NCAA No Longer Enforcing Foot Out Of Box

[4KidsDad]

After watching numerous games the past 2 weekends, it appears no umpire wants to call this anymore.

What have you seen?

 

[Lance Steckler]

seen it enforced several times

 

[BT3100]

Florida state got called last night.

 

[Orange Socks]

Saw it called against my DD's team 3 times and the other team once all in the same game. I thought coach was gonna get tossed in the first inning!

 

[BT3100]

Almost all calls I've seen over the last 2 years have been no doubt about it calls. Question: Is it that hard for slappers to stay legal or do they just try to push the limits?

 

[Vertigo]

I think it all depends on when they were taught how to slap. My dd only learned last year when the rule was already in effect so her coach made sure she didn’t come close to stepping out of the box. I’m assuming that once you’ve been taught a certain way it’s difficult to make an adjustment without a lot of repetition.

 

[marriard]

I think it all depends on when they were taught how to slap. My dd only learned last year when the rule was already in effect so her coach made sure she didn’t come close to stepping out of the box. I’m assuming that once you’ve been taught a certain way it’s difficult to make an adjustment without a lot of repetition.

This is pretty much it.

The coach's know which of their slappers regularly step out of the box but would rather hope it doesn't get called and then (#@(@ at the umpire when it does get called than take the time to correct and coach their slappers to not do it. Not unlike pitchers who leap.

I will also say it is a pain to call as a plate umpire. In 2 or 3 umpire crews without a runner on, trying to call ball/strike, judge when contact happens and see where the slappers feet are at contact is tough. It is really easy to miss it which means when you DO see it, everyone wants to know why you didn't call it 5 batter earlier or when the other team's slapper did and so forth.

4 umps make it easier because there is always an umpire at second with a direct line of sight. You never get 4 man crews except in college in the College World Series and occasionally in games where they are training for it... But of course this means that the call is easier with the 4th official, so now it should get called more regularly unlike most of the other games teams play. Any rule that relies or is affected by the number of officials on the field is not a good one. I am not sure how they change the rule to make it better though... Maybe just have a rule that says you have to have both feet in the box until pitchers release or something and not care where the feet go after that.

 

[Traps71]

Slapping is a unique and exciting part of the softball game. Why did "they" decide to implement or enforce this rule in the first place? What problem was it trying to solve? Since it was implemented, seems that for home plate umpires the rule is very difficult to enforce or to enforce consistently. Why not just get rid of it and go back to the old way?

 

[radness]

Rules keep structure.

Helping the umpire....
Catching defensively added this strategy...
Would smooth out the dirt with my hand in front of the box to expose foot stepping out!
Even the river sometimes!!
Think at times it would get in the mind of the batter too!
Yep did that...!!!
Helped too!

Ps...im ok with helping

 

[Tatonka]

Florida state got called last night.

and, they should have known to adjust since it was being complained about to the refs BEFORE the call that cost them a second out at a crucial time.