Home of Senior Softball-USA and Senior Softball World Championships
| Aug. 9, 2025 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Infield fly, 80's teams Infield Fly is partially an umpire judgement call. The rules basically says you must have runners at first and 2nd or bases loaded with less than two out. It also says that it can be caught with a routine effort. This is the part that is umpire judgement, what is routine effort. As an umpire, I must consider the skill level of the teams playing. The lower the skill level the less likely it is routine. The higher the skill level, the more likely it is routine. An umpire must also take into account the age of the players and there ability to get to the ball to make the catch without extra effort. The purpose of the infield fly is to keep the defense from getting an easy double or triple play because the players cannot run due to a pop up on the infield. Still, it boils down to umpire judgment and even if his judgment was poor on the play, the call will usually stand. There is a rule in SSUSA that if the umpire fails to call infield fly by mistake and in his judgment it should have been, he can correct it. An example of this is he didn't realize there were runners at first and second or thought there was two outs when there was only one, so he failed to call it even though in his judgment he would have normally done so. Again, if the rule circumstances are right and he doesn't think it was an infield fly, then his call will stand. |
| July 29, 2024 txnighttrain | Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Western Nationals or is it the West Coast Nationals? 70% of the teams at Western Championships are out of California. I have looked at the different senior organizations and they cater to the area in and around where their headquarters are located. The real question is how many of the teams playing in the Western Championships will show up at Worlds, especially the northern teams. It's too expensive for teams to travel to the Western and then Worlds, so most of the teams outside of California don't attend the Western. The bottom line is the dollar, but if you want to expand outside the two coastal area's you need teams from the whole country. The best way to resolve this is with a Central Champiomships or rotating the Western and Eastern Championships inwards. Softball is looking at a shortened lifespan. Around 2000, an other national organization that does the younger teams had 66,000 registered teams, in 2020, just before the big Covid thing hit, they were down to 13,000. These are the future senior players. Fewer players at younger ages, means fewer senior players. To attract and keep future players, compromises will have to be made, or eventually it will die out. Maybe not in my lifetime, but it will end. |
| April 18, 2024 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: New Roster Rule I am not sure how the new roster rule for tournaments is applied. I know if you enter your team and don't have an online roster, then you must play the next higher classification for that tournament. However, if you wanted to add or delete a player after the registration closing date, does this also apply of having to move to the next higher classification for that tournament. |
| April 7, 2024 txnighttrain | Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Why is a Major Plus Team playing "Exhibition"? Although I AM Not an SSUSA staff member, I looked at the bracket and what they have written. Pool cames will count. They can win first place awards if they win their 3 bracket games, however, they CANNOT advance in bracket. So any team playing them advances, win or lose. If I read it wrong, I'm sure SSUSA will correct me, so I recommend you read the seeding and bracket information for yourself. |
| March 25, 2024 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Batting Box rule change Left handed player called out correctly, entirely within the box Batter Boxes tend to disappear during a game. I have seen players outside a senior structered box and the umpire refuse to call it. At least with the back foot rule the box has some real meaning. USSSA went to this rule 3 years ago and the players have adjusted just fine. |
| Sept. 19, 2023 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Batter out of the box The box is supposed to be 7ft long and 3ft wide that includes the lines. Both feet are required to be in the box when the batter makes contact with the ball. Touching any part of the box or line with your feet means you are in the box. The box is measured from the middle corner of the plate. It is 4 ft forward from the middle corner. The plate from the middle corner to the front edge of plate is 8.5 inches. This means the box extends 3 ft 3.5 inches in front of the mat. A bat is 34 inches long. So a bat length plus 5.5 inches. This guy is clearly beyond that distance with his front foot. |
| Sept. 19, 2023 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Batter out of the box As a person who has umpired, I would have called the person in that photo out. It is obvious that he is so far out with his back foot in front of the mat, his front foot is no way in the legal box. Even though the lines are gone (many times from players erasing and not enforced) it would be my judgement he was definitely out of the box area. The idea here is to protect the pitcher because it puts him about 5 feet closer to the pitcher and makes it harder for the pitcher to defend himself. |
| Nov. 12, 2022 txnighttrain | Topic: Teams looking for players Discussion: Texas Thunder 60 AAA looking for Outfielders The Texas Thunder 60 AAA is looking for outfielders but will consider other positions. Please Contact Terry Frederick at email terryfrederick22@yahoo.com or cell phone 713-253-9072. |
| Sept. 22, 2022 txnighttrain | Topic: Teams looking for players Discussion: TX Thunder 60 AAA loking for Players Texas Thunder 60 AAA looking for players We are looking for players for the 2023 season starting with Winter Worlds in Phoenix. We are trying to get more outfielders, but a Shortstop infielder will be considered. Please contact Terry Frederick 713-253-9072 or Al Schoelen 214-477-4142. Both phones will accept text messages. |
| Sept. 22, 2022 txnighttrain | Topic: Teams looking for players Discussion: Texas Legends moving to 65AAA Joe, you can play all the positions. Just kidding. I am going to play one more year at 60 AAA, and then plan to move up next year. If the Thunder 60 doesn't move up for 2024, then I might be knocking on your door. Al |
| Sept. 3, 2022 txnighttrain | Topic: Teams looking for players Discussion: Texas Thunder 60 AAA looking for players We are looking for players for the 2023 season starting with Winter Worlds in Phoenix. We are trying to get more outfielders, but a Shortstop infielder will be considered. Please contact Terry Frederick 713-253-9072 or Al Schoelen 214-477-4142. Both phones will accept text messages. |
| Aug. 1, 2022 txnighttrain | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Safety I thought intentionally erasing the chalk lines of the batters box, even at the coin flip, was cause for ejection. |
| July 30, 2022 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Player released and playing on another team in same age group My understanding of this rule is a player can play in his age group on one team, get released, and play on one other team in that same age group in the same season. He cannot be released again and play for another team in the same age group, including the original team that released him the first time. The season includes all sanctioned events in SSUSA for the entire season including Winter Worlds even though that event was in a different year, but was part of the next year roster event. |
| July 30, 2022 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: What’s your call 1) Had the lead runner on 2nd already scored? If so, then then the runner on first could be declared out, but the run would count, game over. 2) Was the person struck outside the dugout. Standing at the opening doesn't mean he was in the field of play. If he wasn't in the field of play, then it is a dead ball and all runners advance bases from their position at the time of the release of the thrown ball. Run scores, game over. 3) He was in the field of play and not the on deck batter or base coach. Again, had the run already scored. If not, you have interference, dead ball, runner closest to home is out. This is based off USSSA rules since you said young guys playing so I presume it wasn't Senior Softball. |
| Oct. 25, 2021 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Home run limits 50's are seniors and 40's are masters..since 40's are younger they have slightly different rules in a couple of area's. 40's also don't have the courtesy foul. |
| Oct. 25, 2021 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: You make the call - please The key word in the rule is "deliberately". It is an umpire judgement call. If the action is not deliberate, then it cannot be an out. I have seen on a few rare occasions a player stand at the plate with his bat on his shoulders and watch a bad pitch hit the bat. On on a very rare occasion, the ball went fair. These were not deliberate or intentional acts by the batter. However, if a batter had intented a full swing on an outside pitch, I doubt he checked his swing. USSSA reclarified this rule to intentionally hitting the ball slowly under it's definition of a bunt. This cut out the full swing issue where a guy would take a full swing but hit the ball slowly like a bunt. I called a guy out in doing it. He then did it the next week and another umpire called him out. He quit after that. He later would hit little bloopers into right field. Players wanted to call him out. I told them that a ball that lands in the outfield is not getting that call. The intent of the rule was to stop "intentional bunt like contact". A ball in the outfield wouldn't apply. |
| July 8, 2021 txnighttrain | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: What's the correct call? The strike map is not necessarily in fair territory. The SSUSA rules only defines fair territory and there is a diagram in the rules showing the mat and home plate separate. The foul lines are marked from the rear corner of home plate. I believe this would be a judgment call to whether the ball was touched over home plate or behind the plate. The position of the player is not relevant only the position of the ball. If the ball was over home plate when touched then it would have been fair, otherwise it was foul. For an umpire to make that call, he would have to be absolutely sure or he would need to call it foul. |
| June 1, 2021 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Is batter out The whole purpose of this rule is two fold. One to define control for a catch (yes, the ground can cause a fumble) and what is legal possession that constitutes a catch. A person can't use the inner part of his ball cap to catch the ball and then reach in with his hand to say he legally possessed and controlled the ball. The same would be to pull out his jersey to form a "cup" to catch the ball. The ball in contact alone against the body would not be illegal, but it would not be a catch until the player had the ball in his hand or glove. |
| May 21, 2021 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: batter interference It is an umpire judgment call. If in the umpire believes it would have been a strike, then that is the call otherwise it is a ball. |
| May 21, 2021 txnighttrain | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: You make the call This is an interesting scenario and one the National UIC for USSSA sent out to all umpires. This was his ruling: This is a timing play. If the run or runs scored prior to the runner being passed by the batter base runner they count. If not the don't. This was the ground rule double situation. Even though the ball went dead, runners must still advance properly |
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