Fairfax Adult Softball

2008

Umpire Training

FAS Umpire Training Session 1

ASA Rule 1 – DEFINITIONS

ASA Rule 2 – THE PLAYING FIELD

ASA Rule 3 – EQUIPMENT

Rule 1 – Definitions

Altered Bat– When the bat’s physical structure has been changed. Basically,

if it cannot be purchased that way, then it has been altered.

Appeal Play– A play where the umpire may not make a decision until

requested by manager, coach, or player.

Base Line– Imaginary line directly between the bases.

Base Path– Line directly between a base and the runner’s position at the

time a defensive player is attempting to tag a runner.

Batted Ball– A ball that hits the bat or is hit by the bat going either fair or foul.

Definitions

Batter’s Box– The area to which the batter is restricted when

batting (3’ x 7’).

Batter– A player who is has not left the batter’s box.

Batter-Runner– A player who has finished a turn at bat BUT has not yet been put

out or reached first base.

Blocked Ball– A batted, pitched, or thrown ball that is touched, stopped or

handled by a person not engaged in the game, OR which touches any object that is not part of the official equipment of official playing area.

DefinitionsBunt

– A ball that is intentional tapped with the bat, slowly, within the infield.

Catch/No Catch– A legally caught ball, which occurs when the fielder catches a

batted, pitched, or thrown ball with the hand(s) or glove/mitt.• The fielder shall hold the ball long enough to prove

complete control of it and/or that the release of the ball is voluntary.

• If the ball is merely held in the fielder’s arm(s) or prevent from dropping to the ground by some part of the fielder’s body, equipment, or clothing, the catch is not completed until the ball is in the grasp of the fielder’s hand(s) or glove.

• The fielder’s feet must be within the field of play, touching the “out of play” line, or in the air after leaving live ball territory in order to have a valid catch. A player who is “out of play” and returns must have both feet touching live ball territory or one foot touching and the other in the air, before the catch is legal.

It Is Not A Catch:– If a fielder, while gaining control, collides with another player, umpire or

a fence, or falls to the ground and drops the ball as a result of the collision or falling to the ground.

– If a ball strikes anything other than a defensive player while it is in flight is ruled the same as if it struck the ground.

– When a fielder catches a batted or thrown ball with anything other than the hand(s) or glove in its proper place.

Catch and Carry– A legal catch that a defensive player carries into dead ball territory.

Catcher’s Box * NOT ENFORCED BY FAS *– The area in which the catcher is restricted while catching where the

catcher must stay in the box until the ball is batted, touches the ground, plate or batter, or reaches the catcher’s box.

Definitions

Championship Play– Tournament play sponsored by ASA where the winner advances to

higher levels of play within ASA.

Charged Conference– When a team representative requests a suspension of play or delays

the game for the purpose of delivering a message to another team member.

Chopped Ball– When the batter strikes downward with a chopping motion of the bat.

Coach’s Box– The area in which the two base coaches are restricted to prior to the

release of the pitch.

Courtesy Runner– Any player who runs for a runner without a charged substitution.

Dead Ball– A ball that is not in play

Definitions

Dislodged Base– A base displaced from its proper position.

Disqualified Player– Player removed from the game for a rule violation.

Double Play– A play by the defense in which two offensive players are legally put out

as a result of continuous action.

Dugout or Team Area– An out-of-play area designed for players and team representatives.

Extra Player– An optional additional player(s). In FAS, it is referred to as Extra Hitters

and you may bat up to 14 batters in the lineup.

Ejected Player– A team representative removed from the game by the umpire, usually

for an unsportsmanlike act or conduct.

Definitions

Fair Ball– Settles or is touched on or over fair territory between home and first base or

between home and third base.– Bounds over or past first or third base, which is in fair territory, regardless of

where the ball hits after going over the base.– While on or over fair territory, touches the person, attached equipment, or

clothing of a player or umpire.– While over fair territory, a runner interferes with a defensive player attempting to

field a batted ball.– Touches first, second, or third base.– First falls or is touched on or over fair territory beyond first, second, or third base.– While over fair territory, passes out of the playing field beyond the outfield fence.– Hits the foul pole.

Fair Territory– The part of the playing field within, and including, the first and third base foul

lines from home plate to the bottom of the playing field fence and perpendicularly upwards.

Definitions

Fake Tag– A form of obstruction by a fielder who attempts to tag a runner without

the ball and thereby impedes a runner advancing or returning to a base.

Fielder– Any player of the team in the field.

Fly Ball– A batted ball, fair or foul, that rises into the air.

Force Out– An out which may be made only when a runner loses the right to the

base that the runner is occupying because the batter becomes a batter-runner, and before the batter-runner or a succeeding runner has been put out. If the forced runner, after touching the next base, retreats for any reason towards the base first occupied, the force play is reinstated and the runner may again be put out if the defense tags the runner or the base to which the runner is forced.

Definitions

Foul Ball– Settles or is touched (not caught) on or over foul territory between home and first

base or between home and third base.– Bounds or rolls past first or third base on or over foul territory.– While over foul territory, touches the person, attached or detached equipment of

clothing of a player or an umpire, or any object foreign to the natural ground.– While over foul territory, a runner interferes with a defensive player attempting to

field a batted ball.– First hits the ground over foul territory beyond first or third base.– Touches the batter or the bat in the batter’s hand(s) a second time while the

batter is within the batter’s box.– Goes directly from the bat to any part of the catcher’s body or equipment and is

caught by another fielder.– Hits the pitching plate and rolls untouched to foul territory before reaching first or

third base.

Foul Tip– A batted ball that goes sharply and directly from the bat to the catcher’s

hand(s) or glove/mitt and is legally caught by the catcher.

Definitions

Dotted Line = Ground Ball

Solid Line = Fly Ball

Home Team– The team batting second;

determined in league play by the FAS scheduled (second team listed).

Illegal Bat– One that does not meet the

requirements of an official bat or warm-up bat.

Illegally Batted BallWhen the batter hits the ball, fair or foul, and

– When, at the time the bat makes contact with the ball, the entire foot is completely outside the lines of the batter’s box and on the ground.

– When, at the time the bat makes contact with the ball, any part of the foot is touching home plate.

– An illegal, altered, or non-approved bat is used.

– When, at the time the bat makes contact with the ball, the batter’s entire foot has contacted the ground out of the batters box and returned to hit the ball while inside the box.

Definitions

Infield Fly– A fair fly ball, not including a line drive or an attempted bunt, which can

be caught by an infielder, pitcher or catcher, with ordinary effort when first and second or first, second, and third bases are occupied with less than two outs.

Inning– That portion of a game within which the teams alternate on offense and

defense and in which there are three outs for each team. ** A NEW INNING BEGINS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FINAL OUT

OF THE PREVIOUS INNING.Interference

– The act of an offensive player or team member, umpire or spectator that impedes, hinders, or confuses a defensive player attempting to execute a play (contact is not necessary).

Line Drive– A batted ball that travels parallel or near the ground through most of its

flight.

Definitions

Non-Approved Bat– A bat that does not meet the ASA specifications and is on the current non-

approved bat list.Obstruction

– The act of a defensive team member:• Who hinders or impedes a batter from striking at or hitting a pitched ball.• A fielder who impedes the progress of a runner or batter-runner who is legally running

the bases unless the fielder is: 1. In possession of the ball, or2. In the act of fielding a batted ball.

• CONTACT IS NOT NECESSARY TO IMPEDE THE PROGRESS OF THE RUNNER.

On-Deck Batter– The offensive player who is scheduled to bat next.

On-Deck Circle– The area nearest their dugout in which the next batter of the offensive team is

restricted to before the release of the pitch.Over Slide

– The act of an offensive player when, as a runner, slides beyond or loses contact with a base the player is attempting to reach.

Definitions

Overthrow– Occurs when a thrown ball from a fielder goes:

• Beyond the boundary lines of the playing field (dead ball territory), or• Becomes a blocked ball.

Play Ball– The term used by the plate umpire to indicated that play shall start.

Protest– A formal request into the decision of an umpire’s rule interpretation.

Quick Pitch– A pitch made by the pitcher with the obvious attempt to catch the batter off

balance.Runner

– An offensive player who has reached first base and has not yet been put out.

Starting Player– A player listed on the initial lineup.

Stealing – NOT USED FOR ANY FAS PLAY.

Definitions

Strike Zone– When a batter assumes a natural batting stance adjacent to home plate,

the strike zone is that space over any part of home plate between the batter’s BACK SHOULDER AND FRONT KNEE.

Substitute– Any member of a team’s roster who is not listed as a starting player, or a

stating player who re-enters the game.Tag

– A legal tag is the act of a defensive player in:• Touching a base with any part of the body while holding the ball securely and

firmly in the hand or glove, or• Touching the runner or batter-runner with the ball while securely held in the

hand or glove.

Time– The term used by the umpire to order the suspension of play.

Turn at Bat– Begins when a player first enters the batter’s box and continues until the

player is substituted for, put out, or becomes a batter-runner while at bat.

Definitions

The playing field is the area within which the ball may be legally played and fielded.– If the base distances or the pitching distance is found to be at the wrong

dimension during the course of the game, correct the error, with no penalty, and continue playing the game. Every effort should be made by the umpires to obtain the correct dimensions.

Ground or special rules establishing the limits of the playing field may apply at certain fields.– The umpire shall be the authority for and shall define additional ground

rules prior to any play. – No protests will be allowed on any such temporary ground rules.

At Eakin Field #2: The 1st base bench area ends as the fence defines and encloses it.

Rule 2 – The Playing Field

Rule 3 – Equipment• All bats used in FAS play must:

1. Bear one of these two certification marks and NOT belisted on the ASA banned bat list,

2. Be included on the ASA list of approved batmodels and may include girls fastpitch, or

3. In the sole opinion and discretion of the umpire, havebeen manufactured prior to 2000 and, if tested, wouldcomply with the ASA bat performance standards.

• Must be marked “OFFICIAL SOFTBALL” by the manufacturer.• Shall not be more than 34 inches long, nor exceed 38 ounces in weight.• Shall NOT be more than 2.25 inches in diameter at its largest part.• Shall be round within 0.05 inches in diameter.• Must have a bat handle that is round or oblong and NOT angular.• Shall be smooth, free of burrs, visible cracks, and shall NOT have rivets,

pins, rough or sharp edges, or any form of exterior fastener.• Shall have a barrel end CAPPED and firmly secured and permanently

affixed so that it can not be removed by anyone other than the manufacturer without damaging or destroying the end cap.

Safety Grip– May be cork, tap (NO smooth plastic tape) or composition material.– Minimum 10 inches long and maximum 15 inches long from the

small knob end of the bat.– May be the molded finger grip if PERMANENTLY attached to the

bat.– Resin, pine tar, and spray substances are allowed on the grip ONLY

and not any other part of the bat.– Tape may not exceed two layers of tape.– A bat having a flare or cone grip attached will be considered an

ALTERERD BAT.– All bats MUST have a safety knob or circular or oblong cross

section concentric to the bat handle at least 0.5 inches greater than the bat handle diameter and the center of the knob shall be perpendicular to the center line of the bat.

– Knob may be painted.

Construction– Shall be of one-piece or a multi-piece permanently assembled bat.– NO 2-piece bats or bats not sold as a single product.

Bats

FAS Bat Rule Changes• FAS Rule 127. BATS. The safety of the players

participating in our program is an extreme priority for the FAS Board of Directors. FAS and ASA have taken measures they believe will help alleviate use of illegal equipment and, to that end, FAS has approved the following rules:

– ASA mandates a bat barrel shall be free of audible rattles when shaken and that a bat barrel shall not have signs of excessive wear. Bats with these faults shall be deemed illegal.

– The entire knob of a bat may not contain any tape, and if so, shall be considered altered and applicable penalties enforced.

– If, at any time, an umpire has reasonable suspicion, based on appearance, physical characteristics, or performance, that a bat may be illegal, the umpire shall immediately remove the bat from play without further penalty.

• Use of altered, doctored, loaded, banned, ornon-approved bats is NOT permitted in anyFAS play and is subject to penalties deemed bythe 2nd Vice President-Rules.

• Any player entering the batter’s boxwith an illegal bat shall be called out.

• The player using the illegal bat shall be ejectedfrom the game AND can not be substituted for.

• EACH time the vacated spot occurs in the battingorder, it shall result in an out.

• If use of the bat is noticed after a fair hit pitch and before the next pitch to the succeeding batter, in addition to above penalties:– The batter is called out,– The bat is removed from the game,– Any runners called out prior to discovering this infraction remain out,

and– Each runner who advanced as a result of the play must return to base

legally held at time of the pitch.

Bat Penalties

Warm-Up Bats• Must be stamped with ¼ inch letters:

WB on either end of the bat or in one-inch letters the words WARM-UP BAT only the barrel end of the bat.

• Must be listed on the list published by the ASA.

Warm-Up Attachments• Warm-up attachments must meet all

of the requirements of Rule 3,Section 2

– Pow’R Wrap– Swingsock

Illegal Warm-Up Equipment• Slip on Donuts• Bat filled with concrete• Sledgehammer

• These 2 Are Illegal →

Warm Up Equipment

For EVERY game, EVERY umpire will properly check ALL batsfor each team before their first at bat, period.

A proper bat check involves the following:

• Physically touching all bats• Listening for audible rattles when shaken• Identify any illegal bats

• Refer to ASA bat listing, if needed• Read complete model number

• Feel shell and use bat ring, if neededto check for smoothness

• Look for flaking and paint chips

** There is no excuse for not checking bats! **

Bat Checks

• Only softballs which bear original manufacturer’s markssignifying compliance with the COR and Compressionlimitations are allowed.

Men’s softballs: 12-inch, .440 max COR, 375 lbs. compressionWomen’s softballs: 11-inch, .440 max COR, 375 lbs. compression

• Each team shall supply and hit their own legal softballs.• For women’s league, the home team supplies a new game

ball and the visiting team supplies a good used backup ball.• The team at bat shall provide all further balls for use as

necessary for the completion of the game.• Approved softballs for FAS will be approved by ASA and stamped by ASA,

ISA, NSA, SSAA, or USSSA.• If an unapproved softball was used and discovered after the

hit and before the next pitch, the defensive team may accept the result of play or require the batter to hit again with sameball-strike count as before hit.

Softballs

• A glove or mitt may be worn by any player provided the dimensions do not exceed that specified by ASA.

• The pitcher’s glove may be of one solid color or multicolored as long as the color(s) are not the color of the ball being used in the game.

• Shoes must be worn by all players.

• Shoes with round metal spikes are illegal.

• No shoes with detachable cleats that screw ON are allowed; however, shows with detachable cleats that screw INTO the shoe are allowed.

• A person found wearing metal cleats will be requested by the umpire to remove the illegal shoes and will be permitted to continue to play once approved footwear is worn. A player refusing or unable to change illegal footwear will be disqualified from the game in progress.

LEGAL ILLEGAL

Gloves and Shoes

Catcher’s Equipment– Masks, guards, and helmets

are permitted, not much in FAS play.

Casts/Prostheses– All casts and splints MUST be

padded. Braces with exposed hard surfaces must be padded.

– Equipment judged to be potentially dangerous is illegal. (Does it change the nature of the game or pose a safety risk to other players?)

Uniforms– There is no uniform requirements

in any FAS play.Players, however, must wear a shirt (no sports bras for women), and shorts/pants.

– Hats may be worn and can be worn backwards.

Jewelry– Exposed jewelry judged to be

dangerous must be removed. – NO watches, hoop earrings,

necklaces, large rings.– Medical alert bracelets/necklaces

are NOT considered jewelry, but must be taped to the body.

IMPORTANT: The characteristics of any approved equipment may not be changed. Examples would be icing, cooling, or heating equipment. This is ILLEGAL and can not be USED.

Other Equipment

Available at:http://www.officialgear.com

Hat

Powder Blue Shirt

Navy Shorts or Pants With Black Belt

Ball Bag with: Brush Indicator Bat Ring Coin

Black Shoes w/ White Socks (black or navy socks with pants)

Umpire Equipment