Softball Mechanic Tutorial
•The following tutorial is for Softball Two Umpire
mechanics
•The following situations are meant to serve as a guide
based on the field mechanic class
•All situations assume a normal fielder setup
•All situations assume no interference or obstruction
•All situations have no umpire going out a fly ball
Start
Softball Batters Box
3’
4’
Batter's Box
3’
3 feet x 7 feet
10’
Catcher’s Box
10 feet x 8 feet 5 inches
8’ 5”
Strike Zone
ASA Rules
Definitions 1.0
natural
STRIKE ZONE When the batter assumes a natural
batting stance adjacent to home plate, the strike
zone is the area over home plate between batter’s
A. (Fast Pitch) Armpits and top of the knees
Arm Pits
A STRIKE is any pitch that either enters the strike
Official
Zone
zoneStrike
without
first touching the ground or is swung at
by the batter and missed.
Top of Note
knees
Width of home plate is 17”. Diameter of the
ball is approximately 4”. The effective width
of the strike zone is 25” 25 inches
Bounding Ball
Coverage w/ no
runners
FAIR BALL
PU has call to front of the base
B
FOUL BALL
Bounding ball
Plate Umpire
makes call
P
P
Straddle foul line as
quickly as possible
No Runner
Ground ball to LF
Take runner to 2nd if he continues
B
Take runner to 3rd if he continues
Buttonhook inside to see BR
touch 1st
B
B
B
Start in foul territory 12-18
feet behind 1st base
P
In case PU needs to
help with call at 3rd
P
Exit to the left of the catcher
Plate Umpire trails runner to ½ way
to start of running lane
PU heads back home to take call
P
Fly Ball Coverage w/
runners
Button hook in and
watch for tag-up at 1st
and be ready to make
call at 2nd
B
B
10-12 feet of left
shoulder of 2nd
baseman
2nd
R
Plate Umpire has all
catch/no-catch calls
Go up
3rd
base line if
to LF
P
P
P
Go up 1st base line if
to RF
Runner at 1st
w/ ground ball
to infield
Ground ball to SS
2nd
B
R
P
PU will take play
at 3rd
PU heads back
home to play
home
P
P
Plate Umpire trails runner to
¼ way to start of running lane
Runners on 1st & 2nd w/
ground ball to outfield
R
Ground ball to LF
B
SS
R
Go up 3rd base line
but watch for
obstruction call at 1st
P
PU heads back home to take call
P
Plate Umpire Positions
Ball in coming in from fair territory
P
Take a 8-10 position in fair territory
Ball in coming in from foul
territory
After play, return to
starting position
Take a 8-10 position from foul line
P
P
Starting position behind the catcher