SSUSAumpire

12/9/23
Summary of rules changes adopted at the 2023 SSUSA convention-

Batter's area / Batter's position-
The batter must take an initial position with his back foot no further forward than a line defining the front edge of home plate. The batter will be called out if he hits the ball when the back foot is completely further forward than the line defining the front
edge of home plate.
NOTE: All other illegally batted ball infractions regarding the side
and rear lines of the batter’s box, along with stepping on home plate, remain in effect.

Home Team-
Home team will be decided by the flip of a coin before every game. The team designated as home team shall bat last in the inning. EXCEPTION: The unbeaten bracket team in a Championship game may decide whether it will be the home or visitor team, unless there is an equalizer involved.
NOTE: A team giving an equalizer shall be designated as the home team.

Men's 70s roster composition-
Men’s 70+ age division teams may draw up to three (3) underage players all of whom must be 69 years old.

Uniform numbers-
An Arabic whole number of contrasting colors at least 5" (15.24 cm) high must be worn on uniforms. Symbols and/or fractions are not permitted. No players on the same team may wear identical numbers. (Numbers 3 and 03 are examples of identical numbers.)

Altered bat penalties (player)-
If a bat is suspected of being altered to enhance performance, a tournament official will determine if the bat will be allowed to be used in play or will request that it be voluntarily surrendered by the owner for inspection.

If the player refuses to immediately surrender the bat to tournament officials, the player will be suspended for life, the manager for one year, and the team will forfeit all games played in the current tournament.

If the player voluntarily surrenders the bat and it is found to be altered to enhance performance, the player will be suspended for ten years.

Altered bat penalties (team)-
If the player refuses to surrender the bat, or if the bat is found to be
altered to enhance performance, the team will forfeit all previously earned current season Tournament of Champions bids and is declared ineligible to participate in the current season SSUSA World Championships and Tournament of Champions.

Complete details of the rules meeting discussions and decisions can be found on the website-

Senior Softball-USA Senior Softball-USA, the largest senior softball organization, is dedicated to informing and uniting the senior softball players of America and the world.

Umpire positioning: Calling balls & strikes
At a recent meeting, UICs agreed that SSUSA umpires should be consistent in their positioning and mechanics. While there were mixed opinions about positioning for this scenario or that one, all parties agreed that umpire safety should always be a priority. This month’s issue will focus on how to set up behind the dish to get a safe and accurate result.

What is the proper set up for calling balls & strikes? Umpires working the plate in a SSUSA game should set up approximately 3-4 feet behind the back line of the batter’s box. The center of the chest should be lined up with the inside edge of home plate. From this vantage point, an umpire can accurately call balls and strikes while also picking up sharply hit balls down either of the baselines. To be clear, this requires that umpires set up on the same side of the plate as the batter.

Why is this important? Many umpires feel that standing across from home plate (and further from the bat / batter) is the safest place to be. The reality is that umpires are safest when they are close to the batter. When a batter starts his swing, the first move is to stride forward, taking him further from the umpire. If the bat slips from a batter’s hands during the swing, after their arms are extended. By that point, the bat is already clear of a properly positioned umpire. Regarding foul tips, the act of swinging the bat will send the ball forward or wide. Think about it- When was the last time you saw a batter tip one back into his own body? Umpires standing toward the opposite batter’s box are in the line of fire for both bats and balls.

Our UICs have agreed to make this safety issue a point of emphasis this year. If you are working at a tournament, please know that a UIC will likely come talk to you about positioning yourself in the slot.

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Umpires wanted for some big spring events!

Competitive pay, hotel rooms and travel money is available to those who qualify.

Contact me today
[email protected]

Before 6am, you can find James Flowers at the gym. Anytime after that, he is on the diamond.

Have another great day.

Saturday action from Loyce Harpe.
Tournament of Champions, hosted by Senior Softball USA and Central Florida Sports.

All Star game umpires from Thursday night.
Linda Weber (KS)
Kenzel Jessie (MD)
Donna McGuire (MO)
Reggie Weathersby (TX)

Teams from all over the country traveled to play. Might as well give them quality umpires from around the country, too.

DID YOU KNOW:
At just $15 for the year, SSUSA has the lowest umpire registration fees of all associations. And yes, the fee includes an insurance component!


seniorsoftball.com/forms/form_umpire.pdf

Senior Softball USA is ready to kick off another great season. We are looking for qualified umpires to help at larger regional and national events during the year.

If the idea of seeing new places (i.e. Vegas, Phoenix, Reno, Washington DC, Florida Nashville, Sacramento or the Mile High City) interests you, reach out.

If the idea of competitive pay and travel money interests you, reach out.

If the idea of working with the leader in the industry, where it is More than just a game, reach out.

www.SeniorSoftball.com