Should the Umpire Call the Batter or the Plate?

[softballphreak]

Should the umpire call the plate or the batter? If the plate is called should it be as if the batter was at the plate vs. being in front of or in back of the box?

For example, batter is in front of the box, pitch comes in above the batter's knees but drops well below where the batter's knees would have been had she been at the plate. Is the pitch a ball or a strike?

 

[playball13]

You may want to send this to the umpire forum.

 

[MVLA Softball]

A strike zone does not travel with a player. All rulebooks I have seen define the strike zone as "the area above home plate" (most often "that space over any part of home plate").
If the player moves forwardly or rearwardly, the area above home plate does not travel with her, obviously.
So, the dimensions of a strike zone parallel to the ground are defined by the plate. On the other hand, the bottom and top of the strike zone are defined by the batter, but not her position relative to the plate. The bottom and top are determined on the basis of the batter when she assumes "a natural batting stance."

 

[shockcoach]

You call the plate as if the batter were in front of it as MVLA mentioned. However, if the batter is in the front of the box the umpire may very well call the batter. You're not going to win the argument of balls and strikes with the umpire. Many times you don't even win over rulebook issues.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

A strike zone does not travel with a player.

The top and the bottom do depend on the batter, but not the sides.

 

[softballphreak]

After further discussion:

NCAA rules:
1.108 Strike Zone
The area above home plate between the bottom of the batter’s sternum and the top of her knees when she assumes her natural batting stance. When the top of the ball is on or within the horizontal plane and either side of the ball is on or within the vertical plane of the strike zone, a strike is called unless the ball touches the ground before reaching home plate.

 

[ctfastpitch]

I tend to think of the strike zone as a box, with the four vertical sides defined by the edges of home plate (with the back edge squared off), and the top and bottom defined by the batters chest & knees in a normal stance. The "box" is always positioned directly above home plate, regardless of where the batter is standing. If a pitch crosses any portion of the "box", then it is a strike (unless it hits the ground first), if not it's a ball.

Now...that is the way it should be defined. But it also depends on how any given umpire is calling them.

 

[Coach JV]

Moot point, the umpire establishes the strike zone, the offense
adapts to where he calls pitches. If you question a rules interpretation
with plate umpire, more times than not, he is going to assume you are questioning
balls and strikes. I have never seen this question end in favor of the coach.


Umpires have good memories, when you see him again, he will remember you,
please offer him an ice cold water between innings to help him forget the past

 

[Comp]

What age group are we talking here? Rec level 10U, the ball crosses the batter anywhere they could have hit it, you can bet Im calling it a strike. Competitive 12u and up, the strike zone is at the plate.

 

[MTR]

Should the umpire call the plate or the batter? If the plate is called should it be as if the batter was at the plate vs. being in front of or in back of the box?

For example, batter is in front of the box, pitch comes in above the batter's knees but drops well below where the batter's knees would have been had she been at the plate. Is the pitch a ball or a strike?

The standard, and correct, answer to this question is, yes. As has been noted, the strike zone is always adjacent to the plate. Don't care where the batter stands in the BB, his/her strike zone is at the plate.