Why aren't softballs roughed up like baseballs

[Gambler Bob]

For our super elite, premium softball league we actually import mud from a special river and rough up the balls with that before each tourney.

Sounds like you get the mud from the Cal Sag River near Chicago. I bet they forgot to tell you that when it rains a lot, our sewage goes into that river. EWWWW

 

[PJR202]

In our second to last game of the MS season, the ump rolled them around in the dirt with his foot. I'm newer to coaching so I had never seen it. HC had when coaching baseball. I think the ump told him they had just been instructed to start doing it again.

 

[John T]

No! Just no. Give the balls to be used for the game to the PU and have him/her rub them up. The umpire will rub them up.

Not here they won’t! Show up 5 minutes before the game!!!

 

[KrisHur]

Just saw a pitcher called for an illegal pitch a couple weeks ago b/c she rubbed the ball in the dirt.

 

[Mike Hurd]

My daughter is a pitcher. During playoff so many balls were lost brand new ones were given to her to pitch. I could tell she didn't like the feel. She bent down and scrubbed them on the dirt between pitches. I'm not sure that is acceptable but luckily no one said anything. Maybe she should just put a nail file in her pocket a la Joe Niekro!

This was allowed at the state level? Sounds like umpires selected from good ol boy system.

 

[Orange Socks]

Just saw a pitcher called for an illegal pitch a couple weeks ago b/c she rubbed the ball in the dirt.

Maybe she didn't wipe off the hand/ball on her pants before she pitched the ball.

 

[softball dad 6]

A pitcher at the D3 WCWS was called for an illegal pitch for scuffing up a new ball in the dirt. She had done it 2 days before and not been called for it. I assume the umpire just missed it.

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[softball dad 6]

Interestingly an umpire retrieved a foul ball at the D3 WCWS and found it to be excessively tachy. The penalty for that was just a warning to the pitcher.

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[radness]

Well...can get a big dog to do it


Or how about instead of pitcher doing something that inadvertently causes an issue with the umpire
HAND THE BALL TO THE UMPIRE TO DO IT!
Hey blue this ball seems like it's really slick can you give it a little ruff up?!
Otherwise since lots of the time teams bring game ball, make sure it's done before it leaves the dugout.

 

[cnardone]

We played a tourney last weekend with some kind of Trump ball. Virtually no seems and a 'plastic' covering. One of the umps was really rubbing them up before one of the games. All in all, whatever saving per ball was lost due to throwing balls out of play due to the cover ripping.