College softball strike zone

[mm'spapa]

It's not only college. Saw an ump yesterday call strikes in the opposite batters box all day long. Then call a runner safe at home and she never reached home at all 8 to 10 inches short. Was sitting behind batters box. Crowed went crazy. Ump was consistent although wrong all day long. Pitchers live all day on the outside. I guess I should say it was High School.

 

[RetiredCoach]

It's not only college. Saw an ump yesterday call strikes in the opposite batters box all day long. Then call a runner safe at home and she never reached home at all 8 to 10 inches short. Was sitting behind batters box. Crowed went crazy. Ump was consistent although wrong all day long. Pitchers live all day on the outside. I guess I should say it was High School.

I think that we all appreciate a consistent umpire!!!

 

[corlay]

Pretty clear what a high and low strike is but for some reason umps don't like calling a strike for any pitch above the waist.

All Umps should have the individual discretion to set the strike zone within reason.
A tolerance of 6" +/- from the zone as defined by the rules is acceptable to me,
but this reasoning is even flawed because squeeze the zone inward 6" in all directions, and you're left with what we are seeing...
So maybe maintaining the same size zone, but allowing for subtle shifts upward/downward, left/right might be a better approach

 

[riseball]

All Umps should have the individual discretion to set the strike zone within reason.
A tolerance of 6" +/- from the zone as defined by the rules is acceptable to me,
but this reasoning is even flawed because squeeze the zone inward 6" in all directions, and you're left with what we are seeing...

Where did that come from?

 

[corlay]

Where did that come from?

I guess what I'm trying to say is like it or not every ump has "their zone".
I just wish the amount it deviated from the zone as defined by the rules was only by 6" or less.

Example: not calling a strike for any ball above belt-high, is like removing a whole 12"+ chunk from the upper part of the zone.

 

[renegade]

Watching (tv) UAB and Charlotte the other day and the announcer actualy said, "change of rules with the umps to no longer call the river, ball had to be on the white".

 

[riseball]

Watching (tv) UAB and Charlotte the other day and the announcer actualy said, "change of rules with the umps to no longer call the river, ball had to be on the white".

I think the interpretation of the rule may have changed, but not sure the the rule actually changed.

 

[knightsb]

Went to the OU / KU game last night.

• There were 12 BB.
• Nothing over the river was called for a strike.
• IMO, many good drop balls and offspeed at the knees were not called for strikes.
• Very few at the top of the zone were called for strikes.
• It really did look like the zone was being squeezed, for both pitchers.

This sequence:

• K-looking
• Ball
• Ball
• Ground out.

Full at bat:

 

[3bmama]

I was a Husker/MSU game a while back, and I think the pitchers were getting squeezed to death. I said if I was a hitter, I wouldn't bother swinging. I really cant recall if there was a single called strike the whole game, and I couldn't imagine where the pitchers would have been able to throw an actual strike that didn't result in a homerun, which we saw a grand slam, and at least 2 if not 3 other homers. Plenty of walks, and I'm not sure there were any strikeouts. One Husker became the B1G freshman of the week, she was walked in 4 of 5 plate appearances that series.

 

[JAD]

I watched the Tennessee-Alabama game last night and couldn't believe how tiny the strike zone was. A total of 11 walks in the game. Both pitchers and catchers were visibly unhappy with several of the calls.

I watch some of the game today (Sat) and thought the exact same thing. I wonder if the umpires ever watch replays of their games and realize how many strikes they miss.....