Home of Senior Softball-USA and Senior Softball World Championships
| Oct. 28, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Purposeful Stalling Webbie you make way too much sense!! I was umpiring my last tournament Saturday and saw the coach of that team. I asked him what he was thinking on that strategy. He just shrugged and said “win some, lose some” That about sums it up |
| Oct. 28, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: What’s the Correct Call? FOFO, I share Dbax’s sentiment. Perhaps you meant otherwise but are you saying that a runner rounding first possibly looking to go to second is out if he’s impeded by the first baseman? |
| Oct. 27, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: What’s the Correct Call? As BJ correctly stated it’s primarily an umpire judgement call. Basic Rule of thumb is if a fielder is not attempting to field a ball the runner has the right of way. If a runner is somehow hindered or impeded by a fielder its obstruction. While there is no real base path from say, first to second, a runner cannot deliberately go way out his or her way in an egregious manner and bump into a fielder simply trying to draw an obstruction call. It’s a judgement call by the umpire. |
| Oct. 24, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Purposeful Stalling Although I would never do that I sort of understand it Webbie. They had their bottom of the order up and figured they’d run out of game time without scoring and not have their top come up. But in the top of the 7th the other team had 2-3-4 coming up. The strategy blew up in their face! I know one thing. If I was one of the 3 players told to intentionally strike out I’d never play for that team again. |
| Oct. 23, 2025 stick8 | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Illegal Pitch Rule Nancy, ISSA calls it. I don’t know about the newer association, I think it’s TPSSA. It is a shame that from time to time umpires don’t call “illegal” when the ball is in the air. But otoh, sometimes we’re lucky just to have umpires!! |
| Oct. 23, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Purposeful Stalling I suppose that’s correct. Ive been told that a team can forfeit their at bats if they choose to. |
| Oct. 23, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Purposeful Stalling Nancy, this happened just the other night: Men’s league playoff game Bottom of the 6th inning, home team down by 4. There were 5 minutes left for game time. (Their scorekeeper watches that like a hawk) They decide to take 3 strikeouts, 6 pitches, 6 swing and misses. Took about a minute— to get themselves another inning. Top of 7, visiting team scores 6 runs. Bottom 7 home team goes out 1-2-3. They got their last inning in but outsmarted themselves!! |
| Oct. 21, 2025 stick8 | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Illegal Pitch Rule Nancy is correct. Besides SSUSA, the only association that calls “illegal” with the arm out while the pitch is in the air is USA (formerly ASA). It sure has worked out real well for them over the years! Problem with senior ball is sometimes you get umpires that don’t do that. Likely because they’re Utrip, NSA or One Nation. Going over rules 15 minutes before game time is likely not going to break their habits! Unless the pitch is egregiously high or flat look to hit! |
| Oct. 15, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Purposeful Stalling Nancy, I ump for One Nation. We usually don’t encounter teams who stall because the way we do it (at least where I’m at) is once time limit expires they then play one more inning. Usually it’s 60 minutes then one more inning. Those young bucks normally run in and out during changes. Seniors tend to walk slowly, take their time, some stop and bs with each other before the inning starts. Perhaps if they could hustle just a little bit they could perhaps get themselves another inning. I’ve never added time, know any umpire or have heard of any umpire adding time to a game. But it’s listed in the SSUSA rules as an option if a team is stalling. |
| Oct. 9, 2025 stick8 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Purposeful Stalling If the team stalling is batting the manager will get a warning. If it continues the ump can start calling strikes on the batter. If it’s the defense stalling the umpire can add more time to the time limit. Stalling is strictly in the judgement of the umpire. One thing that i do that works quite often is hollering “batter up” between innings. More often than not it gets players moving. |
| Oct. 8, 2025 stick8 | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Whats the ruling? Dave, Everything you stated is correct, thank you. In the scenario JohnO28 described the batter should have been out on his second foul ball. |
| Oct. 6, 2025 stick8 | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Whats the ruling? Batter should have been out-3rd strike foul. Did this happen in Vegas? And how on earth did the ump get 2 balls 2 strikes when he only called one ball? Good grief! |
| 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? |
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