Irving Girls Softball League: Umpires

Become a Junior Umpire!!
The Irving Girls Softball League would like our young ladies to help by umpiring younger age groups. You would receive $14.00 per game (55 min.). You would receive training from our Umpire Organization IMFU. This is a great way to earn extra money and get professional umpire training.

We would also ask that you talk to your male friends as they are also invited to train and work as junior umpires.

If you are interested contact : umpire@springmail.com.

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Ask The Umpire
I recently coached in a 12U tournament. The pitcher threw the ball and it hit the ground and bounced past the catcher. The batter had two strikes, swung at the ball, then ran to first base. The umpire called "dropped 3rd strike". Since the catcher never touched the ball, how could this be a dropped ball?        New 12U Manager.

2001 Official Rules of Softball: Page 99: Rule 8 - Batter-Runner and Runner: Section 1:B. (Fast Pitch Only) When the catcher fails to catch the third strike before the ball touches the ground when there are fewer than two outs and first base is unoccupied at the time of the pitch, or anytime there are two outs. This is called the third strike rule. EXCEPTION: (Junior Olympic 10U) The batter is out.

Assuming first base was NOT occupied, or there were two outs, the catcher is not required to catch the ball. Should the batter swing at the pitch and miss, then it is a dropped third strike, officially called The Third Strike Rule.

Understanding the Courtesy Runner Rule
Each year the National Council for the Amateur Softball Association has the opportunity to review the rules of softball and advise and consent on new rule proposals. Amongst the changes adopted for the 2000 season is a courtesy runner rule for Junior Olympic GirlÂ’s competition.

Playing in Non-ASA Tournaments
The following is the response to an e-mail question about playing in non-ASA sponsored tournaments.


Thank you for your message regarding player eligibility when she is playing as a pick-up or drafted player.

In general, ball players may be picked up by any team that is the same or higher class as the team she plays on. A team or player may always play up in classification. The is no penalty to the player by playing up.

However, your message also indicates that the prospective drafting team and also your daughter's team plan on playing in an USSSA event. It was discussed at the recent Metro Dallas Classification Board meeting, for the purpose of classification, that only Class-A teams would be allowed to play in non ASA Sanctioned events without penalty. Any team [or player] participating in a non ASA Sanctioned event will be required to participate as a Class-A team the remainder of the 2002 season in ASA events.

In the past, all national or state qualifying USSSA events hosted in Metro
Dallas have been dual sanctioned also by ASA. Such events have been played under ASA playing rules and only ASA registered and trained umpires have been assigned as officials. And all teams participating were registered ASA teams. To date, I have not been contacted by anyone to dual sanction
any USSSA events this 2002 season. We will sanction any event that agrees to follow the ASA Code and ASA playing rules. This includes AFA, NSA, Pony, Little League, Triple Crown, USSSA; from ABC to XYZ.

Ask the question, "Is the tournament sanctioned by ASA and are ASA travel permits required for participating teams?" If not you may be best served by finding an ASA event for that same weekend.

Classification is not about Class-A. Classification is about the lower classifications. The only method available to monitor the lower classifications is by team record in tournament play and some certainty that the brackets and tournament format is usual and customary with defined separation of the classification divisions of teams.

Tournaments that are listed on the VTD are noted as ASA Sanctioned. Tournaments not listed must be inquired to as to sanction by the teams. Off VTD site listings of tournaments are not reported as to final results. And in cases in the past when the non sanctioned events were reported the results were suspect and reportedly were contrived.

As we are unable to gain reliable results from non ASA Sanctioned events we are unable to accurately grade points for the Class-B and Class-C teams. Therefore, we have no choice but to require all such teams [and drafted players] to play as Class-A in all remaining ASA events.

Thank you for the foresight in asking your questions. I am using my response to you as the medium to get the word to all interested parties of the prospect that some local teams my be required to play only Class-A if we receive reports of Class-C and Class-B teams playing in non ASA Sanctioned events.

Regards,
Mason McCullough, JOC
Metro Dallas ASA



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