What I want from an umpire

[Coach Al]

All I want from an umpire is one thing; know the rules. I can tolerate inconsistent strike zones, missing runners LTS (leaving to soon) and most any judgement call. When they make a call that seems strange and I find out they don't know the rules I get testy. Here are some of my favorites:
Pitch bounces and hits the batter and doesn't get a base because it became dead when it bounced.
Shortstop gets bowled over while fielding a ground by a runner and runner isn't out because the fielder was in the baseline at the time of the pitch.
Pitch bounces on the plate and is called a strike.
Hit is called foul because when the fielder touched the ball she had her foot in foul territory.

You have any to add?

 

[Lozza]

Pitch bounces on the plate and is called a strike.

I had a coach do that to me at U12. We had a big argument over that one ;-)

Technically it could be. If the batter is at the front of the plate, it can still cross the strike zone before it bounces. Unlikely, but possible.

I had an umpire tell me the strike zone was from the chin to the ankles.

 

[T Red]

Seems very few know and apply the look back rule.

I'm slightly annoyed that none will call a strike that is high in the zone. I'm sure its mostly because most of the umps come straight from baseball. The zone becomes essentially the same as baseball. If we are not going to call a softball zone then we should change the rules.

 

[nanotech14]

ump,that DOESN'T want the pitch right down the middle,or ump wearing glasses with lens as thick as the bottom of coke bottles,DD had nice hit down the LF line,dd slides in 3rd ump with coke bottle glasses calls her out.The coach on the other team tells me my dd had the base by 3 steps and she was laying on top of the base before tag was even made.He tells me he can't even believe that ump called her out,but was glad because they dodged a bullet.We lose by 1 run,but I will say that,that one call didn't make or break the game,we played 7 innings of ball,we had other chances to win,but dd was not happy about the call.

 

[PA SB Dad]

1. A PU with an adequate strike zone that allows us to get through 7 innings rather than 4 or 5 innings.
2. Umpires that hustle to get in a good position to make good calls on the bases.

 

[starsnuffer]

I have two pitchers that throw changeups for strikes that die and land square on the plate. It's very possible an, infact, often correct.

It's silly to assume anything "just cos it looks different".

-W

 

[Comp]

I have two pitchers that throw changeups for strikes that die and land square on the plate. It's very possible an, infact, often correct.

It's silly to assume anything "just cos it looks different".

-W

ASA 7-5-A (Fast Pitch) A ball is called by the umpire for each legally pitched ball that does not enter the strike zone, touches the ground before reaching home plate, or touches home plate, and the batter does not swing.

 

[softballphreak]

I had a coach do that to me at U12. We had a big argument over that one ;-)

Technically it could be. If the batter is at the front of the plate, it can still cross the strike zone before it bounces. Unlikely, but possible.

I had an umpire tell me the strike zone was from the chin to the ankles.

It doesn't matter where the batter is. The strike zone is over the plate, not the batter.

 

[Izzy's Dad]

I want umpires to quit calling a strike/ball before the ball gets to the batter.

 

[quincy]

I want an umpire that listens, does not have to agree, but hears what is being discussed.