Umpire Guidelines for Covid Softball

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Mar 28, 2014
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It seems RAD answered your question perfectly. There is less protection because the umpire is not being partially shielded by the catchers body. I see a lot of umps that get right behind the catcher with just their face exposed over their shoulder. Kinda like hiding from bullets..... it’s better right behind your “shield”
don't think you understand angles.
 
May 29, 2015
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Right behind the catcher is NOT the safest location for an umpire. We work the slot (between the batter and the catcher) for two reasons: primarily because of where the line of fire is for a foul ball (#2 is getting a better look). It isn’t about using the catcher as a shield, it’s about the angle a foul ball is most likely to take.

Anecdotal, but every umpire I know of who has been concussed was set up right over the top of the catcher. I spend a lot of money on my gear, but it is the secondary line of defense.

From a 2016 article at Close Call Sports:

We know from years of experience and training that the slot position—that imaginary box between the batter and catcher, or inner edge of home plate if the catcher has moved outside—is the safest position from which to receive a pitch, or the so-called "Green Zone" of home plate umpiring.

A number of the 2016 injures occurred when umpires vacated the safe (green) zone and entered caution (yellow) or danger (red) zones. For instance, yawetag diagrammed Chris Guccione's May 26 injury, noting that Guccione was positioned in the caution/yellow zone at the pivotal moment.


1589684344610.jpeg

Not every ball is going to take those trajectories though. The “area of safety” is NOT a cone going backwards. Quite the opposite. The further back you are, the more exposed you are.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
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As i described slot behind catcher.
Behind catcher as in distance closer to them rather than 6' feet back.
Farther back less protection.

This image umpire 6' back.
With entire body moved over.
Right foot behind batters box.
Body directly behind the river.
He is way into the slot.
Screenshot_2020-05-16-20-01-55-1.png
 
Aug 25, 2019
1,066
113
Right behind the catcher is NOT the safest location for an umpire. We work the slot (between the batter and the catcher) for two reasons: primarily because of where the line of fire is for a foul ball (#2 is getting a better look). It isn’t about using the catcher as a shield, it’s about the angle a foul ball is most likely to take.

Anecdotal, but every umpire I know of who has been concussed was set up right over the top of the catcher. I spend a lot of money on my gear, but it is the secondary line of defense.

From a 2016 article at Close Call Sports:




View attachment 17741

Not every ball is going to take those trajectories though. The “area of safety” is NOT a cone going backwards. Quite the opposite. The further back you are, the more exposed you are.
So are you saying, 6 feet back in the slot is ok, relatively speaking?
 
Mar 28, 2014
1,081
113
The further back you are, the more exposed you are.
Again, how is that? Exposed to what that you aren't exposed to already? Geometry says otherwise. You telling me a ball fouled off over the left shoulder of the catcher is going to miss you if you're right behind her but hit you if you are 6 foot behind her? How does that work? Is the ball going to curve behind her after it passes the catcher's shoulder? No, it's going to continue on the angle that it was on after leaving the bat.
 
Aug 6, 2013
392
63
Right behind the catcher is NOT the safest location for an umpire. We work the slot (between the batter and the catcher) for two reasons: primarily because of where the line of fire is for a foul ball (#2 is getting a better look). It isn’t about using the catcher as a shield, it’s about the angle a foul ball is most likely to take.

Anecdotal, but every umpire I know of who has been concussed was set up right over the top of the catcher. I spend a lot of money on my gear, but it is the secondary line of defense.

From a 2016 article at Close Call Sports:




View attachment 17741

Not every ball is going to take those trajectories though. The “area of safety” is NOT a cone going backwards. Quite the opposite. The further back you are, the more exposed you are.
I am obviously not an umpire and I thank you and RAD for the explanations. I happen to want the umpires to be working to be the safest possible and I think the umps with actual experience would know what is safe and not.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Yes spin on the ball can effect its trajectory. Just like a thrown pitch.
Same as ball comming off the bat.

Additionally the ball can be directionally influenced by the angle of the bat when the ball hits it.

Riseballs are notorious for dangerous foul balls going backwards.

Think of little pop ups that go behind the catcher.
They can go up and backwards.
They dont always go straight up.
They dont always go straight back.

Mind you i'm not saying dont do it. Just saying it adds a little more predicament.

Hard part maybe trying to see outside pitches do to not being able to see past the catcher.
This is why i was considering umpires starting farther out from the slot.
So the can get a better visual angle.
 
Last edited:
May 29, 2015
3,731
113
Again, how is that? Exposed to what that you aren't exposed to already? Geometry says otherwise. You telling me a ball fouled off over the left shoulder of the catcher is going to miss you if you're right behind her but hit you if you are 6 foot behind her? How does that work? Is the ball going to curve behind her after it passes the catcher's shoulder? No, it's going to continue on the angle that it was on after leaving the bat.

Yes, you are going to get hit if you are in the path, regardless of where you are. What the diagram I posted above does not show is that there are yellow and red zones going behind the batter as well. When talking about distance, it's not the pitch we are concerned with (though there is that too) ... it is a ball changing angle as it deflects off a batter's bat. The further back you are, the more that ball moves off of the center line of the deflection point relative to the umpire (that green zone above).

I am possibly assuming that somebody sitting six feet back is going to move off that central line. Maybe this next part is anecdotal, but each season I have far more balls go by my "inside" (relative to the batter) ear where I can hear them spinning and feel the air pressure change than I have hit me in the face mask. If I was further back, those balls would hit me more often on the inside.

Another possibly anecdotal point ... a jumpy umpire is going to have more time to move around even more and see even less.

I absolutely could be wrong, so show me the physics.

Found this neat video explaining the sight-line issue with setting up too far back. This also explains why an umpire would move out of the safe zone if sitting six feet back.

 

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