99% of umpires provide a service that ought to be appreciated.
NOTE: Some rulebooks say something along the lines of, "When the batter's entire foot is completely outside the batter's box at the time of contact...."
Though perhaps not the best language for this rule, the interpretation is "if any portion of the foot is outside the box and on the ground with no portion of the foot within the box, the batter is out..." In other words, the rule does not require that the batter's five toes and heel all be on the ground at contact. Different rule books write this differently. As far as I can tell from the alphabet soup of associations, the interpretation is the same.
What the umpire said in this play is obviously nonsense and is not applicable in any game I have ever umpired.
Though perhaps not the best language for this rule, the interpretation is "if any portion of the foot is outside the box and on the ground with no portion of the foot within the box, the batter is out..." In other words, the rule does not require that the batter's five toes and heel all be on the ground at contact. Different rule books write this differently. As far as I can tell from the alphabet soup of associations, the interpretation is the same.
What the umpire said in this play is obviously nonsense and is not applicable in any game I have ever umpired.
