Home of Senior Softball-USA and Senior Softball World Championships
| Sept. 22, 2025 stick8 | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Vegas 55AAA Umpiring JohnO28, You make a great case for all senior world tournament games having 2 umpires per game. With all the teams and diamonds being used I’m guessing it would be rather difficult logistically to accomplish that. And many cases difficult finding umpires!! Do you know they brought in umpires from out of town? |
| Sept. 22, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Infield fly rule BJ is correct! Age or ability should not be a factor |
| Sept. 22, 2025 stick8 | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Vegas 55AAA Umpiring I presume you only had one umpire for this game? No umpire is going to get it right every time but changing a call in a one man because a team is arguing is a no no. If it’s a bad call the ump simply has to eat it. Calling a ball foul because it hit the “foul half” of the line? Good grief!!! |
| Aug. 20, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Pump Fake That’s true Nancy. Especially considering the defensive team asked the home plate ump for help well after the next pitch was delivered. |
| Aug. 19, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Pump Fake Not seeing this I’m only going by how this is described: If I was umpiring and a pump fake happened as you described it, I’d have jumped out right after the pump fake and blurted out “dead ball, illegal motion”. Automatic ball on the batter. Pitchers forward motion must be continuous before releasing the ball. Sounds like in this situation the home plate umpire was right the first time. It’s ok for umpires to get together (I encourage my umpires to do that when they get asked for help in a 2-man) and talk about a play. The goal is to get it right. After calling a pump fake and being asked about it Im not sure how the umps came up with that being accidental or unintentional. What does that even mean? Perhaps BJ or Nancy can weigh in on this. |
| Aug. 14, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Did the umpire get it right? As stated I was not there to witness this play. The person who described this to me was playing in this game and also umpires for me. Perhaps I misinterpreted what he told me. Overall, DD’s post is correct. (BJ, I get that it’s tough for you but you’re still the fastest umpire in the country!! ???? Since the umpire had both runners leaving before the first touch (by the pitcher) both runners would be subject to be put out by a fielder with ball possession touching the base they vacated—akin to the “leaving early” scenario. Reading sloball1’s version with both runners being tagged while off base (presuming the umpire didn’t kill the play) I’d have both those runners out, thus a triple play. I’d imagine there would be confusion on this since Tim stated this happened in a half a second. The old phrase we’ve all heard our whole career from base coaches of “see it thru” definitely applies here! |
| Aug. 12, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Did the umpire get it right? Here is a play that happened in Dalton, GA this past weekend as was described to me: Runners on 1st and 2nd, no outs. Batter hits a line drive that strikes the pitchers forearm. It ricochets in the air to the second baseman who catches it. ( ball never touched the ground) After the pitcher was hit the runners on first and second were off running to the next bases. The second baseman flipped it to short and short flipped it to first to catch both runners apparently leaving early. Umpire ended up ruling a triple play. I was not there and only describing how it was told to me. Perhaps someone who was there and witnessed this can correct me if this is wrong. Presuming this is how the play happened did the umpire(s) make the correct call? |
| Aug. 4, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Illegal batter Brotherhood Manager, Regarding the illegal batter did you protest that before the first pitch to the next batter? |
| May 1, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Foul tip - catch or not JohnO28, I agree wholeheartedly! You illustrate one of the issues that certain areas have with umpires they use for senior softball. Sometimes you get umps who may be proficient in USA, NSA, USSSA or One Nation but not so much with senior ball. I would hope that someone who is contracted to do a senior tournament that doesn’t know the rules would do due diligence to study the rules beforehand. I don’t think a crash course on senior rules 15 minutes before game time is going to cut it. Those calls and non-calls you illustrate, wow!! |
| April 23, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Need help on a ruling for when a bases loaded walk occurs In the scenario above the way it works is simple. Every runner touches the next base!! Batter runner to first, first to second, second to third and third to home. Most teams will holler out to their teammates “touch the next base”—in no uncertain terms!! Umpire should be watching for this. When all runners complete touching the next base the umpire out “ball game” Game over |
| Feb. 17, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Player injured in a rundown. Randall, that’s a tough situation because most anyone with an ounce of sense would stop play and run over to the injured player. You calling time out would be the instinctive thing to do and I don’t believe you’re necessarily wrong but if I was umpiring I would not have called time out. At the risk of sounding cold-hearted the reality is there wouldn’t be an immediate reason for an umpire to call time out on that play. Since players were likely surrounding him (action had stopped) there wouldn’t be a ball hit at him, thrown at him or the risk of him colliding with a defensive player. Even though he’s hurting he’s not in any danger. If the defensive team gathers the ball and tags him I have an out, irregardless if time was called or not. |
| Feb. 15, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Runner hit by fly ball JohnO28 I agree. In tournaments if the pitcher elects to use a screen (if they are the option) and tries to field balls hit to their left or right of the screen then why have a screen? |
| Feb. 13, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Umpire question JohnO28, Ok, Going back to the Tako88 scenario it sounds like that game had only one umpire. And this was the finals of a world tournament! That should never happen. As one who wears both a players hat and umpire hat, umpires should never ask players what they saw on a play. The umpires job is to call the game. Yes there will be tough plays to call but he/ she should use their best judgement. Any umpire who allows players to coerce them into changing a call or making a call does not belong umpiring. |
| Feb. 12, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Umpire question JohnO28, Ok but in both scenarios you have players making rulings. Whether the players were correct or not, or if the call they make goes against them, imho, is really not the issue. Being sporting, honest and acting honorably is very nice and all well and good but where does that leave the umpire? Suppose a player takes a called third strike and argues the pitch was too high? The pitcher and catcher say it was too high. Should the umpire change the call? By doing that and the other scenarios on this thread you’re opening up Pandora’s box. Umpires doing a one man should never ever change their call. In a two man players can always ask the ump for help from his/her partner. |
| Feb. 10, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Umpire question Tako88 not trying to put you on the spot but what reason is it that you would consider DD’s situation unacceptable but your situation acceptable? |
| Feb. 10, 2025 stick8 | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Umpires reversed call BJ, Ok but I was curious if the base umpire called out the plate umpire (or vice versa) to confer after the fielder pointed to the base umpire to rule. In this case the fielder could have asked the plate umpire to ask his partner for help but the way the scenario was described it wouldn’t have helped them out.. |
| Feb. 6, 2025 stick8 | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Umpires reversed call I’m curious, did the base umpire initiate their discussion? I agree with BJ. If the home plate ump told the batter he had a foul to waste, he had a foul to waste! |
| Jan. 29, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Umpire question LOL. I know what you mean Double Dee. Pandora’s box is opening up!! |
| Jan. 29, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Foul tip - catch or not SSUSA: foul tip above the batters head that’s caught by catcher—OUT foul tip below batters head that’s caught is a foul ball (not an out) unless it’s a third strike foul, then it’s an out. USSSA, NSA, ONE NATION( (young man ball) any foul tip caught whether it’s above or below the head—OUT |
| Jan. 25, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Umpire question Did the outfielder demonstrate possession of the ball on the catch? Aka: Complete the process Never heard of an umpire asking a fielder if they caught the ball and then changing their call based on their response. That should never happen. I presume the ump in your game was doing a one man. It can be tough to see certain plays in a one man but umps have to do the best they can using their judgement and make the call as they see it. Unfortunately they get it wrong sometimes and they just have to eat it. |
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