batters box?

[pitchersdad26]

OK just wanted to get a feel of what people think about this. We were playing an elimination game and the grounds people did not line the field for our game, there were games previous to ours, there was NO batters box. Now being around the game for as long as I have, I know that they sometimes do not have time to do this for every game, however we were starting games 15-20 mins early. Anyway to my point, a slappy from the other squad was consistantly out of the batters box, her back foot was 3 inches from touching the plate, umpire didn't even look let alone warn her about it. My DD was pitching and the first time she faced her she straightened her up with a fastball, and did it her next two at bats. The opposing team fans started throwing a hissy fit saying she was throwing at her, in effect she was just to try to draw attention to her stance, didnt work though. This is a continuing frustration for my DD being a pitcher because this is hardly ever noticed by umpires or even called for that matter. The box is there for a reason, when rules arent enforced because of lack of knowledge or effort it takes away from the game.

 

[sftball follower]

most tournaments we've attended the box is incorrect to start Most don't realize the inside line of the box is 6" from the edge of the plate and is 3' wide by 7' long which 4' of that 7 is going towards the pitcher's mound from the center of the plate. That's a lot farther than most realize, and it "appears" a lot of slappers are out of the box, but actually they are not..... and remember that the batters entire foot must be out of the box at contact to be considered out of the box. The coach could politely ask the umpire to keep an eye on it, but with no lines going to be an impossible call. We did see a girl called out this past weekend for stepping in front of the plate at contact.

 

[BretMan2]

OK just wanted to get a feel of what people think about this...

Umpires should take a quick glance at the batter's feet and, if she's not in the box, she should be instructed to get properly positioned. The umpire should not allow a pitch to be thrown until the batter complies.

Letting a batter set up too close to the plate gives her an advantage not intended by the rules. It takes the inside of the plate away from the pitcher, because she doesn't want to hit the batter. It takes the outside away too because the batter now has better plate coverage to reach the outside corner.

Even if the boxes aren't marked, all of the rules pertaining to the boxes are still in effect. The only difference is that instead of a nice white chalk line, the umpire has to use his judgment to determine the lines.

I had this very thing come up in a tournament earlier this year. No box marked, but a batter was set up with her foot almost touching the plate. Pretty easy to judge that she's NOT six inches away from the plate. I asked her to move back (as the rules prescribe). For some reason her coach took exception to this and argued it right up to the point of ejection! Of all the stupid things to get tossed over...

 

[Maxdad]

Umpires should take a quick glance at the batter's feet and, if she's not in the box, she should be instructed to get properly positioned. The umpire should not allow a pitch to be thrown until the batter complies.

Letting a batter set up too close to the plate gives her an advantage not intended by the rules. It takes the inside of the plate away from the pitcher, because she doesn't want to hit the batter. It takes the outside away too because the batter now has better plate coverage to reach the outside corner.

Even if the boxes aren't marked, all of the rules pertaining to the boxes are still in effect. The only difference is that instead of a nice white chalk line, the umpire has to use his judgment to determine the lines.

I had this very thing come up in a tournament earlier this year. No box marked, but a batter was set up with her foot almost touching the plate. Pretty easy to judge that she's NOT six inches away from the plate. I asked her to move back (as the rules prescribe). For some reason her coach took exception to this and argued it right up to the point of ejection! Of all the stupid things to get tossed over...

Bretman, something struck me after reading your response I have never thought of before. Is there a difference between when the batter "sets up" before the pitch and when she makes contact with the ball? As stated earlier, her foot must be completely out of the box at contact to be considered "out of the box." That's how I learned it. Perhaps I'm wrong? Must both feet be contained within the box in order for the ump to resume play?

If not, the scenerio you stated above, she would most likely be legal because with the toe of the shoe almost touching the plate, the heel would almost certainly be "in the box" (if the entire foot has to be outside the box to be "out of the box") unless the batter's foot including shoe was less than six inches in length. Or oddly turned in or out. I understand the intention of the rule, just wondering of the by the book rule interpretation.

 

[BretMan2]

There are two separate rules covering this. One is for the batter's position in the box prior to the pitch (both feet entirely in the box with no part of a foot extending outside of it) and the other is for when the batter contacts the pitch with her bat (neither foot on the ground entirely outside of the box).

 

[Maxdad]

There are two separate rules covering this. One is for the batter's position in the box prior to the pitch (both feet entirely in the box with no part of a foot extending outside of it) and the other is for when the batter contacts the pitch with her bat (neither foot on the ground entirely outside of the box).

Makes sense. Thanks for the clarification!

 

[Fairman]

Just some advice.....

The plate doesn't move regardless of where the batter sets up.
If your dd learns to put the ball onto inside of the plate the batters will step back; they certainly won't get the fat part of the bat on the ball.
To be successful your dd has to throw inside and paint the edges. Jam the hands high is an excellent pitch.
If someone gets hit. oh well they should have been quicker.
If the opposing parents start yak'en, let 'em talk. The more they chat the more effective your dd is with her pitch location.
Now if she can develop a screw ball that starts over the plate and moves into the batter, nothing like a swinging strike and a hit batter on the same pitch.
Stop looking at a batter crowding the plate as an advantage to the batter. If the pitcher puts the ball on the inside of the plate, on the hands...advantage to the pitcher.

 

[ech92]

We have seen some obvious out of the box batters this year and never once called. When asked, the ump always says you can't expect me to see that and call balls and strikes, my reply is yes I should expect you to. Then the strike zone seems to shrink for my pitcher!

 

[Eastside]

Watched women's college World Series. Out of box called 6 times in games I watched. after video review...ALL 6 of the calls were wrong. Batter made contact before stepping out on all occasions. 4 coaches ejected. I have even reviewed our game video and was for sure that opposing slappers were out of the box, after review, we have not found a slapper make contact with the ball with her foot completely outside the box. Hard to believe but true. Not saying that it doesn't happen but after seeing the videos with my own eyes, I give the slappers credit and never complain about them being out of the box. Cause they probably aren't.
Edit:just yesterday at Loudonville-rally late batter doubles clearing bases umpire said she was out of box, we have game on video. No batters box lined and her back foot is at back of plate. That would mean her stride would have to be 5 feet. What's worse is umpire points at her first step after she hits the ball and exits box to first as the foot he used to call her out. So in this umpires rules the first step after she hits the ball has to be in the box. Stop calling this and coaches don't encourage the calling of this cause the umpire can not watch a ball and at same time watch the feet. Maybe pay and extra umpire $50 to watch feet and monitor the battters box police.

 

[FastBat]

Just some advice.....
The plate doesn't move regardless of where the batter sets up.

This is the truth. This year, on several occasions, I saw players asking the Ump to draw the lines in the dirt, of the batters box. I drove me crazy! Those players should know where the batters box is, or there about, they don't need need those lines!

 

[heater]

Let's look at it from the slapper perspective also. I have seen numerous slappers called out for being out of the box, and after looking at video, they were not. The same thing all year in both HS and travel. Also I have seen at a few parks where they use a baseball batter box as opposed to softball box. The baseball box is much smaller therefore restricting the slappers stride. I think when a slapper comes into the box the umpire immediately thinks they have a chance to "catch" them stepping out of the box and therefore make it more about themselves. I had video 3 times this year where my dd was called out of the box and all three times her foot was on the line. It probably evens itself out in the end though as I saw her step out a few times when she was not called for it. I do think it is nearly impossible for an umpire to watch everything that is going on when the slapper is at bat. But don't call her out of the box if there are no lines unless she steps on the plate.

 

[grabber711]

Speaking of crowding the plate, I see a lot of batters try to take away the inside part of the plate as well as wear arm or elbow guards. Countless times my dd (a pitcher) tries to jam the hitter and the hitter will take it off the guard and most of the time the ump calls a" dead ball, hit batter" when clearly the pitch is in the zone. Should it not be called a strike, the batter can't move the zone by crowding can she.

 

[Comp]

Speaking of crowding the plate, I see a lot of batters try to take away the inside part of the plate as well as wear arm or elbow guards. Countless times my dd (a pitcher) tries to jam the hitter and the hitter will take it off the guard and most of the time the ump calls a" dead ball, hit batter" when clearly the pitch is in the zone. Should it not be called a strike, the batter can't move the zone by crowding can she.

You can thank the NCAA and NFHS for creating that problem. NCAA decided in their infinite wisdom to change the hit by pitch rule to no attempt to avoid is required if the ball is entirely in the batters box. A year or two later NFHS also decided it was a good idea and changed their rule also. It didnt exactly take a rocket scientist to figure out the end result was going to be batters crowding the plate daring the pitcher to throw inside and then just stand there and take it. It also doesnt help that everyone, including a large segment of the umpire population read the rule up to the no attempt to avoid and stop. If they would actually read the entire rule and enforce it as written the rule actually does not say no attempt to avoid is required. The comment of no attempt to avoid only applies to balls that are ENTIRELY within the batters box, if the ball is not entirely within the batters box the batter is still in fact required to make an attempt to avoid or they are not to be awarded 1st base.

 

[mike_dyer]

I'm not an umpire, here is the answer though:

Passing the "test" to become an umpire would require staying awake whilst watching about 2 games and not suffering a major head injury afterwards.

They will do/say whatever they want and get away with it.

On the flip side, it's only a game that kids are playing against each other.

Let it go, man..