Umpiring Fastpitch Softball

It might seem like talking about "situational mechanics" and then giving scenarios is doing "planned deviations", but that isn't the case. What we're looking for and talking about are situations that the manual just doesn't cover, not breaking and "doing your own thing" for situations that are covered. Almost every day across the softball world, something happens in a game that hasn't happened bef...

We tackle the finer points of covering rundowns, how to handle a dropped third strike as a plate umpire and from the bases, infield fly, home runs, and the power of the point. As always, if you want to weigh in with your opinions, you can email us at podcast@umpiringfastpitchsoftball.com, leave a comment at UmpiringFastpitchSoftball.com, or comment on this episode on Facebook - just search for Ump...

Listener Nick from NY wanted to understand more about the look back rule. He had heard us talk about it before, but as someone new to the sport, he was a little confused. So, we dropped what we were doing and recorded a "remote" episode, away from the friendly confines of the palatial UFS Studios in beautiful Central Ohio, where we attempted to really dig in and explain the rule. Next, Nick had an...

One of the best ways to start an aggressive discussion online is to talk about calling positions, especially around home plate. A number of times in recent memory, we've seen videos of plays offered for consideration only to have the discussion invariably end up in a criticism that that umpire should have "worked the wedge", or some other critique of his position. So, what are the correct calling...

The remainder of section 7 talks about calling distance and mechanics for tag plays at the bases/plage, correct position for watching for swipe or tag plays between bases, what to watch for on check swings, not calling or echoing obvious fouls, where to be for watching tag-up plays, preparing for your next responsibility, the official guidance on when to offer assistance, and a discussion about "o...

Section 7 starts a discussion of mechanics in general and then on to what do with pre-pitch preparation/planning and how many things that an umpire should be considering before the pitch. It then follows to discuss some basic calling position mechanics. As always, if you want to weigh in with your opinions, you can email us at podcast@umpiringfastpitchsoftball.com, leave a comment at UmpiringFastp...

Continuing on from last week, David talks about his experiences as part of a four umpire crew, this time focusing on his games at U1 and Video Review. Was it as bad as last time? Did he let the bad game at U3 wear on him? How does video review work at places that don't have 6 network camera angles? We get into all of that and more (as well as a bonus U3 story) in this week's episode. As always, if...

Working in a crew of four, David talks about the experiences he had working with the crew, the facilities, and - here in part one - his specific game experiences at the Plate and U3. How did that go? At the clinics and in prior practice, Plate and U3 were his stronger positions. Did that hold up? Tune in for a very honest review of the games and what he did right and wrong. As always, if you want...

Ejected, Tossed, Run, Heaved, Thrown out, Sent packing, Launched, Chucked, Given the hook, Booted, 86'ed, Took the long walk, Got the thumb, Hit the showers early, Banished. Whatever you call it, we'd like to think that no umpire heads into a game looking to eject people. However, if we are enforcing the rules, ejections are a part of it. In this week's episode, we talk about offenses that should...

We dive into a variety of situations and discuss where umpires might walk the line between preventative umpiring and outright coaching. We discuss everything from guiding younger players through basic rules to stepping in to prevent violence at the college level. How do you know when to speak up and when to remain silent and let violations occur? We also talk about how context like age level, expe...

Before we get into the meat of the episode, Pete starts us off with a correction from last episode regarding the running lane interference rules across sanctions prompted by some great listener feedback from Carlos in Hawaii. Next, we respond to a question from Jessica in Illinois about how to correctly umpire some player behavior that might be "ethically wrong" and play in the gray area of the ru...

First, we look at a play similar to last week where there is a question as to what to do with a runner who ended up on third. Did they miss the base? Did they score? Can an offensive coach appeal themselves? Next, we tackle a play from a recent game of David's with runner's lane interference and a speedy runner from third. Lastly, we cover a snapshot that a friend of ours sent to David to see what...

In the play, a suicide squeeze was on and the batter popped up the bunt. The runner scored, but erroneously thought the ball was caught and went back to third to tag up and stayed there. We dissect whether the runner can "un-score", whether replay was allowed to be used to see if she touched the plate, and what else we might have or could have considered calling on the play. As always, if you want...

At the end of our last discussion, we still had a section of reminders about some pitch calling mechanics. We decided to merge the remainder of those things with our discussion around the tips within another article titled, "Get Your Head Right: Using the Slot to Get the Most Accurate Strike Zone". So this part 2 is really a part 2 in spirit only. During discussion, we cover topics like correct po...

We talk about mechanics for plate umpires including: reporting changes, handling intentional walks, fair/foul position, priorities, and signals - selling tough calls vs making unnecessary calls. We also talk about some reminders for base umpires including: proper initial position getting set and square to the plate, tighter pivots when coming inside the diamond, chasing balls to the outfield and w...

We talk about the proper application for rules around: noise makers, sweatshirts/jackets, rule books, headwear, dugout personnel, substitutions and lineup card management, and game management. As always, if you want to weigh in with your opinions, you can email us at podcast@umpiringfastpitchsoftball.com, leave a comment at UmpiringFastpitchSoftball.com, or comment on this episode on Facebook - ju...

In addition to the points of emphasis that the National Federation had point out, our state association published their own points. Since they are also rules-based, they're valuable for everyone to consider. First, we talk about several aspects of pitching rules, including timing, replants, taking the sign. Then, we go on to the requirement for the rules to remain the rules with no modifications....

Since it is that time where NCAA Softball is starting and High School is getting underway across much of the country, we wanted to dig into some of the differences in the rules between the two. We know a lot of umpires that work both, so we want to make sure you're keeping it all straight in your head as you do. This is also a great episode for those umpires working NFHS who might want to work NCA...

In light of Pat Hoberg's firing in early February 2025, we wanted to talk about the importance of gambling (namely, NOT gambling) as an umpire or official. Unfortunately, gambling scandals in sports happen and even among officials. But, what all is considered sports gambling? Coming into Final Four tournament time, we wanted to talk the dangers and about how putting money into an office bracket po...

In episode 50, David and Pete talked about some offseason preparation from a "Home Plate" publication. One of those points was about setting goals. In her next article, Sally talked more about goal-setting and David and Pete go over some of the tips and talk about how to make goals, work to achieve them, and be held accountable. Tune in to find out how (and if Pete will *ever* remember what the "R...

We talk about the rest of the NFHS guidance for the 2025 season with a little bit of what our local OHSAA has thrown in as well. First, we go back and touch on some additional situational awareness thoughts from last week. Next, we talk about everyone's favorite topic - the replant. Finally, we finish up discussing "rules deviations". As always, if you want to weigh in with your opinions, you can...

We cover some of the changes and clarifications that NFHS has provided for the 2025 season. It isn't anything ground-breaking with regards to rules, but some penalties have changed and there has been some more clarity added around one-way electronic communication to the field from the dugout. Additionally, we begin to get into the points of emphasis, particularly around the pace of play. As we wer...

Just knowing where the strike zone is isn't enough. Sometimes, even a "book strike" isn't going to be popular with either team. What do you do about that? Do you give in and abandon the pitches? Does your zone change and get tighter with top teams and more lenient with lower-level teams? Should it? Does it anyway? We talk about all of these things and more in this week's episode. As always, if you...

Taking our cue from Sally's tips, we discuss some of the things that good umpires of all levels should be doing in the offseason as they prepare for the start of their next season. Topics include rest and relaxation, goal setting, psychological preparation, knowledge of rules and mechanics, physical fitness and nutrition, and administrative duties. If you do these things, you are sure to be on the...

At the end of last season and in the off season, we put out a call to know what the listeners wanted to hear about. We got several responses and we're taking this episode to tackle some of them. Some questions can't be answered in one episode, so we let you know what our plans are for those, but we were able to tackle two topics this episode: dealing with difficult players/coaches and tips for sta...