NCOA Softball 2017 Newsletter
Vol 5, Issue 5
Mar. 2, 2017
Touching All Bases
LET’S PLAY BALL!
It’s time for softball!! The season is 5 days old
and the sun is finally shining down on us!!
Are you getting game assignments? If not,
chances are that you have not yet completed
the necessary training items to become
certified. No certification, no games!! If you are
unsure what you are missing, please contact
Neil Hillel at [email protected] or text to
(916) 221-8404 (c).
86 of us have completed the necessary training
hours and objectives to be CIF certified to work
softball. That leaves another 30 of us that have
NOT completed certification requirements!
There are 15 of us that still need to successfully
complete the certification exam. 25 of us need
to watch 4 of 6 webinars. If you are unsure of
where you stand, contact Neil Hillel through the
above contact points. Again, you will not
receive game assignments until you are
certified.
I had a discussion with a coach yesterday
regarding the glitter issue. She recalled hearing
about no glitter on any eye black applications,
but didn’t recall no glitter on “hair control
devices”. The rule book Points of Emphasis
(page 83-84) clearly states: “Coaches and
players are reminded that a uniform shall not
have any reflective adornments.
Reflective materials on ribbons, bows and
headbands,
including
glitter
and
rhinestones, are considered illegal and
should not be permitted.”
Please be diligent about equipment checks prior
to the game. I removed 5 bats yesterday… 3 for
excessive wobble and 2 for chips on the bat
barrel that were so deep one could see the
composite material of the bat. These are not
legal bats and should not be allowed to play!
You should be on the field 20 minutes prior to
game time! Walk the perimeter to the field
looking for soft spots, places where the ball
might get blocked or go under the fence and any
other abnormalities. This activity will save you
much grief if any of the above should happen!
Talk about your findings at the pregame
conference during the ground rules section.
Check equipment at 10 minutes to game time
(remember, teams are required to place their
bats and helmets OUTSIDE the dugout for our
inspection). We should stay out of the dugouts!
Hold your pregame conference at the 5 minute
mark so you can start the game on time!
Remember, when you call the head coaches to
the plate for the pregame conference, all warmup activity must stop.
Have your 2017 NFHS rule book in your car!
Many times after completing a game, you might
need to refer to the book so you better
understand and/or implement a rules situation.
If you have your rule book with you, the answer
can be had while still in the parking lot!
skills and mechanics with your partner so we are
invisible out there. Use your people skills with
the coaches and players. Don’t use too many
people skills with the fans (too many comments
about umpires involved with the fans… that gets
us in trouble. It just looks bad, too.).
Lastly, remember your time/run rule limits. Per
CIF Sac-Joaquin Section bylaws, Junior Varsity
games have a 2 hour time limit and no run rule.
You do not have the option to establish a JV run
rule! No new inning after the 2 hour mark!
Varsity games have no time limit, rather there is
a 10 run “mercy” rule in place along with a 7
inning limit.
Most importantly, you go to
tiebreaker in the top of the 10th inning and not
before! This holds true for both Varsity and
Junior Varsity.
We will be having observers out to look at those
on the bubble between ranking areas and to get
knowledge about those we do not know well. .
If you are short on training hours and you
worked a scrimmage and did not send Neil an
email stating such, you need to do that! No
email, no credit!!
Please send me any rules interpretation
questions or unusual situations that we can
share amongst us. We can all learn something
by doing this throughout the season!
COMING UP SOON:
Mar. 5 Sun 9am GSSA Umpire
Clinic – Davis Veterans Memorial Hall
GROUP LEADERSHIP CORNER
We are finally getting to work a few games with
a window of sun. Thanks to all of you for being
patient and bringing your “A” game to the fields.
There is much going on, on the field and off.
Please make sure you get to your games early
for a good pregame with your partner. We need
to get the communication between our partners
so we combine the newly polished individual
Have a great season.
Your Group Leaders, Frank and Carl
2017 Post Training Survey
We are adjusting the schedule based on
members feedback to do a Post Training Survey
to get ideas for improvement and what did not
go so well. This Survey will be out on Survey
Monkey within the next 3 weeks. Please help
us get better and provide the training that is best
for you in preparing for the softball season by
completing the survey. It will not take long.
JSS SOFTBALL ASSIGNORS
From the JSS Assignors:
Games are currently being assigned for the
week of March 20th.
If you do not have a picture in your Arbiter
profile, please put one there. Preferably, it will
be similar to a passport photo… just your face,
no other people or things! It helps all officials to
see your picture when you are unfamiliar to
them.
Please accept your game assignments
promptly! If you wait too long to accept/decline
a game, you just might be dropped from that
game!
A quick accept/decline allows the
assignors to be more efficient in their duties.
Please help us help you!
You should be filling out a game report on
Arbiter after each and every game! If nothing
unusual took place, just enter the score and hit
save. If anything else happened, please note it
in the comments section.
If you have an ejection, you must contact the
assignors ASAP. When you get off of the field,
give us a call. You must also write up an
ejection report within 24 hours and email it to us.
Please just state the facts… this is not the place
for your opinions.
IMPORTANT NEWS
From the Rating Committee (by Pete Dufour)
– Thank you for participating in scrimmages,
whether they were rating scrimmages or not.
You helped a lot of teams get their season off to
a good start after all the rain. Hopefully, we did
ourselves some good too! Your hard work is
appreciated.
We had several members of the rating
committee and expanded rating committee
come out to help us look at officials at Freedom
Park. (We had staff ready to go to Vanden
before it got washed out.) Those who signed up
for Freedom received feedback from as many
as four different veteran officials and in most
cases a few video clips to go with it. Hopefully
those of you who were there will put that
feedback to good use. The observers all
remarked how cooperative and appreciative
everyone was. Good listening skills! We also
saw a lot of hustle.
Thank you!
Observations: Get into the manual, get into the
ECTP document that is on the website (NCOA
Central Hub). It's all there for you. Take time to
study. (Someone complained the skinny little
manual was too big!). Bring these with you to
the field to ask questions of your partner in the
pre- or postgame. We're always learning.
Have a great season!!
Dave and Jim
Uniforms: The season is here! You should
have your uniform ready to go. HEATHER grey
pants, and please have them hemmed so they
don't scrunch up at the bottoms or drag on the
ground. If you work ASA/USA in the summer,
you might want to get a pair each of Fechheimer
plate pants and base pants, and then you can
use them for your summer games. Please do
not use your base pants on the plate, we don't
want to see your shin guards. Wash your pants
in cold water on the quick cycle and press them
with a warm iron when you get them out of the
dryer. Get a nice crease front and back. If you
use a hot iron or put them in a hot dryer, they
will turn pink faster. Saw a lot of grey ball bags
and pink pants Saturday. Clean the dirt off your
hat! Get new ones each year. Some looked like
they are four years old! (Most did look sharp!)
Same with the shirts...quick wash, hang them
up. Iron the collar flat, don't iron the shirt unless
it's wrinkled. Don't put the shirt in a hot dryer; it
will fade more quickly and the buttons may turn
pink. Then there's always the dry cleaners... Tshirts...wear a clean white one please, not dingy
and frayed.
If you need NCOA hats, the correct jacket,
pants, shirts, ball bags...please get in touch with
Chuck Brabec. His email address is:
[email protected].
Shoes: Get some shoe polish, a small squirt
bottle, and a rag and put them in a small plastic
tub to take with you to your games. If you think
about it, maybe apply some of these things on
your shoes!
Mechanics - Bases: Walking the line...be set
on your outside foot when the ball is on the way
to the plate. Know when to chase. Pre-pitch the
outfielder’s positions. Pre-pitch the situation
and be ready to go where you are supposed to
go when the ball is hit. Too many umpires are
setting up too far behind the fielders. Find out
where she is going to end up and you should be
a few steps behind that point, off her shoulder
so you can quickly pivot out of her way.
Communicate with her about this. Be set, not
moving, before the pitch is released. You need
to see the pitcher's feet, then a check swing, foul
ball of the batter's foot, etc. Need to be set for
these. Use a parallel line to go to the next base
on a steal, or to see a pickoff play. Get into the
infield when you can from the "C position" You
don't want to anticipate a play and get hit with a
throw, but don't make it your default to not move
at all.
Plate: Don't verbalize swinging strikes or
obvious foul balls. Just signal. When the ball
goes up, keep your head down to the field of
play. The players will tell you where the ball is
going, so look at your partner, then take care of
your responsibilities. If it's a pop-up, watch the
catcher's shoulders and employ the "swinging
gate." Remember how/when to trail the runner
up the first base line on plays at first. Make your
calls on fly balls from inside the infield, or the
holding zone, as the situation dictates. Don't
make them from behind home plate. Saw a lot
of umpires getting to the line to make credible
fair/foul calls...nice job!
Number One Issue with our plate umpires is
how we set up: Not enough slot, not heel/toe,
too far from the catcher. If you are too far away
and you do not have the slot, you are looking
through the zone and you are just imagining you
see the zone. When the ball reaches the plate,
the catcher's glove or head are in the way,
blocking the view. We have several video clips
and photos of umpires trying to see through the
back of the catcher's head. Put your inside foot
down behind the catcher first, then swing your
outside foot up so you are heel/toe, without
hooking the catcher's inside foot. You should be
looking down and through the zone to see the
plate when the ball arrives. Get into the book on
this (or the ECTP). Adjust as your mobility
allows. After working with several officials, you
said you noticed the difference. Good job.
Use only slight head movement when tracking
pitches. Read up on what to do when the runner
is scoring without a play and you have another
lead runner going into third base. There was a
link to an article in one of the early study
sessions and it's also covered in the ECTP.
Also, the first play from the outfield at third base
is the plate umpire's responsibility, unless it is
the batter runner. Get up the line.
Both Plate and Base umpires: Make sure the
pitcher has the ball in the circle and the runners
have stopped before moving to your next
position. You can drift back to home plate while
watching the circle and waiting for your partner
to get to his next position and look at you. Until
your partner has eyes on the infield, you are
responsible for the runners.
Arm bands and glitter: Saw a lot that were out
of compliance at Freedom. Did you see them at
your games and alert the coaches?
The rain has stopped, for now. Games are
coming up. Do your assignors a favor and
double check your calendars in Arbiter.
You do not need to rate your partner. There are
about 20 veteran NCOA officials who are doing
the observations and ratings this year. You will
be seen! Their observations will begin when
you each receive your assignment and
determine who will take the plate, what color
shirt to wear, meet up location, etc. Preseason
ratings are coming out soon and will be updated
during the year, just before playoffs, when you
will be notified again.
Thank you for all you are doing to get yourselves
ready for the season for our customers. Good
luck out there and have a great season!
Webinars - Webinars are now posted on the
NCOA Central Hub website. Four webinar
hours are required for your training plan to get
your 18 hours of documented training for us to
certify you to the CIF Assignors for assigning
games.
The 18 hours are state-wide
requirements. Many of you have not completed
this requirement.
It has been brought to our attention (thanks,
Kevin!), that there is some mis-information
regarding feet and the pitching rubber in the
Illegal Pitches webinar.
Approximately one third of the way through this
video, the screen turns green and Emily
Alexander
(Cactus
Umpires)
starts
presenting. What she says regarding the nonpivot foot needing to remain in contact with the
rubber does not apply to our High School
game. There is also mention to the lines for the
24 inch pitching lane that also does not apply to
the High School game.
Training Options Adjusted - We have
adjusted the training hour credits this year a little
bit. ASA training hour options are available for
those in multiple organizations. The GSSA
Clinic is this Sunday in Davis. Sign up and get
credit. It is your responsibility to communicate
to us of your training hours IN ADVANCE.
Uniform - We have seen a couple of mistakes
for uniforms. Buy the right uniform for softball.
It is different from baseball. The official uniform
for NCOA Softball is: Powder Blue (no logos) or
Navy Shirt (color must match) (short or long
sleeves); Heather Gray Slacks; Plain Navy
Jacket (No stripes or piping; NCOA Hat;
Heather Gray or Navy Ball Bag.
Your uniform contact is Chuck Brabec. Email
him at [email protected] call
(916) 834-8074 for more information.
o Communicate with the head coach that it
needs to be corrected and come back
after dealing with other team or getting
balls.
o If non-compliance, issue a team warning.
o If non-compliance continues, banish the
coach to the dugout for the duration of
the game.
o If non-compliance still continues, DO
NOT PLAY THE GAME. They were very
adamant about this due to safety
concerns and issues that have arisen
with umpires in the dugouts with contact
with players and their personal
equipment. There have been incidents
with liability insurance issues.
o Report the incident to the Group Leaders
and Assignors by email within 24 hours.
Certification Test - Opened January 8,
2017 on the NFHS Tier2 view (Group ID:
106237) on Arbiter. Once there, click on the
TESTING tab, find softball in the Open Tests
section and have at it!
100 of us have
successfully completed the test to date! The
official closing date is March 31, 2017, however
you must successfully pass this exam (80%)
before you will receive any game
assignments!
RULES CORNER
This information is shared again and again...
These issues will get us in trouble if we don’t
know the rules!!



Bats Rule 1-5-2c. Holes in the taper – It
was noted that no bat manufacturer is now
making a bat with holes in the taper. There
was a bat approximately 5-6 years ago by
Reebok that had holes but was not
approved.
o Reminder that the ASA certifications
from 2013 are for slow-pitch only not
past pitch.
Uniforms – 3-2-1 Sweatshirts - NFHS and
CIF has approved use of sweatshirts in
increment weather. The umpire does not
have to approve use of sweatshirts. If they
are worn they do not have to have numbers
and can be worn when batting. If a ball hits
the sweatshirt when the ball is out of the
batters’ box it is the judgment of the umpire
if she made an attempt to get out of the way.
Equipment for inspection Rule 3-2-15 –
We had a question of the term “ALL”
Equipment had to be lined up outside the
dugout. The term is interpreted to mean all
equipment for Umpire inspection must be
placed outside the dugout in an area away
from the warm up area. This can be in front
of the dugout or elsewhere.
HOW DO WE HANDLE EARLY SEASON NONCOMPLIANCE?

Substitute Reporting – A reminder was
issued the penalty for an unreported
substitute is:
Team Warning with 2nd
incident Head coach restricted to the dugout
for the duration of the game.
(NO
EJECTION)

Infractions by the Pitcher Rule 6-2-2 –
Several updates were included:
o Don’t have to wipe off drying agent (a list
is coming out about what is a drying
agent)
o Dirt is considered a drying agent.
o It is OK for a pitcher to put their hand in
the chalk (not removing the chalk line).

Batter is Out Rule 7-4-8 NOTE- There is no
change in how we have administered but the
NOTE was inadvertently left off in the past 2
years Rule Books. It is now back in.

Pitching position Rule 6-1-1 Step back –
It was pointed out that umpires must be
careful and not cause an illegal pitch in
NFHS when the pitcher steps back after the
hands are together… because the pitcher
has the opportunity to step back with either
foot to remove herself from the pitching
rubber. Delay just a second to see if the
pitcher will remove the other foot before
calling illegal pitch.


Pitching position Rule 6-1-1 Signals –
Emphasis was made that even if the pitcher
is getting a signal from coach and uses a
wristband behind the rubber, the pitcher
must step on with HANDS APART then
SIMULATE TAKING A SIGNAL. Pitcher
may look to catcher, to coach, to stands, to
mom and dad, etc. in the simulation. THEN
THE HANDS COME TOGETHER.
WE
MUST CONSISTENTLY CALL THIS!
REFLECTIVE MATERIALS – We received
clarification that glitter was not allowed on
uniform, ribbons, bows, headbands. An
expansion of the language in the book was
provided - NO GLITTER IS ALLOWED ON
THE EYE BLACK.
of the player by a health care provider
trained in this specialty. If the coach certifies
the player, we are good to go in starting
another game later in the day.

CIF POINT OF EMPHASIS – COACH
HELMET -BYLAW 2502–This Bylaw is on
our website. The point is the helmet must be
a protective helmet not a souvenir type of
helmet. Other types of protective helmets
are OK unless they make a travesty of the
game in your opinion. If you are concerned,
send the Group Leaders and Assignors an
email reporting the situation.
*****************************************************
HOW DO WE HANDLE EARLY SEASON NONCOMPLIANCE?
o Remind the head coach (not the player)
that it needs to be corrected.
o If non-compliance, issue a team warning.
o If non-compliance continues, banish the
coach to the dugout for the duration of
the game.
o If non-compliance still continues, DO
NOT ALLOW THE PLAYER TO PLAY DO NOT START THE GAME with
players in non-compliance. They were
adamant about this due to safety
concerns
o Report the incident to the Group Leaders
and Assignors by email within 24 hours.

CIF POINT OF EMPHASIS – BALLS - All
balls must have the NFHS authenticating
Mark. The other coach cannot agree to play
with balls with other authorizing marks. This
is a liability issue that will fall on you as an
umpire since it is safety related.

CIF
POINT
OF
EMPHASIS
–
CONSUSSION PROTOCOLBYLAW 503 H
While some of are concerned regarding this
subject, it is our job to administer the issue
during the game being worked. After the
game document with the Group Leaders and
Assignors. The School and head coach are
responsible for any certification of evaluation
*****************************************************
WEEKLY QUIZ
Each newsletter will include a 10-15 question
true/false quiz for your enjoyment. Answers are
included in the same issue.
1. An on-deck batter may warm up in either ondeck circle.
2. The defense may appeal either during a live
or dead ball, but it must occur before the next
pitch (legal or illegal).
10. The batter is out when the bat hits the ball a
second time while the ball is on or over fair
territory.
11. When a double first base is used, a runner
may touch the colored portion of the base
when returning to first base.
12. A courtesy runner may run for another
courtesy runner.
13. The courtesy runner may run for the DP only
if the DP is batting for the pitcher or catcher.
3. The plate umpire shall announce any
substitutions to the opposing team’s head
coach immediately after the substitution has
been made.
4. B7, who was a starting player batting in the
seventh batting position and who left the
game in the third inning, may re-enter the
game in the sixth inning in the fourth batting
position.
5. The ball becomes dead immediately when a
batted ball, while on or over foul ground, first
touches the catcher’s glove or hand.
6. Prior to starting the delivery, the pitcher must
take a position with both feet on or partially
on the top surface of the pitcher's plate.
7. If the ball slips from the pitcher’s hand during
the backswing or forward motion, it is a pitch
and a ball is called on the batter unless the
batter swings at a hittable pitch.
8. A pitcher may lick her fingers and make
contact with the ball without restriction.
9. Following batter’s interference with the
catcher, each runner must return to the last
base touched at the time of the interference.
14. A courtesy runner may run for another
courtesy runner.
15. Umpire jurisdiction begins just prior to the
pregame conference with coaches and
captains.
WEEKLY QUIZ ANSWERS
1. ANS:
2. ANS:
3. ANS:
4. ANS:
5. ANS:
6. ANS:
7. ANS:
8. ANS:
9. ANS:
10. ANS:
11. ANS:
12. ANS:
13. ANS:
14. ANS:
15. ANS:
F
T
T
F
F
F
T
F
T
T
T
F
F
F
F
REF:
REF:
REF:
REF:
REF:
REF:
REF:
REF:
REF:
REF:
REF:
REF:
REF:
REF:
REF:
1-1-6; 2-5-3; 7-5-1
2-1-4a
3-3-3
3-3-5
5-1-1d(2); 2-25-2
6-1-1
6-2-6
6-2-2
7-4-4 penalty
7-4-13
8-10-3a
8-9-6
8-9-5
8-9-6
10-1-2
Softball – Sacramento
2017 Training Options
(Updated 12/1/16)
Training Options (18hr. Required by CIF/SJS)
#
All Umpires
Study Groups 4 of 6
Classification Exam
Webinar sessions 4 of 6
Hrs.
Required Credit
4
2 ea
1
1
4
1 ea
Required for New umps & optional for 200-500 Ratings
On-Field Clinic
1
5 ea
Total
Req.
Hrs
8
1
4
5
Required for New umps & optional for 200-500 Ratings
Basic Skills Boot Camp
1
3 ea
Optional Training Hours
General Meeting
Vet. Scrimmages (verified)(2 max)
On-field Clinic (if space available)
Boot Camp (if space available)
Study Guide (80% +)
Extra Study Group
GSSA Clinic
ASA/USAS National School
ASA/USAS National Fast Pitch School
NCAA Clinic (verified)(non paid)
2
2 ea
5
3
2
2
2
4
8
2
NOTE:
* Required sessions can be made up with approval of the Group Leaders
on a case-by-case basis with an agreed upon training plan.
* It is the responsibility of the umpire to submit an email request
for an alternate training plan.
2017 MEETING SCHEDULE
Date
Day Time
Session
Location
Jan 10
Tuesday 6pm
General Meeting
Jesuit High School
Jan 12
Thursday 6pm
Basic Skills Boot Camp #2
Rusch Park Gym
Jan-Feb
MTWTh 6:30pm
NCOA Study Group Sessions
see chart
Feb 2
Thursday 6pm
Basic Skills Boot Camp #3
Rusch Park Gym
Feb 10-12
Fri-Sun
USA Softball National Umpire
School
Roseville
Feb 20
Monday 8am
Field Clinic #2
TBA
Feb. 25
Saturday 8am
Field Clinic #2
Freedom Park
Mar. 5
Sunday 9am
GSSA Umpire Clinic
Veterans Memorial Center
Sunrise Receation & Park
District
Rusch Park Gym
7801 Auburn Blvd.
Citrus Heights, CA 95610
Veterans Memorial Center
203 E. 14th Street
Davis, CA 95616
Jesuit High School
1200 Jacob Lane
Carmichael, CA 95608
Vanden High School
2951 Markley Lane
Fairfield, CA 94533
Freedom Park
2802 Perrin Avenue
McClellan, CA 95652