Strike Zone Width

[HumblePie]

So ... I'm posing some questions because there is very little consensus of how terms are used such as:

... Strike Zone

... Corner

... River

... White line

... Paint

I call a lot of travel ball at a high level (PBR) and unless we are calling the top of the top level, we call strikes for pitches that are up to but not touching the white lines (batter's boxes).  For those counting at home, that is a precise width of 29".  River (6") + plate (17") + River (6").  

If you call just the plate, just the WHITE, and you call a strike for anything "painting" the white, that's a width of about 23" outside to outside of the ball.  If you use the black, add 2 inches.

When a batter asks, "Blue, was that the corner?"  I am saying YES if the outside of the ball was painting the batter's box.

When a batter asks if that painted the zone, I only say yes if it painted the plate.

I would appreciate any discussions on the true width of zones you call.

Even for Varsity HS, I would guess my zone is 27" wide from outside to outside of the ball.  This came from a widely shared video produced by FED.

[jimurrayalterego]

42 minutes ago, HumblePie said:

 

I call a lot of travel ball at a high level (PBR) and unless we are calling the top of the top level, we call strikes for pitches that are up to but not touching the white lines (batter's boxes).  For those counting at home, that is a precise width of 29".  River (6") + plate (17") + River (6").  

 

I want inside pitches that are not breaking balls to be closer to the plate.

[BigBlue4u]

We can argue all day about the strike zone.  The most important element is, is the umpire consistent?  Batters can adjust if an umpire is consistent.  If the umpire is not consistent, then it's everyone for himself.

[Velho]

added dimension: is the strike zone a D, 🛑, or 🟦 shape

[The Man in Blue]

My question is: How many of you are actually seeing batter's boxes 6 inches off the plate regularly?!

If you are, let me add a "frame of reference" . . . 

The batter has his toe on the inside of batter's box line.  The line is 2 1/2" wide.  It is 6 inches to the plate.  The plate is 17" wide.  It is 6" to the other batter's box.  That line is 2 1/2" wide.

If you are calling a strike on the opposite batter's box line, you are calling a strike almost a yard away from the batter.  Kid better grab a longer bat or bring his meterstick next time.

[Velho]

11 hours ago, The Man in Blue said:

Kid better grab a longer bat or bring his meterstick next time.

This is a consideration for me when I do 10U and kids are 4' tall

[The Man in Blue]

12 hours ago, Velho said:

This is a consideration for me when I do 10U and kids are 4' tall

I totally understand that there are those levels and those games.  I guess my words of wisdom are "do not define the zone this way; call pitches that are hittable, wherever that is."

[JSam21]

Top and bottom are pretty explanitory. 

Corner is a pitch that is on the plate.

Edge is as far as I'm going. 

[noumpere]

Rule book (paraphrased) : if any part of the ball crosses over any part of the plate, it’s a strike. 
 

better for most of us (assuming the boxes are marked correctly): if any part of the ball crosses over any part of the batters box line, it’s a ball. 

[834k3r]

6 hours ago, noumpere said:

Rule book (paraphrased) : if any part of the ball crosses over any part of the plate, it’s a strike. 
 

better for most of us (assuming the boxes are marked correctly): if any part of the ball crosses over any part of the batters box line, it’s a ball. 

I've had that conversation with F2s in front of me. "I'm giving you some off the plate, but I won't give you anything over the batter's box." If I tell one team's F2, I tell the other.

The comment about marked correctly is understated, but completely germane. There are times where the batter's box line is only a couple of inches from the plate, which reduces the amount of channel/river I give.

[jimurrayalterego]

1 hour ago, 834k3r said:

I've had that conversation with F2s in front of me. "I'm giving you some off the plate, but I won't give you anything over the batter's box." If I tell one team's F2, I tell the other.

The comment about marked correctly is understated, but completely germane. There are times where the batter's box line is only a couple of inches from the plate, which reduces the amount of channel/river I give.

If I'm the PU I wipe out inside, front or back if they are not right.

[HumblePie]

50 minutes ago, jimurrayalterego said:

If I'm the PU, I wipe out inside, front or back if they are not right.

Precisely!

Among other brands, I do high school, and my Assignor has always told us that we "must go by the lines."

Hogwash.

Even Varsity High School fields are mismarked, especially batter's boxes, and we are not to be held hostage to them.

Edited 6 hours ago by HumblePie
grammar

[Velho]

5 minutes ago, HumblePie said:

Even Varsity high school games have Mis-marked fields, especially batter's boxes, and we are not to be held hostage to them.

Like the turf at a local school that has the boxes at 4" 😳

[HumblePie]

26 minutes ago, Velho said:

Like the turf at a local school that has the boxes at 4" 😳

And I'm not doubting you, Velho, but to all ... make sure if you are accusing, you are measuring from the white edge of the plate (not the black) to the edge of the batter's box line ... should be precisely 6".

I, too, have seen batter's boxes as close to 3" from the white edge in a Varsity game.  The young coach's retort was, "It can't be wrong ... we use a template to draw our lines."

So sad ...

[jimurrayalterego]

29 minutes ago, Velho said:

Like the turf at a local school that has the boxes at 4" 😳

 

30 minutes ago, Velho said:

Like the turf at a local school that has the boxes at 4" 😳

I've never seen an artificial turf field with bad lines anywhere. 

[HumblePie]

Little League has its own batter's box dimensions.  I don't call LL, but I've spoken to dozens who do, and too many "coaches" and admins think there is no difference between LL and every other brand of big boy baseball.

These are the same coaches and admins who don't know that fast pitch girls' softball has a longer box on the front end.

[Velho]

30 minutes ago, HumblePie said:

Little League has its own batter's box dimensions

Correct fro both baseball and softball LL is 4" off plate for 12U and below, 6" for older ages. (that means different boxes for a 60' field if older vs younger softball).

32 minutes ago, HumblePie said:

These are the same coaches and admins who don't know that fast pitch girls' softball has a longer box on the front end.

Yep. And that they are narrower as well.