Softball

Softball

Bean There, Seen That

When it comes to hit batters, softball umpires don’t have to make the exact same decisions as their baseball counterparts. Beanball wars in softball...

Slot Machine

The most important job in a game, and often the most difficult, is calling an accurate strike zone. In order to be accurate, you...

A Pre-Pitch Checklist For Maximum Performance

An old British Army adage known as the “7 P Rule” originated during World War II. The gist of the rule is that proper prior planning prevents poor...

6 Tips to Improve Your Plate Performance

Everyone wants to be known as a good plate umpire. When coaches think about preferred and non-preferred lists of umpires for postseason playoffs, they...

Getting the Ruling Right Isn’t a Travesty 

One of the “catch-all” rules in softball refers to “making a travesty of the game.” That was put in place to take care of those players who try...

Handling Tough Situations on Difficult Pitches

One of the toughest jobs for a softball umpire is ruling on inside pitches. There is a lot happening at once and there are a lot of moving...

A Quarrelling Quandary

"B lue, where was that?” If you have not heard this question at least a hundred times, you’re probably still in your first year as an...

Does Your Partner Get the ‘Point’?

We often think we are communicating well with our partners, when we really aren’t. Good communication is the key for a successful umpiring team. The...

Softball Leaders Give Advice on Making the Most of Your Camp Experience

In 2020, many umpires didn’t have the chance to hone their skills and work on new ones developed in the offseason. As a new...

All Ball

The NFHS Softball Rules Committee approved a change in the penalty for an illegal pitch starting with the 2018-19 school year. An illegal pitch...

Solid Ground (Rules)

Like everyone else, I like to be prepared when someone asks a question. That is particularly true when I’m umpiring a game. That gives...

Your Toughest call?

What do you call when a runner jumps over an infield grounder as a fielder goes for the ball? Usually that play occurs when...

Basepath Blunders

A baserunner caught in a rundown between two bases can be among the most exciting plays in fast-pitch softball, but it also creates a...

Three Major Keys to Success in the Two-Umpire System

The three major keys to success in the two-umpire system include a system of angles, compromises and priorities. Here’s what that means. Angles In the two-umpire...

Preventing Umpire Interference

The umpiring crew must be sure the playing field and other conditions are safe to start the game and all conditions remain safe throughout...

Digging Out of a Slump at the Plate

Even the best ballplayers go into slumps. A hard-hitting batter is suddenly “popping them up.” A dominant pitcher “loses the strike zone.” An ace...

When the Pitcher has Possession and Control in the Circle

In a game I worked last season, there were runners on second and third when the batter hit a little humpback liner over the...

The Eight-Minute Pregame

Arriving to the three-umpire system at various upper levels is the culmination of hard work, preparation and demonstration of the knowledge and skills necessary...

Chasing Higher-Level Games

When I was eight years old, my cousin and I always looked forward to the circus coming to town. The troupe would have a...

Keep it Between Us

Some unseen things that go on before, during and after a softball game would really surprise the casual or even rabid fan. First is the...

Tips for Working With Catchers

One of the attributes of a successful plate umpire is the ability to work with catchers. The catcher is a major factor in a...

Four Steps Toward Being Truly Great

Let’s assume you are a good umpire, even an exceptional umpire. You do well on association exams and know your mechanics. Nevertheless, do you...

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