Umpires, strike zone question?

[Doug]

I wanted to make sure that I understand correctly.

If I have a player in the very front of the box (thus mostly in front of the plate for a small player), her strike zone as far as inside/outside would still be the plate; but as far as high/low, it would be in relation to where she is standing? Correct?

So, technically a drop ball, slow change-up, etc, could be called a strike if she were in front of the box, but be called a ball if she were further back and the ball dropped enough?

Along these same lines, if facing a mainly drop-ball pitcher and the batters were in the very back of the box, could one theoretically get more balls called?

 

[BretMan]

The strike zone is the area directly over home plate. If the batter is standing up or back in the box, that doesn't change. In other words, the strike zone doesn't move with the batter.

If the batter is all the way in the front of the box, the pitch could pass the batter above the armpits then drop through the strike zone as it crosses the plate- strike!

If the batter is all the way in the back of the box, the pitch could cross through the strike zone then pass the batter below the kness- strike!

 

[Doug]

Thanks for the correction!

The high/low zone is defined by the size of the player, though, right?

 

[BretMan]

Yes. The top of the zone is the batter's armpits, the bottom of the zone is top of the knees- directly over home plate as the batter assumes her natural batting stance.

 

[Doug]

Much appreciated!

 

[SBFAMILY]

From reading posts on here, I bet there are other coaches that don't understand this when they move kids up in the box.

 

[PEPPERS]

I totally agree with the strike zone as explained in this thread, but I have seen some umpires call the batter. If the ump calls the batter then you can see some strange strike calls when the batter moves in the front or back of the box. There are some great umps and some!!!!!!