Message board »Message Board home »Sign-in or register to get started
Online now: 1 member: TABLE SETTER 11; 72 anonymousDiscussion: batter's box
| Posted | Discussion |
| Jan. 28, 2016 #19 Men's 70 302 posts | batter's box What are the official dimensions of a batter's box in senior softball? What are the rules surrounding being considered "in the box" and "out of the box"? |
| Jan. 28, 2016 SSUSA Staff 3483 posts | Dimensions: 34½ inches deep x 19" wide, with the front edge centered and aligned with the front edge of home plate • Primary Rulebook references: Rulebook §7.3 A. (BATTING POSITION) on page 40 and §7.6 C. and §7.6 D. (BATTER IS OUT) on page 41. |
| Jan. 28, 2016 #19 Men's 70 302 posts | SSUSA Staff ... I took a look at the rule book you have online ... The batter's box is 3' x 7', with 4' extending from the middle of home plate forward and 3' extending from the middle of home plate backward ... You are considered "in the box" if any part of both feet are either on the lines or within the lines of the batter's box ... Thank you for the references ... It seems that every time I ask someone about the rules governing "in the box" and "out of the box", I get a different answer ... However, the rule book seems very clear on this subject ... Are these rules different depending on the association (SSUSA, SPA, ISSA, USSSA, etc.)? |
| Jan. 28, 2016 SSUSA Staff 3483 posts | Oooppsss! ... I read "Batters Box" and answered the question "Strike Mat" ... You are correct in the 3' x 4' Dimension ... See the graphic on Page 78 of the Rulebook ... I need to slow down ... My apologies! |
| Jan. 28, 2016 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | #19....ASA is that before the pitcher can pitch....the batter must be completely inside the box...no heels out or such as when actually hitting the ball....why they do it this way is beyond me....and also try and get an ump to enforce it.......yeah right.....i think usssa is the same.....not sure why senior softball is different...... |
| Jan. 28, 2016 Wayne 37 Men's 65 773 posts | Hold your hand up, and ask the umpire for time to get settled in the box. Some like to quick pitch as soon as both feet are placed in the batter's box, or even a split second sooner than that. In baseball that would be called quick pitching. IMO ~ the umpire needs to control the situation by holding his hand up to designate "don't pitch" and signal the pitcher when they all are set. FYI ~ Many softball rules are exactly the same as baseball rules. |
| Jan. 30, 2016 garyheifner 649 posts | As to the above "Why do we even have a batters box"???? There is a black mat. Legal height pitch hits mat, it is a strike. Batter must defend that black mat against strikes. Who cares where the batter stands before the pitch. Batter only needs to relay to ump he is ready. This would end all ump decisions about pre-pitch foot position and lines that are usually gone by mid game. Who cares if your lead foot steps on the mat or in front of the mat during a swing?? The only line needed is the front line to keep batters from closing the gap to the pitcher by going too far out. |
| Jan. 30, 2016 Fred S Men's 85 297 posts | Gary: I guess you never pitched. Try pitching to a batter that stands 4' away from the plate which we had to do at one tournament because they used the wrong dimension when they lined the batter's box. |
| Feb. 2, 2016 Antique Road Show Men's 65 9 posts | Nancy I would think you would be all over this one????? In defense of the umpires...by the 2nd inning, most lines of "dirt" batters boxes are gone...If your lucky enough to have astro turf boxes with painted lines....any part of both the batters feet, need only be touching the lines when the ball is pitched and when the batter makes contact with the ball....and the catcher must be in the catcher's box when the ball is pitched or the pitchers get a ball called even if it hits the mat. How many catchers boxes have ya seen?? I found that out in Dalton when our pitcher walked a batter cause I wasn't back in the catchers box???? He was PO'ed |
| Feb. 2, 2016 garyheifner 649 posts | Fred S I don't get your point. I am a pitcher/outfielder and this is my 51 st year that has covered U-trip through senior ball. Since the introduction of a mat, I pitch to the mat and get in a defensive stance. I couldn't care less where they stand. |
| Feb. 3, 2016 Fred S Men's 85 297 posts | I just found it difficult to pitch to them. I usually pitch to the inside edge of the mat which now becomes the middle of the plate for the batter and it seemed all the batters that stood on the 4' line hit to right field and in the 80 div you don't usually have a mobile fielder in right. |
| Feb. 3, 2016 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | fred.....don't even bother explaining.....as most of these pitchers on here just chuck it toward the plate with no regard as to where they want it to hit......just hoping they hit the mat...i play mens open age here(no mat..call strike)also....and getting the ump to enforce the ASA rule that they be completely inside the box before i can pitch is almost impossible...and please don't show them the rule as then they become all butthurt that you know more then they do......and the one i love from the ump.."i'm not gonna enforce that rule".....or the lines are not there anymore......wow ...... |
| Feb. 3, 2016 Mulewhipper Men's 55 128 posts | Not sure if this is the right place or not...but how will allowing the Pitcher to move 6' one way or the other from the rubber (new rule for sun issues) affect the batter staying in the box? I would think it could be an issue for stepping on the mat, or out of the box, the angle is completely different and would provide the pitcher with a significant advantage. Did the SSUSA Staff discuss this? Is there a rule or amendment to the rule that already addresses this? |
| Feb. 6, 2016 Nancy Allen Men's 55 1438 posts | ARS, thanks for thinking of me. This is one of those situations that I call heart rules because players get so emotional about it that is almost useless to try and explain. So while will sit with you in the parking lot and talk about until sunrise, I am not even going there in this public forum. I will say that you can tell inexperienced umpires because they fixate on it when players are chirping about it. Have only ever had one intentional truly out of the box called in a B World Series. He of course complained. Only told him messing with the wrong girl and explained. They were out of homeruns, and he ran a couple of feet out of the front of box trying to nail pitcher (another heart rule argument) which I told him. Is it softball season yet? |
