The plate umpire may correct a wrong ball/strike count as long as the batter has not completed her turn at bat. There are other situations for which the count may or may not be changed. The NCAA 2022 and 2023 Softball Case Book has rulings for some of these. Batter is still up Play: The batter has a 3-1
Giving the Count
One of the most important jobs for softball umpires is game management. And one of the most overlooked aspects of game management is giving the count. Regardless of the level you work, giving the count is part of your repertoire. While some levels require giving the count more than others, when and how you give the count can save
Community Colleges exceptions to NCAA Rule Book
The California Community College Athletics Association has approved the following exceptions to the NCAA rules. Barrel Compression Testing (BCT) NCAA – BCT required for all games (5.2) Community College – this rule is waived for 2022. Softballs provided for games NCAA – host team shall provide a minimum of 12 game softballs of the same specifications and manufacturer (3.2.2) Community
Ejections – Administrative and Behavioral
Umpires are empowered to remove a player and/or other team personnel from further participation in a game for rule violations, unsporting acts, or behavioral or verbal misconduct. This is one of the tools in an umpire’s bag of tools, but it should never be taken lightly. It should be used only after all efforts have been made to keep the
Notes from the Training Staff – January 2022
CCSUA Meeting On Sunday, January 16, 2022, CCSUA conducted its annual CCSUA Assigners and Training Staff meeting. This meeting has been held for many years in January to prepare our CCSUA umpires for the upcoming season. This year’s meeting was attended by 165 CCSUA umpires, as well a couple of college coaches and visitors from northern California who are considering
Detailed Analysis of the 2022-2023 Rule Book
Contents (page 3) New: Significant Editorial Changes and Appendix G Video Review Appendixes should be spelled Appendices (plural Appendixes is for anatomical meaning) Combined previous Appendix C and D into new Appendix C: Barrel Compression Testing Major Rule Changes 17 listed; 9 listed in 2020-21 Significant Editorial Changes 8 listed; did not have any listed in 2020-21. See page 7
Downloadable PDF – CCSUA 2022 Qualification Test
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Notes from the Training Staff – December 2021
From our Chairperson Rich Kollen, your assigners, and the CCSUA Training Staff: We wish our umpires and their families a wonderful Holiday Season. It has been a rough two years with COVID, but we seem to be back on track starting in late January with college softball. Let us not forget Roger Denny and Vince Rojas, who passed away this
Summary of Major Rule Changes 2022-2023
Overall contents • Major Rule Changes – 17 listed (2020-21 had 9) • Significant Editorial Changes -8 listed (2020-21 had none) • Inserted new Appendix G for Video Review • No changes in rules 1, 4, 7, or 14. Major Rule Changes BCT before every game • Umpires reconcile total number of stickered bats with number of bats indicated on
Between Innings Management
Game Management Umpires must be aware that when a half-inning ends, it is not time to “take a break.” There is a lot happening on the field between innings. If the crew needs to hold a quick meeting for something germane to the game that must be discussed, this meeting must be quick and the crew should still be watching
Notes from the Training Staff – November 2021
Rule changes 2022 There are some significant rule changes incorporated into the 2022-2023 NCAA Softball Rules Book. Subsequent changes and/or clarifications to these rule changes are usually posted before the season. For this reason, the articles on the Locker Room which are affected by these new rules will be updated closer to the beginning of the season. John Bennett is
Conference Tracking Template
One of the new rules introduced for the 2022-2023 season limits the number of times each team can hold charged player-to-player conferences per regulation game and per inning. In addition, the rules regarding charged conferences have been changed – all games will now follow the previous media format rules. These changes make it even more imperative that we keep a
Notes from the Training Staff – October 2021
Now is the time to start reviewing the Rules Book, including the new rule changes for the 2021/2022 Season. Currently, there are three study groups formed in the Southern California area and one study group in Central California, with the possibility of a fourth study group being formed in Southern California. Study groups traditionally meet one night a week (in-person,
Notes from the Training Staff – September 2021
From the Assigners The NCAA has announced a new college softball uniform for the 2022 season. For those of you registered in the NCAA Central Hub, you have seen their announcement. There are 2 options for the 2022 season because the manufacturer (Smitty) states the uniforms will not be available until late 2021 and early 2022. • Option #1 Conferences
Zoned Out – Techniques for Rough Days Behind the Plate
Every umpire has had a rough game behind the plate. We have all had moments, or games, where we are struggling to decipher the balls and strikes. It happens at all levels and to veterans and rookies alike. External factors – bad pitching, catchers who shift late, etc. – may be a factor, but often our problems are our own
No Right or Wrong Call?
As college softball umpires, we study the rule book, case book and other resources in the hopes of getting all of our rule decisions correct. We do not just read the rule book; we study the rules, learn complex situations, review video, and get feedback from our fellow umpires. All that work does not ensure perfection. Nor does it
Notes from the Training Staff – July 2021
From the Training Staff The first NCAA Approved Softball Bat List for the upcoming 2021-22 academic year has been posted. It is dated July 12, 2021. You can find a link to it on the Links page of the Locker Room, on the NCAA Softball Home Plate at www.sup.arbitersports.com, and on NCAA Softball Rules of the Game website. From the
Rules Related to Ejections
This article discusses only the rules related to ejections. There are articles in the other Corners which cover the how to deal with ejections: Mechanics – The Mechanics for Ejections Game Management – Handling Ejections Protocols Corner – The Protocols for Ejections ADMINSTRATION INFORMATION Types of ejections There are two categories of ejections in college softball: • An administrative ejection
Notes from the Training Staff – June 2021
From our CCSUA Assignors For the upcoming 2021/22 fall & spring softball seasons, we may see many conferences adopting the policy that only vaccinated officials can be on the roster for the upcoming season(s). Both the CCAA/D2 and the Pac-12 have already adopted this policy. Proof of completion of COVID vaccinations will be required. We expect other NCAA conferences to
Illegal Player Rules
Criteria For college softball, the definition of an illegal player is a player who competes in the game in a way in which they are not entitled to play: • Player who is not listed on the lineup card/roster. • Starter who has entered or reenter the game to which she is not entitled. • Nonstarter who has entered the
3 Crew Mechanics Quick Checklist
Thanks to Dan Cowan for this article. Its intent to help umpires who bounce back and forth between 2 Crew games and 3 crew games. Plate Umpire • Checked swing Request help from the open umpire. • Fly ball coverage area All fly balls when no base umpire covers. Left fielder to left field dead ball line when rotated. Right
Community College Incident Report
Select the link below. It will give you the option to download the report form to your computer. See the instructions on the form for completing the report and sending it to the appropriate people. Community College Incident Report 2022 blank
Notes from the Training Staff – May 2021
Schedule updates Community College play continues through June 9th. Accolades The GSAC Championship Tournament was held recently. Congratulations to Kent Jacobsen & Darren Deckard for their selection. The Commissioner & coaches were pleased with their professionalism. The SCIAC Championship Tournament will be held May 7-8-9 weekend: Crew: Leighton Hickman (crew chief), Tim Kohut, Danny Winders, Arturo Quinonez ORANGE EMPIRE CONFERENCE
Preventive Umpiring versus Coaching
Parts of this article are taken from excerpts from Referee.com, 4/30/2021 Once in a while umpires will get into a debate about what should and should not be brought to the attention of coaches when it comes to certain situations whereby there may be a nuance between preventive umpiring in a situation which may be helping a team who could
Notes from the Training Staff – April 2021
The 2021 softball season is in full swing. Community College games have started, NAIA as been playing for a while, and all three NCAA Divisions are well into their Conference games. New articles CCSUA/Play ball: SCIAC COVID Policies & Testing CCSUA/Play ball: Community College Covid Testing Protocols Updated articles and links Protocols Corner/Responsibilities: The Protocols for Ejections. A new link
Community College Covid Testing Protocols
The following protocols have been sent to the assigners. We will update this document when we receive protocols from other schools or conferences. CCSUA recommends that you look for a free test site. Regardless of any school’s information, the CCSUA assigners have stated that masks are mandatory for umpires. If you have had your vaccines, it does not preclude you
SCIAC COVID Policies & Testing
Health and Safety is a core value of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) and the well-being of our student-athletes and athletics department personnel including officials is a top priority. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all officials working SCIAC contests will be required to daily symptom check themselves and should expect to have their temperature taken prior to entering
Notes from the Training Staff – March 2021
From the Assignors UPDATES TO ASSIGNMENTS The community college conferences will be up and running, but not all the colleges will participate. Here are a few updates: Scheduling and games Coast Conference – Terry Ching Still awaiting information at this writing. Western State Conference – Joanne Venditto/Tony Cooper Teams playing are Moorpark – Oxnard – Ventura – Cuesta – Bakersfield
Topic and Focus Pre-games
Crew chiefs should consider starting the pre-game with their partners a few days before your game. Use the Rule Book, the CCA Manual and this article as your sources for material. Choose one of the pre-games below. Send an email to your crew and divide up the topics, with each member of the crew taking one or two items and
Connecting with Coaches
Are you on their list? What does it take improve our relationships with coaches? Are you on the list when the coaches tell the assigner which umpires they would like to see umpiring their games? Let us admit it – there are some officials who gel with some coaches and, statistically, the ones who get along get further ahead. What’s
CCSUA assignments Covid Site Procedures
For CCSUA Assignments (NCAA and NAIA conferences have their own regulations) MASKS • Masks shall always be worn properly with both the nose & mouth completely covered; such, that neither nostril, nor the tip of the nose is visible. • Color: No designs. White, blue, black preferred. Avoid bringing your hands to your face & avoid adjusting the mask unless
Notes from the Training Staff – February 2021
From the training staff NCAA – Rule changes, revised rules, clarifications and interpretations for 2021 Most of these were presented during the CCSUA Annual Meeting (Zoom meeting). Uniforms (3.10.3) 3.10.3. Commemorative/memorial patches allowed if authorized by institution or conference (e.g. names, mascots, nicknames, logos, and those intended to celebrate or memorialize persons, events or causes). See Locker Room (LR) article
Player substitution rules
Reporting substitutions Player substitutions Any player may be substituted for at any time when the ball is dead. Any coach may notify the umpire of a substitution; it must be a coach, not a player. Substitutes are considered officially in the game when all of the following is completed: • Reported and accepted by the plate umpire by his/her recording
Video Review
Video review was successfully experimented with during the 2019 and 2021 softball seasons. NCAA will now allow video review for all games; it is not mandatory. This is one of the major rule changes for 2022-2023. Rule 5.9.9 and Appendix G have the details for this new rule. This article is a summary of the key components of video review.
What You Do Not Say to Coaches
In today’s situation with social media and other venues, anything and everything an umpire says may be heard, whether on the field or off the field. Never make any off-handed comments about a person that may be construed to affect an individual’s reputation. This becomes even more important when umpires are on the field. Umpires may use many different words
2021 CCA Manual Major Changes
Overview The 2021 CCA Manual has undergone some major changes from the 2020 manual. This article will cover most of the changes, but you are strongly encouraged to read the Manual in detail, especially the all-new sections. The 2021 CCSUA Annual Meeting – Mechanics Presentation is also available to view. You can locate it by selecting the Training Information button
Slap-Hitters – Think Outside The Box
Softball has a unique “play” that is not part of the baseball world – slap hitters. With first base only 60 feet away from home plate in softball compared to 90 in baseball, the left-handed slap hit is a major offensive tool used in softball. The slap hit has placed great scrutiny on the batter’s feet in relationship to the
Sample EMAIL to Coach 2022
View / Download PDF SAMPLE EMAIL FOR YOU TO UPDATE & SEND TO EVENT STAFF/A.DIRECTOR/COACHES DELETE ALL THIS BEFORE YOU SEND Bold highlighted areas need to be REPLACED for each game/series. Use single or DH BUT ERASE THE ONE YOU DON’T USE Email Subject Line: (School Name) Softball Game/Series on (Date/Dates) Event Manager/Coach, (USE THIS FOR SERIES/DOUBLE HEADER) This is
Zoom 101 – Basics
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GSAC Covid-19 Protocols for Game Officials – 2021 season
Arizona Christian University • Masks are required once on campus and in all common areas in the athletic facilities when not engaged in athletic activities. • Once arrived, officials will need to check in with the designated Arizona Christian University game administrator for temperature screening and NAIA COVID-19 Questionnaire before entering official’s room. • All screening results will be recorded
Notes from the Training Staff – January 2021
Reminder – the annual CCSUA/Assignors meeting will be held on January 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. You must register for this meeting. You have been sent emails with the link to register and the link to this on-line Zoom meeting. You can also find these links in an article posted to the Locker Room – CCSUA/Assignors annual meeting
CCSUA/Assignors annual meeting 2021
The CCSUA/Assignors annual meeting will be held on January 24, 2021, from 9am to 1pm. This will be an on-line Zoom meeting. You must register in advance for this meeting PLEASE before Thursday, January 21st: Here is the link to register: https://cccconfer.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIrcuyqrjwiGNT_Xdty8kM1AmDxj3EpzWpQ Please register immediately. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Here
Download CCSUA Qualification 2021 test
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The Wedge
Optimal Positioning for Tag Plays The evolution of the mechanics for calling plays at home plate has been fascinating to observe. Plate umpires can make decisions on 250 to 300 pitches in a game, but one call at the plate might decide the outcome of the game. For many decades, umpires approached plays at the plate using the first-base line
Notes from the Training Staff – December 2020
A new NCAA Approved Softball Bat List (December 14, 2020) and Summary of Changes (December 14, 2020) have been posted. The link to the current bat list on our Locker Room Links page has been updated. You can access this new bat list by going to the Locker Room (select the Links button on the Dashboard page) or by using
Notes from the Training Staff – November 2020
From the training staff The CCSUA training staff welcomes questions on rules, mechanics, game management and protocols…basically anything related to college softball umpiring. We use these questions as teaching moments. To accomplish this, we need the communications to be sent in emails – much easier to copy/paste the questions and have a record of the answers. Send your questions to
College Appeal Plays
An appeal play is a play or rule violation on which the umpire responsible for the play does not make a ruling until requested by a coach or player. Let’s get this notion out of the way now…despite how some coaches will ask for you to “appeal your call” to another umpire, that is not an appeal – it is
Appeal Plays Advanced Topics
The basics for appeal plays are covered in this companion article – College Appeal Plays. It would be wise to read that article before reading this one. PROPER APPEAL PROCEDURE TO AVOID CONFUSION The two runners on base both appear to have left their bases before the batted ball was first touched by the outfielder who catches the fly ball.
Batter Hit by Pitch
A batter is awarded first base when a pitch, neither swung at nor called a strike, is entirely within the batter’s box and it contacts the batter or her clothing. No attempt to avoid the pitch is required. It does not matter if the ball hits the ground before hitting the batter; it is still ruled a hit-by-pitch. A batter
Batter Actions
On-deck Batter The college rule, unlike other codes, does not require a player to be occupying the on-deck circle. If it is occupied, it is restricted to the next batter only in the circle nearest her dugout. Warmup swings may be taken with not more than two bats: • One or two official softball bats or • One approved warmup
Interference by On-Deck batter, Batter and Retired batter
Note: The batter-runner interference article is in the Runners/Batter-Runner section of this Rules Corner. Also read these articles for more batter regulations – Batter/Bat Hitting the Ball a Second Time and Batted ball hits batter. On-Deck Batter An on-deck batter can be the interference perpetrator in a number of ways. The on-deck circles are much like the coaches’ boxes –
Notes from the Training Staff – October 2020
From Referee Magazine Barry Mano You all receive Referee Magazine every month as part of your CCSUA/NASO membership. Are you using this resource? In each issue Barry Mano, founder of NASO and Referee Magazine publisher, has a column Publisher’s Memo. This is always good reading. In the current issue (November 2020), Barry discusses the impact the pandemic has taken on
Covering fly balls
Properly covering fly balls is an important part of a base umpire’s responsibilities. The decision to cover the fly ball and the proper mechanics can be very different depending on whether the crew is working the 2-umpire or the 3-umpire system. Because of this, the articles for covering fly balls are posted in this Mechanics Corner in the appropriate sub-categories:
Notes from the Training Staff – September 2020
From our Chairperson, Rich Kollen: Our world sure has changed since March due to COVID-19. It has affected sports at all levels. We lost the 2020 collegiate softball season as well as all summer tournaments and games. Opportunities for student athletes to be evaluated by college coaches for scholarships were lost. As I write this, we are still in limbo,
Infield Fly and Intentional Drop Rules
The infield fly rule is not often invoked during a game. The intentional drop call is even more rare. There are many considerations for both of these, and they can become controversial when they are called. Infield Fly The infield fly rule is in effect only when there are fewer than two outs with either runners on 1b and 2b,
Left-handed catchers
From Referee Magazine, September 2020 Most softball catchers are right-handed, but it sometimes seems left-handed catchers are more frequent than in the past. The strike zone does not change, but a few tips on the mechanics of working behind a left-handed catcher is helpful. Watch warmup pitches Umpires should do this for each half-inning of the first inning regardless of
Notes from the Training Staff – August 2020
There have been many changes and updates to the CCSUA Locker Room since our last posting of the Notes from the Training Staff – July. Thanks to the members of the Training Staff who have helped with a complete review of the articles and videos on the Locker Room – Dan Cowan, Mark Craver, Lyle Dove, Tony Garcia, Bob McElroy,
Obstruction Call Mechanics
Preparing for the obstruction call Obstruction is one of the toughest calls to make during a game. The entire crew must prepare for this by including it as a topic during all umpire pre-games and as part of their pre-pitch preparation, especially with runners on base. On every play, especially tag plays, be watching for obstruction during all phases of
Discontinuing a pitch/Stepping off pitcher’s plate
The rules The change in pitching rule 10.2.1.2 for the 2020-2021 Rule Book (stride foot not being able to step back once it is initially set) has ramifications for rule 10.11 – Discontinuing a Pitch/Stepping off the Pitcher’s Plate. The wording in the current rules make it technically impossible to properly discontinue a pitch. (Note: all references in this article
Mechanics for Illegal Pitch Calls
Responsibilities Calling illegal pitches is an important duty for both the plate and base umpires. In previous years, it was mostly the responsibility of the plate umpire to call illegal pitches for violations involving the pitcher’s preliminary procedures, and the base umpires to call any violations during the step/stride and delivery. The old saying – plate umpire has the hands;
Illegal pitch – Rules and Options
Calling an illegal pitch is the responsibility of every umpire on the field. It requires a good knowledge of the rules governing this violation, using the correct mechanics, and administering the ruling which may involve explaining the options for the violation. The articles for correct mechanics and administering the rule can be found in the Mechanics and Game Management sections
Runner Interference
Because of the complexity of the interference rule and also due to the usually highly intensive argument that the interference call elicits, the Locker Room has multiple articles covering the different types of interference. This article will focus on interference by an active runner (excluding the batter-runner). The other articles which cover interference, all of which are in this same
Interference by Retired Runner
Because of the complexity of the interference rule and also due to the usually highly intensive argument that the interference elicits, the Locker Room has multiple articles covering the different types of interference. This article will discuss retired runner interference. Interference by a retired runner does not happen often but when it does the effect is serious – the runner
Offensive Team Personnel/Equipment Interference
Offensive Team Personnel Interference This article is the second one which discusses uncommon interference, the first of which is Interference by Retired Runner. Another type of uncommon interference is perpetrated by offensive team personnel. Who, exactly, are included as offensive team personnel for this rule? We have covered two examples above – a retired runner and a runner who has
Managing Trick Plays
Deception is part of every sport and softball is no different in that regard. Clever coaches constantly think of ways to fool opponents and it sometimes takes a few years for rules makers to shut it down. We need to be ready for these plays and judge whether they violate a rule or not. If they do not violate any
Notes from the Training Staff – July 2020
From the Assignors If you have seen that you are not getting Arbiter mass emails from Assignors, you need to change a setting in your Arbiter within the Group you are in. So, if you belong to multiple Arbiter Sports Groups, you need to go into each one and fix the ALERT SETTINGS. Click on PROFILE…Click on PREFERENCES…. Look at
The College Strike Zone
Still the same and still a Focus Item The college softball strike zone has not changed for a long time; it is still the zone explicitly described in rule 11.3.1 and in the diagrams on pages 110 and 111 in the NCAA rule book. For the last few years, the strike zone has remained an “In Focus” item in the
Managing Arguments Effectively
This article includes excerpts from Referee publication No Argument. One of the biggest factors which separate the top college umpires is their ability to manage a game. College coaches, in general, have a more active role in the game because, for most of them, this is their livelihood, their job/career. Their longevity in that job can depend on the success