NCOA Softball 2018 Newsletter Volume 6, Issue 9 April 23, 2018 Touching All Bases Group Leadership Corner Hello all! We are coming down the home stretch of the season. Hope your season is going well. A couple of issues have been brought to our attention: 1. We need to be professional during the pregame and be respectful of the coaches. This is when the game begins and is the time to set the tone for a good game or a confrontational game. 2. We as umpires should not be talking to the players unless there is a professional reason to do so. We all know there is an expected communication between the plate umpire and catcher but the communication should be limited. We are there to facilitate the game and not coach the players. 3. With more rain / weather issues we need to make sure are calendars are up to date so we limit the number of declines. If you have any issues or concerns please contact us: Macsports.14@gmail.com or 1-916-800-5414 It is still not too late to register for summer ball. Frank and Carl NCOA Softball Group Co-Leaders From Your JSS Assignors: We are winding down the 2018 softball season. Needless to say, the rain has caused havoc with the scheduling. We have had to refuse make up dates to several rainouts as there are not umpires available for assignments. Several have opted for double-headers which have worked out well in some cases for all concerned. About 45% of the schedules we started with in late February have been re-scheduled, in some cases, re-scheduled again, cancelled and a few remain to be scheduled. A portion of the preseason tournament was cancelled, almost all the Stephanie LeDoux tournament was cancelled, only 10 games were played as Maidu Park was unplayable and the games were moved to Roseville HS. Two other tournaments were cancelled due to the weather. Hey, the SUN is shining, a few weeks left in the regular season and we will get er done. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation this season, it has been frustrating for all of us. THANK YOU! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call Jim or Dave. Dave & Jim
Important Information: Please note: All official uniform attire must match your partner. Remember your time/run rule limits. Per CIF Sac-Joaquin Section bylaws, Junior Varsity games have a 7 inning or 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. NFHS has determined that the verification of equipment at the pre-game conference is NOT a warning just as the coaches verifying that the player will be legally uniformed is not a warning. The head coach still needs to verify but if later in the game a player is using a piece of equipment that does not meet the standards set forth in our books, we will issue a warning and the next time, the player and head coach will be restricted to the bench for the remainder of the game. * Uniform and Equipment The official uniform for NCOA Softball umpires: The official shirt for NCOA Softball is Powder Blue or Navy (no logos)(short or Long Sleeve) Heather Gray Slacks Plain Navy Jacket (no stripes or piping around shoulders)or NEW navy blue pullover/zip-up jacket with the piping on the shoulders NCOA Navy Blue Hat or NEW style hat Gray or Navy Ball Bag Hats: The new style hat is still available. We have changed hat vendors and are now using D1 Sports. Turnaround is usually less than a week. You can order online or by phone. The cost is $17 per hat plus about $10 shipping or you can pick up at their storefront and save on the shipping cost. When ordering online, select the drop down for NCOA-Northern Section Softball, when in the hat section. D-1 Sports Apparel 8441 24th Avenue, Suite A Sacramento, CA 95826 Tel (916) 381-1897 WWW.D1SPORTSAPPAREL.COM 2018 is transition year, in that you can wear the new or old style as long as you match your partner. New style hats will be worn for 2018 playoffs.
For Your Toolbox FROM A PEER UMPIRE - Whether it's the beginning or the end of the season, we as umpires are paid professionals, and therefore need to have the players and coaches adhere to ALL the rules. Recently I was at a couple of schools that I had to emphasize a few simple rules to the coach, who informed me nobody in the past games had made them comply! One of the schools was missing the running lane; Another school was missing the running lane and one of the batter s box lines. These are required by rule and should be enforced. How would you call a rule infraction if you are guessing? Please walk the field before your game so we can catch any violations, and please enforce all rules. Those that aren't enforcing ALL the rules are making the good umpires that do, look like we are the bad guys! REFLECTIVE MATERIALS Reference is made back to the 2017 Softball Rules Book pages 83-84, Points of Emphasis for Uniforms. Uniforms Committee discussed concerns about the use of glitter or reflective material on hair control devises. 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. An expansion of the language in the book also stated - NO GLITTER IS ALLOWED ON THE EYE BLACK either. ***************************************************** Plays of the Week come from the State CIF Rules Interpreter: Play of the Week #5 R1 is on first base with no outs and B3 hits an over-the-fence home run. R1 scores and as B3 rounds third base, her teammates line up on the third base foul line and give her "high fives" as she heads for home. One teammate reaches out and pushes her toward home plate. What s your call? Answer: Once the ball cleared the fence for the home run, the ball is no longer live and therefore the batter-runner is awarded four bases. Per rule 8 11, the awarded bases must be run legally. So far so good until she rounds 3rd base having touched all the bases and heads for home. A number of her teammates held their hands out for the high-five as she passed them. Perfectly legal because they were not assisting her. NFHS is okay with the congratulatory high-fives by teammates or the coaches. Then we had that one player who pushed her toward the plate and in doing so violated rule 8-6-5; The runner is out if any offensive team member, other than another runner, physically assists the runner. This act by her teammate would be considered assisting her. It doesn t matter if the ball is live or as in this case dead. The umpire should point at the runner with his/her left hand and verbalize out. The result of the play is: R1 s run counts and B2 is called out for being physically assisted. B3 comes to bat with one out. I know that a high percentage of you philosophically disagree with this ruling, but it is the correct ruling by the book. So, what can we do to prevent this from happening?
Don't let the players line up on the fair/foul line. After you have signaled the home run, move back toward the plate in foul territory just outside the batter s box facing the offensive team. At that time tell the players to stand/gather behind the plate just outside the batter s box, which is what they are supposed to do. This gives you a clear view of the runner(s) touching the plate and minimizes the chance of any of them assisting her. R1 is on 3 rd base with no outs. The count is 3-2 and the next pitch received by B2 is called a ball. F2 immediately returns the ball to F1 who is in the pitcher s circle. B1 runs towards 1 st base but stops prior to reaching the base to try to force a play by F1. (a) F1 does not make a play on B2. (b) F1 makes a throw towards 1 st base. What s your call? Answer: In (A), B2 is expected to run to first base without hesitation. Time would be called by the plate umpire and B2 would be instructed to take her place on first base. Additionally, the plate umpire should address the head coach that in the future, the batter is to go directly to first. In (B), the ball is live when F1 throws the ball to first base. B2 is still entitled to first base without liability to be put out. The throw releases R1 at third base and she is allowed to advance at her own risk. Play of the Week #7 R1 is on 3rd, R2 is on 2nd and R3 is on 1st with two outs and a 3-2 count on B6. The next pitch is a wild pitch that gets by the catcher. R1 advances toward home as R2 and R3 advance on the wild pitch. B6 begins jogging toward 1st base. The ball bounds off the backstop and the catcher, seeing that R2 has rounded 3rd base, throws to F5 who tags R2 trying to get back to 3rd. The out on R2 is recorded prior to R1 touching home plate. What s your call? Play of the Week #6
Answer: Although the batter is awarded first base, all other runners are entitled to advance one base without liability to be put out. Once R2 passed third base she is now liable to be put out. If this happens for the third out of the inning prior to R1 touching home, R1's run would not count. (2-63, 2-65-1, 8-1-1c, 8-4-3a, 9-1-1) NEWSLETTER QUIZ Each newsletter will include a 10-18 question true/false quiz for your enjoyment. 1) The plate umpire may rectify any situation in which an umpire s decision that was reversed has placed either team in jeopardy. 2) R3 occupies 3rd base with two outs. B4 hits a roller to F1, who flips the ball to F2 at the plate. R3 is ruled safe. F2 alertly fires to 1st base to retire B4 on a close play. The run sores. 3) If a runner is called out for violating the look-back rule, any other runner off her base at the time is also called out. 4) If a courtesy runner fails to report, she is considered an illegal substitute. 5) The batter is out when she throws her bat and interferes with a defensive player attempting a play. 6) An on-deck batter may leave the circle to avoid interfering with the catcher's opportunity to make an out. 7) The runner being played on is out when the on-deck batter commits interference. 8) After both balls have been in play, the pitcher may request to use the ball not currently in play for her warmup pitches for that half inning. 9) A quick pitch not swung at is ruled an illegal pitch. 10) Prior to starting the delivery, the pitcher need only have one foot on the ground within or partially within the 24-inch length of the pitcher's plate. 11) It is a delayed-dead ball situation when an illegal pitch occurs, but no pitch has been delivered to the batter. 12) The score of a forfeited game is 7-0 unless the offending team is behind; then the score remains as recorded. 13) The DP may be substituted for at any time by the FLEX playing offense.
14) One or more players may be designated captain. 15) A coach who calls time, goes out to speak with F6 and then replaces F1, is charged with a defensive conference. 16) The defensive-charged conference rule is in effect when the ball first becomes live at the start of each half-inning. 17) The offensive-team charged conference rule is effective when the ball first becomes live at the start of each halfinning 18) During a defensive charged conference, the offensive team may meet provided the non-charged conference concludes when the charged conference ends or doesn t delay the game. Answers 1) ANS: T REF: 10-2-3m 2) ANS: F REF: 9-1-1 3) ANS: F REF: 8-7-4 penalty 4) ANS: F REF: 8-9-7 penalty 5) ANS: T REF: 7-4-14 6) ANS: T REF: 7-5-4; 2-5-3 7) ANS: F REF: 7-5-4 penalty 1 8) ANS: T REF: 6-5-2 9) ANS: F REF: 6-2-4b penalty 10) ANS: F REF: 6-1-1 11) ANS: F REF: 5-1-1p 12) ANS: T REF: 4-3-2 13) ANS: T REF: 3-3-6d 14) ANS: T REF: 3-1-2 15) ANS: F REF: 3-7-1 16) ANS: T REF: 3-7-1 17) ANS: T REF: 3-7-2 18) ANS: T REF: 3-7-3