SOFTBALL
EDITOR: BRAD TITTRINGTON
btittrington@referee.com
RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY
Philip Freels, Knoxville, Tenn., has a perfect view to see all the elements on this play — the ball, the runner, the fielder and home plate. Plate umpires must adjust as athletes move in order to see the play and make the correct call.
MAKE YOUR MOVE By Brad Tittrington
W
hen it comes to adjudicating plays at the plate in softball, the one-size-fits-all philosophy no longer works. Every play is dynamic and no two plays are the same. The athletes are bigger, stronger, faster and much more athletic. As they change the way the game is played, we as umpires must change and adapt as well. The speed at which the game happens now is faster than it has ever been. It requires umpires to read and react in tenths of seconds in order to get the best angle to see a play and rule on it correctly. We can no longer plant roots and expect to see
everything and get the call right. Force Plays. First, let’s take a look at force plays at the plate. Regardless of how many umpires are on the crew, the mechanics for force plays at the plate are the same. When the bases are loaded and there is a ground ball on the infield — and you know the play is coming to the plate — be prepared to move and make the call. Too often, umpires simply remove the mask and stay where they were to call the pitch and never move to an ideal location to see all the elements of the play — the ball, the plate, the runner and the catcher (or another fielder making the play at the plate).
The most important thing to do first is get depth. Ideally, you want to be 18-21 feet away on a force play so you can clearly see all the elements and not have the play blow up on you. Depending on what code you are working and where the ball is being thrown from will dictate your movement. In general for NFHS, USA Softball and USSSA, the plate umpire is going to maintain a 90-degree angle from the runner. This will take you first-base line extended in foul territory and roughly in line with the deepest corner or the right-handed batter’s box. In NCAA, the new philosophy is to be somewhere between point-of-
COURTESY OF FLORIDA STATE ATHLETICS
Umpires Must Adjust Positioning on Plays at the Plate
60 | REFEREE August 2021
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