Softball
Game-Time Decisions
By Rick Woelfel
Watching an NCAA Division I crew at work is akin to attending an umpiring seminar. I was afforded that opportunity in late...
Going Out in Style?
More than half of the time while working the bases in fast pitch, you’ll be setting up in position A down the right-field foul...
Catch to Dropped Ball
Fielders can often appear to make excellent diving catches, but the calling umpire for the play must have patience in that situation before declaring...
Strike First With Slow-Pitch Pitchers
One topic that garners a lot of discussion among baseball umpires is whether or not you should describe pitches for pitchers. That discussion also depends a great deal...
Check This Out
The NFHS Softball Rules Committee approved a handful of rules changes for the 2017-18 school year, but two in particular — allowing intentional walks...
In the ‘Try Right Zone’
The plate umpire in fast-pitch softball faces the demanding task of making split-second rulings hundreds of times each game, regardless of the competition level....
Old Acts, New Rulings
The NCAA has again adjusted its obstruction rule, reduced the illegal pitch penalty, adopted three experimental speed-up rules from last fall and brought back...
Real Appeal
In a televised NCAA game last May, a player was so excited about hitting an out-of-the-park home run that she jumped over home plate...
Unsolicited Advice
From the very first camp that any official attends, what phrase is always uttered by clinicians and coordinators? “Get the call right!”
In 2018, that...
What’s Your Angle?
Although most umpires would prefer working in crews of three or four, the two-umpire system, if used properly, actually provides for good coverage in...
