plate mechanics

8/10/2019 Plate Mechanics

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UMPIRE

MANUAL

CHAPTER4

PLATEMECHANICS

Plate mechanics begin with callingballs andstrikes and endwith anyrequired move-

ment by the umpire to complete other duties. This includes the elements of the stance,

the set position, the pitch, and m ovemen t from the plate whe n required.

A plate umpire who keeps these elements in perspective has a better chance of hav-

ing a solid gam e behind the plate. These elements are similar in both Slow P itch and

Fast

Pitch. Attention o detail in these areas will make you a better plate umpire.

Let s

examinethese elements one by one.

A CALLING THE PITCH IN

S OW

PITCH

Stance

The

stance

is the

foundation

of

good plate mechanics.

The

elements

of a good stance are as follows:

First,

the

umpire must

set

their feet w ith

the

heel

of the

foot closest

to the

batterin astraight linewith the toe of thefoot closest to thecatcher. Dothis

by

setting you r foot behind the catcher first and sq uaring your shoulders

to the plate. Then bring in you r foot behind the b atter so

your

feet are in

a

heel

toe

alignment. Both feet should

be

turned slightly outwa rd

so your

knees areover

your

toes. On a right handed ba tter set your right

foot first,

then your left foot.

O n a

left handed

batter, se t

your

left

foot

first, then

your

right foot.This will provide the sam e stance on both a

left

handed batter

and

a

right handed batter. Your feet should

be at

least shoulder width apart

orwider, if comfortable, keeping in mind

that

you will have to move

when

needed.

Second, make sure

you are not too

close

or too far

from

the

catcher.

Re -

member this rule

of

thumb;

you

must

see the

complete plate

and

then

the

ball

from the pitcher s hand to the catcher s glove or the ground as it passes

through

or out of the

strike zo ne.

Third, rotating your head

and

eyes toward

the

pitcher will assist

you in

see-

ing theballfrom thepitcher s hand to thecatcher s gloveor theground.

Fourth, be sure to bend at the knees, not at the waist. This allows your back

to

be asstraight as

possible

with aslight tiltforward tobring your head into

the

proper position. This

will

reduce

the

pressure

on

your lower back

and

the top of yo ur legs.

Remember in Slow Pitch o r F ast Pitch the stance is the sam e with only a

slight difference in the height of the set position.


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UMP R MANUAL

Set Position The plate umpire assumes the set

position to call balls and strikes. To be in a good

set

position

the plate umpire should follow these

guidelines:

The

umpire must start

in the

slot.

Th e

slot

is

defined

as the

position

the

umpire assum es prior

togoing

set in

which they

are

behind

the

catcher,

slightly insidethe

inside

cornerof theplateand

outside the perimeter of the strike zone.

You

musthave GoodPelvic

Alignment,

referred to as GPA. This position is achieved when

theumpirehastheir pelvis

aligned

withtheoutside

front corner of the plate. This allows you to look

down and through the strike zone.

Inboth

Slow

Pitch andFastPitch, set no

lower than the top of the strike zone in relationship to the batter. Your body

shouldbe lockedin astationary positionto see the ball released fromthe

pitcher's hand and travel all the way to the catcher's glove

o r

the ground.

Your

hands should be placed in a comfortable position in front of your body.

Go set at thestartof the

pitch.

InSlowPitch thisis whenthepitcher makes

any motion with the ball after the required stop. Each pitcher is different and

thetime you go set can varyaccordingly.

The Pitch Calling the pitch is where a plate umpire puts the stance and set

position to work. To call the pitch, the plate umpire should follow these guide-

lines:

Tostart thegameor any time aftertheumpire haspreventedapitch from

being delivered, the umpire should direct the pitcher to play ball. When

holding up play, simply hold up the hand opposite the batter with your palm

facing the pitcher. When you are ready for the pitch, point at the pitcher and

say play or play ball. At this point, it is imperative that the umpire pick up

theball with theireyeswhile the ball is in the pitcher s hand.

The umpire then tracks the ball from the pitcher's hand to the catcher's

glove

or to the

ground. Tracking

the

ball

is the act of

watching

the

ball from

the pitcher's hand into the catcher's glove using a slight movement of the

head guided by the nose. Tracking is not an exaggerated head movement

or

just an eye movement. It is a movement of the nose which simultane-

ously brings the head with the pitch as the eyes are locked on the ball.

Goodtiming is crucial whencalling the pitch. Afterthe

ball

is in the glove or

hits the ground in slow pitch, make sure you pause, and then call the pitch

The verbal call should always be made in the down position and the strike

signal in the up position.

From

the down

position,

th e

strike call should

be

elongated

a nd

made

briskly and loudly. The umpire should then rise to an upright position without

UMPIRE MANUAL

moving their feet and bring the right arm up to a 90 degree angle so the

elbow

can be

seenwith

the

umpire s

peripheral

vision.

The fist

should

be

closed with

the

palm facing

the

umpire's ear.

A

strong hammer adds cer-

tainty to yourcall.Any swinging strike should be a signal only.

In Slow Pitch on a called third strike, a 90 degree hammer is used with a

louder verbal call. For further emphasis, verbalize the word s

strike

three.

Ball calls should

be

short

an d

crisp

an d

made

in the

down position.

Use

volume

to

indicate closeness

of the

pitch.

In Slow

Pitch with stealing

and the

ball hits

in

front

of the

plate, hits

the

plate, or hits the batter the proper mechanic is a dead ball signal followed

by

a verbal ball or if swung at a strike signal.

There are times when the count should be given by the plate umpire.

Signaling the count is done by raising both arms above the head indicating

ballswithconsecutive fingers

on the left

hand

and strikes

with

consecutive

fingers on the right hand. Give both the number of balls and strikes every

time the count is given. R otate your hands, not your body, so everyone can

see the count.

After each pitch step out, relax, reset and restart the process. This allows

the

umpire

the

time

to

refocus

and reset for the

next

pitch.

B CALLING THE PITCH INFASTPITCH

Stance The stance is the foundation of good plate mechanics. The elements

of

a good stance are as follows:

First,

the

umpire must

se t

their feetwith

the

heel

of the

foot closest

to the

batter in a straight line with the toe of the foot closest to the catcher. Do this

by settingyour footbehindthe

catcher

first andsquaringyourshoulders

to

the

plate. Then bring

in

your foot behind

the

batter

so

your feet

are in

a

heel

toe

alignment. Both feet should

be

turned

slightly

outward

so

your

knees are over your toes. O n a right handed batter set your right foot first,

then your left foot. On a

left

handed batter, set your left foot first, then your

right foot.This willprovide

the

same stance

on

both

a

left handed batter

and a right handed batter. Yourfeet should be at least shoulder width apart

or

wider,

if

comfortable, keeping

in

mind that

you

willhave

to

move when

needed.

Second, make sure you are not too close or too far from the catcher. Re-

member this rule of thumb; you must see the complete plate and then the

ballfromthepitcher's handto thecatcher's gloveor thegroundas itpasses

throughor out of the strikezone

Third, rotating your head

and

eyes toward

the

pitcher will assist

you in

see-

ing the ball from the pitcher's hand to the catcher's glove or the ground

Fourth, be sure to bend at the knees, not at the waist. This allows your back

to be as straight as possible with a slight tilt forward to bring your head into

the

proper position. Thiswillreduce

the

pressure

on

your lower back

a nd

the top of your legs.

Remember

in

SlowPitch

or

FastPitch

the

stance

is the

samewith only

a

slight difference in the height of the set position.


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UMPIRE MANUAL

Set P osition The plate umpire assumes the set position to callballs and

strikes. To be in a good set position the plate umpire should follow these

guidelines:

The umpire must start in

the slot. The slot is defined

as

the position the umpire

assumes prior

to

going

s et

in which they are behind the

catcher, slightly inside the

inside

corner

of theplateand

outside the perimeter of the

strike zone.

You must have Good

Pelvic Alignment, referred

to as GPA. This position

is

achieved wh en the umpire

has their pelvis aligned

with the outside front corner of the plate.This allows you to look down and

through the str ike zone.

In both slow pitch and fast pitch, set no lower than the top of the strike zone

in relationship to the batter. Yourbody should be locked in a stationary

position to see the ball released from the pitcher's hand and travel all the

way

to the catcher's glove or the ground. Your hands should be placed in a

comfortable position in front of your body.

Go set at the start of the pitch. In Fast Pitch this is when one hand is taken

off the ball after the hands have been placed together. Each pitcher is differ-

ent and the time you go set can vary accordingly.

The Pitch Calling the pitch is where a plate umpire puts thestance an ds et

position towork .To call the pitch, theplate umpire should follow

these

guid

lines:

To start the game or any time after the umpire has prevented a pitch from

being delivered, the umpire should direct the pitcher to play ball. When

holding up play, simply hold up the hand opposite the batter with your palm

facing the pitcher. When you are ready for the pitch, point at the pitcher and

say

play or play ball. At this point,it isimperative tha ttheumpire pickup

the ballwith their eyes while the ball is in the pitcher's hand.

Th e

umpire then tracks

the

ball from

th e

pitcher's hand

to the

catcher's

glove or to the ground. Tracking the ball is the act of watching the ball from

the pitcher's hand into the catcher's glove using a slight m ovement of the

head guided by the nose. Tracking is not an exaggerated head movement

or

just

an eye m ovement. It is a movement of the nose which simultane-

ously brings the head with the pitch as the eyes are locked on the ball.

Good timing is crucial whe n calling the pitch. After the ball is in the glove or

hits the ground in slow pitch, make sure you pause, and then call the pitch.

The verbal call should always be made in the downpositionand the strike

signal in the up position.

From

th e

down position,

the

strike call should

b e

elongated

a nd

made

briskly and loudly. The umpire should then rise to an upright position with

out moving their feet and bring the right arm up to a 90 degree angle so

the

elbow

can be

seen with

the

umpire's peripheral vision.

Th e

fist should

be closed with the palm facing the umpire's ear. A strong hammer adds

certainty to yourcall. Any swinging strike should be a signal only.

In

Fast Pitch

o n a

calledthird strike, both

a

strong verbal call

a nd

signal

should be given. For further emphasis, verbalize the words strike three.

Ballcalls should be short and crisp and made in the down position. Use

volume toindicatecloseness of the pitch.

On a

foul

tip the

umpire should rise

a nd

brush

th e

fingers

of the

right hand

over the left hand, chest high in front of the body followed by the strike

signal.

There are times when the count should be given by the plate umpire.

Signaling the count is done by raising both arms above the head indicating

ballswith consecutive fingers on the left hand and strikes with consecutive

fingers on the right hand. Give both the number of balls and strikes every

time the count is given. Rotate your hands, not your body, so everyone can

see the count.

After each pitch step out, relax, reset and restart the process. This allows

the

umpire

th e

time

to

refocus

an d

reset

for the

next pitch.

C

MOVEMENT FROM THE

PLATE

IN

SLOWPITCH

AND

FASTPITCH

Movement A good

plate

umpire realizes that they are not only required to

call balls and strikes, but must be able to move to cover other responsibili-

ties.The plate umpire must be ready and able to m ove during the gam e. Let's

examine

the

reasons

for

movement from

th e

plate:

First, the plate umpire should be ready to clear the catcher for any of three

reasons; a passed ball, a foul fly ball behind the catcher or a dropped third

strike in Fast Pitch. The umpire dictates their movement by reading the

shoulders of the catcher. On a right handed or

left

handed batter, pivot

and drop step to allow the catcher to take you to the ball. Once you have

cleared the catcher, you must remember your other responsibilities, such

as a possible catch of the foul fly

ball,

help on a throw to

1B

on the batter-

runner or a play at the plate

Second, on a battedball, the plate umpire should always exit to the left of

the catcher to trail the batter-runner. Trail the batter-runner when there are

no runners on or a singlerunner on 1stbase, unless the play takes you

elsewhere. Trail

th e

batter-runner slightly inside

t he

foul line approximately

one thirdof the way to

First

Base to help the Base umpire with a pulledfoot,

swiped tag or a bobbled ball. After trailing the batter-runner to First Base

you may need to move to third base or to the holding zone. When moving to

third base move directly across the diamond in front of the pitcher's plate to


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UMPIRE

M NU L

UMPIRE M NU L

alocation90degreesto thepathof therunner, just shortof thebase they

aretryingtoreachandabout 10-12 feet fromthebase. When movingto the

holding zone, move directlyto anareainfoul ground about halfway to 3rd

baseandreadtheplay.

Third,theplate umpirehas fair/foul responsibilityonground balls nearthe

foul line. Position yourselfon thefoul line,and if theballisfoul signalby

raisingth ehands overtheheadan dgiveaverbal callof foulorfoul ball. If

the

ball

isfair, point toward fair territory withthe armclosesttofair ground.

Fourth,on flyballsto theoutfield not nearthefoul line, movetoobtaina

good angleto thecatch versus straightat the fieldercatchingtheball.If the

balliscaught givean outsignaland averbal out call,

Fifth,on a flyballto theoutfield nearthefoul line, when your partner does

notturn their back,the plate umpirehasfair/foulandcatch/no catch respon-

sibilities. Whentheballisnearthefoul line withnorunneratthird base,

move

up

that foul line

to a

position where

you can see theball land.If the

ballisfoul,givethedeadballsignal followedby averbal callof foulorfoul

ball.

If the

ball

is

fair, give

the fairball signal.No

verbal

callisgiven.When

theballiscloseto thefoul lineand istouched, whether caughtornot,the

umpire must first givetheball statusbypointing fairorfoul. Whenthe

ball

isfirst touched over fair territory point fair

and if the

ball

is not

caught

the

point

is

followed

b y a

strong fair ball signal.

If the

ball

is

caught, give

a n

outsignal.

Whentheballis first

touched over foul

territory,

point foul

and if

the ballis notcaught, giveastrong dead ball signalan dstrong verbal callof

foul

or

foul ball.

If the

ball

is

caught, give

an out

signal.

Sixth, when

th e

ball

is hit

over

the

fence

i n

fair territory, give

a

Home

R un

signalbyraisingtherightarmabovethehead,fistclosedandrotatethe

fist.InSlowPitchwhen a

fair batted

ballistouched inflightandgoes over

thefenceinfair territory, givethefour base award signalbyraisingtheright

arm abovethehead, hand open with four fingers shownandverbally call

four

bases. If theball hitstheground before clearingthefenceandthen

bounces overthefence, givethe twobase award signalbyraisingtheright

arm

abovethehead, hand open withtwoconsecutive fingers extendedand

verbally call two bases.

Movementto

Third

Base Oncetheumpirehasexitedto thecatcher's left,

thereareseveral situations wheretheumpire should movetothird base:

First, after goingto theholding zoneand aplay developsatthird base,

move insidethediamond about

two-thirds

of the way tothirdbase, approxi-

mately10-12feet fromthebase, obtaininga 90degree angle. Stop, read

theplay, then makethecall

Second, when exitingthecatcher withaplay immediatelyatthird base,

moveup thefoulline infair territorytoapproximately 10-12feet fromthe

base,

obtaining a 90

degree

angle.Stop, read theplay,

then

make the

call.

Third,inSlow Pitch,the plate umpirehas the responsibilityfor arunnerat-

tempting

to

steal third base. Move toward third base

in

foul ground,

or in

fair

territory, stayingout of thethrowing laneand let theball takeyou to theplay

asyouobtainthebest angleanddistance.

Plays

at the

Home Plate Therearespecific mechanics usedby theplate

umpire when making callsathome plate:

Onthrows fromtheoutfieldor theinfieldassumeapositioninfoul ground,

90

degrees

to the

path

of the

runner,

to

approximately

10 -12

feet from

home plateinline withtheoutside deepest cornerof theright handed bat-

ter's box. Adjust

as

needed

to

obtain

a n

unobstructed view

of the

play.

If

the

ball

gets away fromthecatcherandgoes behind you, moveas theplay

dictatesto get anunobstructed view. Avoid going insidethediamond except

as a

last resort.

When returningtohome plate fromaplayatthirdbaseand theballis infoul

ground, remain insidethediamondandmove parallelto thebase line,to

approximately10-12feet from home plate, obtaininga 90degree angleto

the

path

of the

runner.

On atiming play whentherunner touchestheplate priorto thelastout of

the

inning

and the run

willcount,point

to the

plate emphatically

and say

run counts or run scores .

On atiming

play

wheretherunner doesn ottouchtheplate beforethelast

out of theinningis madeand the run

will

n otcount, givea nemphatic safe

signaland say run doesn otcount or norun .

D DIFFICULT SITUATIONS

Slow Pitch

Illegal Pitches ASlow Pitch plate umpire will normally make more illegal

pitchcallsthanaFast Pitch plate umpiredue to thedifferencesin thepitch-

ing

rule.

An

illegal pitch must

b e

called when

i t

becomes illegal

by the

plate

or

base umpire.

To

signal

an

illegal pitch raise your left

ar m

horizontal with

thefist closedandverballysay illegalor illegal pitch loud enoughfor the

closest defensive playertohear you.InSlow Pitch,if thebatter doesnot

swing at the

illegal

pitch,it isruledaball.If the

batter swings

at the

pitch,

theillegalpitchisignoredand theresultof theswing stands.

Stealing Mechanics Some divisionsofSlow Pitch allow runnersto ad-

vance when

the

ball reaches

the

front edge

of

home plate. Umpires must

be

ready to react to a

player attempting

to

advance.

On apickoffplay move from your starting positionto the best possible

positionto see thefour elementsof theplay come together. Stop,see the

play

andmakethecall.

On a

steal attempt from First Base

to

Second Base

the

base umpire must

read

the

steal

attempt and

move

parallelto thebaselineto a 90degree

angleto thebase thattherunnerisattemptingtoadvance. Thiswillbe a tag

play.Theumpire mustbe inposition beforethefour elementsof the play


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plate mechanics

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