10u Strike Zone

[Guest Umpire]

Hi all,

I just recently discovered this website and this is my first post! I am a relatively new umpire for a rec league in a small town. Down here, 10u is the division that begins kid pitch. These pitchers are all over the place, and I have a hard time establishing a strike zone. If it’s too small, obviously it leads to a long boring game with everybody hating me. My zone gets larger with every new game, but it never seems to be big enough. How big should I go? Should I call anything between the batter’s boxes a strike? Or should I use a normal-ish zone and bear the consequences?

[Velho]

Bear in mind that the chalk to the plate at that level is only 4". Almost 3" of that (width of the ball) is a strike by definition so going inside chalk to inside chalk is a no-brainer. Personally I don't call pitches at the eyes a strike although a lot do (fine by me).

Not sure your rule set, but start with that. Watch what others do, especially when you do bases (you do do bases too right?  ). Bottom line, you have to sort out what works for you.

Welcome to the club and site.

[Guest Arkansas Blues]

Velho thanks for the advise. I have a 10u coming up so I will try this zone.

[SeeingEyeDog]

Strikes and outs get us home. Open up your zone as much as you can. Be wide, but avoid too much height or anything too low. Coaches can see up and down more so than side to side.

When working the bases, remember ties do NOT go to the runner. Ties go to the defense.

Don't take any static from anyone and respond accordingly and professionally.

~Dawg 

[Dottelife]

The joys of 10u baseball lol. Here is what I did, may not be text book but it worked for me. 
- I always set up in the slot on a knee. Right hand batter right knee on the ground, left hand batter left knee down. I did this for a few reasons. First it gives me a better view of the zone since most are shorter and second saved my back and knees.  
- my strike zone was chalk to chalk neck to shin. Like seeing eye dog said outs get us home and walks make it just horrible for everyone involved. 
- The key is to be consistent throughout the entire game. If a pich at the ankle is a strike in the first inning and it’s a strike in the last inning coaches may gripe but ask them if you were consistent and if they say yes you did a good job. 
 

it’s a hard age to call. 

[The Man in Blue]

I’m going to bite my tongue on a certain subject, but I will show my hypocrisy here … 😝

Here is how I find my 10u rec strike zone … Is it close and could he/she reasonably have gotten a bat on it?  Don’t take away any zone, but augment it.  

If the batter is standing closer to the plate, the pitcher is going to get a little more outside.  If the batter is standing way off the plate, the pitcher is going to get a little more inside.

Shoulders become my upper limit (no, not giving you his eyes).  I try not to extend low though.

Others will advise against this, but I would say don’t be afraid to discuss this with the coaches before the game.  Most 10u rec coaches will fully understand and be appreciative.  The coaches in the rec league I worked this spring/summer actually complained many umpires were not calling a big enough strike zone.

As @Dottelife said, give up a little accuracy and achieve more consistency.  That doesn’t mean you should continue to blow calls because you miss one, it just means the kids and the coaches should begin to learn when they they should be swinging.

[The Man in Blue]

1 hour ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

When working the bases, remember ties do NOT go to the runner. Ties go to the defense.

Wrong.  Ties go to the umpire.  😉

[ErichKeane]

I do a decent amount of "lowest division" 10U and 12U, where the pitchers are definitely all over the place.  I mention the zone in the plate meeting that it is 'generous' for that age group, and suggest they swing at anything they can get a bat on.

In reality, a strike is anything that catches any part of the 'dirt' inside the lines, then I do entirely below the nose to knees.  I don't call low pitches, because anything lower than the knees tends to bounce at those ages, and folks get ornery about those.  High pitches that go about 'nose' height get caught by the catcher about strike-zone level and get you few complaints.

At the 'mid/high division', I tend to call a better strike zone, but those kids can throw a pretty consistent strike anyway.

[Rich Ives]

10 hours ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

 

When working the bases, remember ties do NOT go to the runner. Ties go to the defense.

 

~Dawg 

WR0NG!   The rule says for an out the tag of the base must be BEFORE the runner touches it. If there is a "tie" the condition of BEFORE was NOT met so the runner is safe. 

[Rich Ives]

10U kids are small. They use short bats. They cannot reach an outside pitch. To call it a strike is total BS.

[Velho]

5 minutes ago, Rich Ives said:

10U kids are small. They use short bats. They cannot reach an outside pitch. To call it a strike is total BS.

I agree but you have to balance that with what's fair to the pitcher, the batter who is far off the plate (heels on side edge of the box) as an example.

[umpstu]

2 hours ago, Rich Ives said:

10U kids are small. They use short bats. They cannot reach an outside pitch. To call it a strike is total BS.

Plus it doesn't help in the development of the batter or the pitcher.

[dumbdumb]

2 hours ago, Rich Ives said:

WR0NG!   The rule says for an out the tag of the base must be BEFORE the runner touches it. If there is a "tie" the condition of BEFORE was NOT met so the runner is safe. 

wrong. 6.05-- a "batter is out when"

(i) after hitting a fair ball, the batter-runner or first base is tagged "before" said batter-runner touches first base;

so as long as the batter-runner is running that is true.

however--in the above above prior post(s) just the word runner is used, so let's go to the rule about runners, not being a batter-runner.

so let's go to rule 7 about the runner

7.01

A runner acquires the right to an unoccupied base when that runner touches it "before" being put out.

 

so, in 6:05 a tie goes to batter-runner (offense), and for a regular runner in 7.01 a tie goes to the fielder (defense).

 

[Rich Ives]

20 minutes ago, dumbdumb said:

wrong. 6.05-- a "batter is out when"

(i) after hitting a fair ball, the batter-runner or first base is tagged "before" said batter-runner touches first base;

so as long as the batter-runner is running that is true.

however--in the above above prior post(s) just the word runner is used, so let's go to the rule about runners, not being a batter-runner.

so let's go to rule 7 about the runner

7.01

A runner acquires the right to an unoccupied base when that runner touches it "before" being put out.

 

so, in 6:05 a tie goes to batter-runner (offense), and for a regular runner in 7.01 a tie goes to the fielder (defense).

 

Nice try - old rule book.

Current OBR since before 2012.  LL says the same thing (phrased differently) in their 2022 rule 7.08(e)

4.09(b)(6) He or the next base is tagged before he touches the next
base, after he has been forced to advance by reason of
the batter becoming a runner.

[SeeingEyeDog]

2 minutes ago, Rich Ives said:

Nice try - old rule book.

Current OBR since before 2012.  LL says the same thing (phrased differently) in their 2022 rule 7.08(e)

4.09(b)(6) He or the next base is tagged before he touches the next
base, after he has been forced to advance by reason of
the batter becoming a runner.

Did we establish we are under LL rules? I have the OP saying "10U"...lots of youth ball at 10U not being played under LL rules.

~Dawg

[agdz59]

3 hours ago, Rich Ives said:

WR0NG!   The rule says for an out the tag of the base must be BEFORE the runner touches it. If there is a "tie" the condition of BEFORE was NOT met so the runner is safe. 

If I see and hear a tie, it is an out because the sound took longer to get to me than the sight.  IE: the sound of the glove beat the touch on the bag.  OUT!

[dumbdumb]

1 hour ago, Rich Ives said:

Nice try - old rule book.

Current OBR since before 2012.  LL says the same thing (phrased differently) in their 2022 rule 7.08(e)

4.09(b)(6) He or the next base is tagged before he touches the next
base, after he has been forced to advance by reason of
the batter becoming a runner.

well, with a 10 year old i was using LL

but, for one you are using, which i believe is 5.09(b)(6), it looks like 5.06(a)(1) which comes before ever getting to 5.09 covers the out by putting the onus on the runner.

5.06 Running the Bases
(a) Occupying the Base
(1) A runner acquires the right to an unoccupied base when
he touches it before he is out. He is then entitled to it
until he is put out, or forced to vacate it for another runner
legally entitled to that base

and so how many horse races have a tie (dead heat) anyway during a year.

[Jimurray]

11 minutes ago, dumbdumb said:

well, with a 10 year old i was using LL

but, for one you are using, which i believe is 5.09(b)(6), it looks like 5.06(a)(1) which comes before ever getting to 5.09 covers the out by putting the onus on the runner.

5.06 Running the Bases
(a) Occupying the Base
(1) A runner acquires the right to an unoccupied base when
he touches it before he is out. He is then entitled to it
until he is put out, or forced to vacate it for another runner
legally entitled to that base

and so how many horse races have a tie (dead heat) anyway during a year.

Can you tag out a runner if he is touching the base? Why did OBR not change the wording of when a runner is out at 1B and instead changed when a runner is out at a forced base. FED still has conflicting verbiage depending on whether it is a fair hit at 1B, a UTK at 1B or a force at other bases. NCAA also has conflicting verbiage. But as @The Man in Blue says, "tie goes to the umpire". I don't think @Rich Ives or @beerguy55 will protest if upon being asked by them what you have, you say he didn't beat the ball at 1B when all codes require the ball to beat the runner there. But it would be better to say the ball beat him at 1B.

[Velho]

2 hours ago, umpstu said:

5 hours ago, Rich Ives said:

10U kids are small. They use short bats. They cannot reach an outside pitch. To call it a strike is total BS.

Plus it doesn't help in the development of the batter or the pitcher.

Assuming by "outside pitch" we mean beyond the rule book (i.e. none of the ball caught the plate) I'm in agreement.

[Mudisfun]

10U... assuming rec league skill sets, I call 'hittable' pitches strikes within the boarder of the knees at the bottom and the armpit at the top and pretty much line to line assuming a 4" box offset.

10U travel or select where they actually can often times pitch? I call a less favorable to the pitcher zone.

Rec league, no one came to watch little Johnny walk... as long as the zone is reasonable, the batters will swing, occasionally they will hit the ball, people will cheer, kids will run, fielders will field (or not), things will happen and maybe, just maybe, fun will ensue. 

[ousafe]

On 6/4/2022 at 7:07 AM, Rich Ives said:

10U kids are small. They use short bats. They cannot reach an outside pitch. To call it a strike is total BS.

This reminder was super helpful to me last night in a 10u (LL minors) playoff game. It had been 5 years since doing that level and it was shocking how small some of the kids were. Smooth game. Thank you Rich!

[ArchAngel72]

Wow the back and forth here on the rules is amazing.

 

Pregame meeting I establish with both coaches its a large zone tonight so tell the kids to swing away.

 

I will tell them "LL tells me the zone is from armpits to the top of the knees and over a part of the plate. Here is where I will expand that they are getting from batters box line to batters box line  and from top of the shoulders to the bottom of the knee."

Batters boxes are only 4 inches off the plate so that's like one ball off the plate I usually unless someone's standing way off the plate don't give the inside portion of that but if they are way off I call it as well as the outside portion.

I have NEVER had either coach complain or say but that's not right or too big.  They always say thank you and yes we will tell them to swing or they say awesome or great!

Key is be consistent and fair with both teams.

Now 12 U I go by the book..  I do not widen or alter it for them.

[agdz59]

I would expand even at 12U or 7th grade ball when a pitcher was obviously struggling. When I did, I'd inform both coaches. Like you, nobody ever complained.