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| April 7, 2024 txnighttrain | Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Why is a Major Plus Team playing "Exhibition"? Although I AM Not an SSUSA staff member, I looked at the bracket and what they have written. Pool cames will count. They can win first place awards if they win their 3 bracket games, however, they CANNOT advance in bracket. So any team playing them advances, win or lose. If I read it wrong, I'm sure SSUSA will correct me, so I recommend you read the seeding and bracket information for yourself. |
| March 25, 2024 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Batting Box rule change Left handed player called out correctly, entirely within the box Batter Boxes tend to disappear during a game. I have seen players outside a senior structered box and the umpire refuse to call it. At least with the back foot rule the box has some real meaning. USSSA went to this rule 3 years ago and the players have adjusted just fine. |
| Oct. 6, 2023 txnighttrain | Topic: Teams looking for players Discussion: Texas Thunder looking for 60 yr old players We are looking for an outfielder, pitcher, and 3rd baseman. Must be willing to travel to Worlds and possibly Midwest Championships. If interested, please respond to this message with your cell phone and/or email. Thanks |
| Sept. 19, 2023 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Batter out of the box The box is supposed to be 7ft long and 3ft wide that includes the lines. Both feet are required to be in the box when the batter makes contact with the ball. Touching any part of the box or line with your feet means you are in the box. The box is measured from the middle corner of the plate. It is 4 ft forward from the middle corner. The plate from the middle corner to the front edge of plate is 8.5 inches. This means the box extends 3 ft 3.5 inches in front of the mat. A bat is 34 inches long. So a bat length plus 5.5 inches. This guy is clearly beyond that distance with his front foot. |
| Sept. 19, 2023 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Batter out of the box As a person who has umpired, I would have called the person in that photo out. It is obvious that he is so far out with his back foot in front of the mat, his front foot is no way in the legal box. Even though the lines are gone (many times from players erasing and not enforced) it would be my judgement he was definitely out of the box area. The idea here is to protect the pitcher because it puts him about 5 feet closer to the pitcher and makes it harder for the pitcher to defend himself. |
| Nov. 12, 2022 txnighttrain | Topic: Teams looking for players Discussion: Texas Thunder 60 AAA looking for Outfielders The Texas Thunder 60 AAA is looking for outfielders but will consider other positions. Please Contact Terry Frederick at email terryfrederick22@yahoo.com or cell phone 713-253-9072. |
| Sept. 22, 2022 txnighttrain | Topic: Teams looking for players Discussion: TX Thunder 60 AAA loking for Players Texas Thunder 60 AAA looking for players We are looking for players for the 2023 season starting with Winter Worlds in Phoenix. We are trying to get more outfielders, but a Shortstop infielder will be considered. Please contact Terry Frederick 713-253-9072 or Al Schoelen 214-477-4142. Both phones will accept text messages. |
| Sept. 22, 2022 txnighttrain | Topic: Teams looking for players Discussion: Texas Legends moving to 65AAA Joe, you can play all the positions. Just kidding. I am going to play one more year at 60 AAA, and then plan to move up next year. If the Thunder 60 doesn't move up for 2024, then I might be knocking on your door. Al |
| Sept. 3, 2022 txnighttrain | Topic: Teams looking for players Discussion: Texas Thunder 60 AAA looking for players We are looking for players for the 2023 season starting with Winter Worlds in Phoenix. We are trying to get more outfielders, but a Shortstop infielder will be considered. Please contact Terry Frederick 713-253-9072 or Al Schoelen 214-477-4142. Both phones will accept text messages. |
| Aug. 1, 2022 txnighttrain | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Safety I thought intentionally erasing the chalk lines of the batters box, even at the coin flip, was cause for ejection. |
| July 30, 2022 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Player released and playing on another team in same age group My understanding of this rule is a player can play in his age group on one team, get released, and play on one other team in that same age group in the same season. He cannot be released again and play for another team in the same age group, including the original team that released him the first time. The season includes all sanctioned events in SSUSA for the entire season including Winter Worlds even though that event was in a different year, but was part of the next year roster event. |
| July 30, 2022 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: What’s your call 1) Had the lead runner on 2nd already scored? If so, then then the runner on first could be declared out, but the run would count, game over. 2) Was the person struck outside the dugout. Standing at the opening doesn't mean he was in the field of play. If he wasn't in the field of play, then it is a dead ball and all runners advance bases from their position at the time of the release of the thrown ball. Run scores, game over. 3) He was in the field of play and not the on deck batter or base coach. Again, had the run already scored. If not, you have interference, dead ball, runner closest to home is out. This is based off USSSA rules since you said young guys playing so I presume it wasn't Senior Softball. |
| Oct. 25, 2021 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Home run limits 50's are seniors and 40's are masters..since 40's are younger they have slightly different rules in a couple of area's. 40's also don't have the courtesy foul. |
| Oct. 25, 2021 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: You make the call - please The key word in the rule is "deliberately". It is an umpire judgement call. If the action is not deliberate, then it cannot be an out. I have seen on a few rare occasions a player stand at the plate with his bat on his shoulders and watch a bad pitch hit the bat. On on a very rare occasion, the ball went fair. These were not deliberate or intentional acts by the batter. However, if a batter had intented a full swing on an outside pitch, I doubt he checked his swing. USSSA reclarified this rule to intentionally hitting the ball slowly under it's definition of a bunt. This cut out the full swing issue where a guy would take a full swing but hit the ball slowly like a bunt. I called a guy out in doing it. He then did it the next week and another umpire called him out. He quit after that. He later would hit little bloopers into right field. Players wanted to call him out. I told them that a ball that lands in the outfield is not getting that call. The intent of the rule was to stop "intentional bunt like contact". A ball in the outfield wouldn't apply. |
| July 8, 2021 txnighttrain | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: What's the correct call? The strike map is not necessarily in fair territory. The SSUSA rules only defines fair territory and there is a diagram in the rules showing the mat and home plate separate. The foul lines are marked from the rear corner of home plate. I believe this would be a judgment call to whether the ball was touched over home plate or behind the plate. The position of the player is not relevant only the position of the ball. If the ball was over home plate when touched then it would have been fair, otherwise it was foul. For an umpire to make that call, he would have to be absolutely sure or he would need to call it foul. |
| June 1, 2021 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Is batter out The whole purpose of this rule is two fold. One to define control for a catch (yes, the ground can cause a fumble) and what is legal possession that constitutes a catch. A person can't use the inner part of his ball cap to catch the ball and then reach in with his hand to say he legally possessed and controlled the ball. The same would be to pull out his jersey to form a "cup" to catch the ball. The ball in contact alone against the body would not be illegal, but it would not be a catch until the player had the ball in his hand or glove. |
| May 21, 2021 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: batter interference It is an umpire judgment call. If in the umpire believes it would have been a strike, then that is the call otherwise it is a ball. |
| May 21, 2021 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: You make the call This is an interesting scenario and one the National UIC for USSSA sent out to all umpires. This was his ruling: This is a timing play. If the run or runs scored prior to the runner being passed by the batter base runner they count. If not the don't. This was the ground rule double situation. Even though the ball went dead, runners must still advance properly |
| May 21, 2021 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Infield fly rule The infield fly rule once called is called. As our UIC told us one time, if you call it and the ball hits off the outfield fence, the batter is still out. That was just an extreme example and does not happen. The infield fly does not mean the pop up is over the infield dirt. It means it can be caught with routine effort by an infielder or even a shallow outfielder such as a rover. The level of the players is also taken into consideration on deciding what is routine. A lot of times when it is called fielders let it drop hoping the runners will try to advance so they can tag them out. (The force is gone because the batter is out and runners are not forced to advance). It must be less than 2 outs with runners on 1st & 2nd or bases loaded. The whole purpose was to prevent an easy double or triple play. Also, if an umpire calls infield fly and the balls falls short of 1st or 3rd and goes foul without being touched, it is a foul ball. Most of the time it is a simple call, but umpires do misjudge them and on occasion make the wrong call, but they just have to eat it. However, if anyone thinks the umpire should be perfect, then I guess their lifetime batting avg is 1.000 and they have never made an error, mental or physical. |
| May 21, 2021 txnighttrain | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Change in the batters box rule I umpire in USSSA: Here is the actual rule which applies to all levels. Rule 1 Sec 5: ....The Batter must take an initial position with his back foot no further forward than a line defining the front edge of home plate. The batter will be called out if he hits the ball when the back foot is completely further forward than the line defining the front edge of the plate. Nowhere does it permit a person to make contact with the ball outside the box. Since many times the boxes aren't marked it is the umpires judgment. We are taught it must be obvious. The rear foot rule was incorporated because it now makes the presumption you are out of the forward lines of the box if the back foot is in front of the plate at the time contact is made. If the box is marked, a player could still be called out if he makes contact with the ball and one or both feet is outside the box. The lines are part of the box and you are in the box if any part of a foot is on the line. This rule applies to ALL LEVELS. |
