The Defined Strike Zone

papa


We play in many states and we are a HS level travel team---the strike zone is never define--it varies from state to state, county to county and town to town

As a coach you learn to adjust and teach your players to do the same

To answer your question, the strike zone is a 17 inch wide column above homeplate that extends from just under the batters letters to the hollow of the knee while in a normal stance.....

Now to the reality of it all....I am taking much of this response from a former thread here at HSBBW and I encourage you to search for it as it addresses much about the zone and how it is called. The thread was called "borderline pitches"

But to my answer....we all try to call the strike zone as described in the rule book. Going back on my training, I can tell you based on video proof, that I call the borderline pitch inside and low a strike, but the outside and up pitch a ball.....now that is defining "my zone" over the strict rule book zone....

Its a condition of my height, my stance, my experience and probably a hundred other factors.......I keep working to refine my zone to fit into the rule book, but truth be told, I probably wont ever get it book rule perfect.....


I hesitate to offer this statement since usually this is the childs way out, but I will offer that it isnt as easy as it seems.....But I will guarantee you that I will keep trying to get better.......

Despite all our efforts, I feel there will always be some variance.......but I will try to get better......if at any time I feel I am doing "good enough" and fail to work on refining my game......I will call it a career.......

hope this helps understanding of my point of view....

Every umpire calls the zone to the best of his ability. The problem is every ump also has his own perception of pitches. An ump's strike zone is part experience, part ability, part training. It can even be influenced by his physical well being at the time. A tired or injured ump isn't going to call the same zone as when he is well rested or physically fit.
For example, I will give a little off the plate or I give the knees. If it is both it is a ball. I am stingy inside for two reasons. One I can see it better and I don't want batters hit.

So there is no define strike zone !!!!!


I truly do not care what zone an ump uses--just be consistant so that the pitchers and hitters can adjust and I am talking for both teams

I don't know about the strike zone. It is a well known fact the catchers and umpires have a special relationship. I would not say that umpires give an advantage to catchers that they may not give to anyone else who protects their well being during a game.

I watched a LL game the other night and a young catcher was doing a fine job. His pitcher was not helping him out at all. After blocking three staight balls in the dirt the next pitch got away high and went off the umpire's shoulder pretty hard. No coaching involved here, the young catcher turned and ran back to the ump, said are you ok? He was fine and gave the kid a pat in the head. The kid said, I'm sorry I let that one get by, it won't happen again sir.

That kid may not have an automatic advantage the next time he comes to the plate, but if he works you to a full count you better make a good pitch if you want to sit him down. That's just the way it is. And the way it should be.

It goes both way.

bbp, the "nothing above the belt" was largely a trickledown from the pros.

From my observations, the older the age, the lower the top of the strike zone gets.

T'would be a dream to have it called by the book. But seldom happens.

The most you can ask for is consistency.

Hitters and pitchers must learn to observe closely and determine what an individual ump's zone is on that particular day. Then adjust accordingly.

I really started this asking too many questions. Is there a different definition in the rule book of what constitutes the strike zone from high school to pro ball? Do some books say one thing and another book another thing? Just wondering here. It is interesting to see a very knowledgable coach say there is no definition of a strike zone.

Wait a minute...... we're not talking machine pitch here are we?

Here are the two definitions...you decide....

NFHS Rule 2-35

The strike zone is that space over home plate, the top of which is halfway between the batters shoulders and the waistline, and the bottom being the knees, when he assumes his natural batting stance.

OBR Strike zone definition

The strike zone is that space over home plate, the upper limit of which is a horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants, and the lower level is a line at the hollow beneath the knee cap. The strike zone shall be determined from the batter's stance as the batter is prepared to swing at a pitched ball.

The problem with the defined strike zone in higher levels of baseball is that the high pitch in the zone (midpoint between belt and letters) is a tough pitch to hit. You don't even see the major league umps calling it. I got the best advice from a veteran ump at a meeting last week. His zone is from the hollows of the knees to right above the belt. He then pointed out that he "doesn't waste any of the zone the rule book gives him," and he gives a little on the inside of the plate, and a little more on the outside of the plate. As an umpire you will never get in trouble by calling a ball length or two on the outside, and nothing more than a ball length extra on the inside; I believe it is the times when you call that high pitch that is technically in the strike zone a strike where you run into trouble. A first year umpire probably says "the strike zone is the strike zone." Trust me, I used to do the same thing, but, if you start calling pitches up and in, you're in trouble, if you call em' strikes on the outside and at the knees, you won't have to run anyone.

I thiink "strike" on every pitch.

Interesting topic; the "top of the zone". Eddie Hickoc, at the clinic we attended. Asked us all while doing plate work, "do you think the major league umpires call the Rule Book Strike Zone?"

We said no! To a person, the consensus, was you never call the high strike.

He then put a batter up, in his normal ready stance and held a ruler at the top of the defined zone, we all agree that was the spot on the batter.

He then directed the batter to swing a for us to watch the same spot, it consistently dropped 3 inches during "the swing" which is what he claims proffesional umpires call.

I am known for not giving the high strike, though I certainly try and call em all by the book. I've run this through my head a million times. Must be from my pitching and coaching days, keep the ball down. But like many have said, it's something you'll alway be working on and mulling around. I've had many games with nary even a groan, and others where it seems every other pitch is commented on? The deal is, we are not high speed camera's, nor do we get the slo-mo instant replay, nor does any one else at the ball park, everyone has a perception on the strike zone, and I don't think you'll ever see two exactly the same.

Watched the M's first two games, and game ones zone, was IMP, very different from last nights. That's baseball.

Most umps I have seen do a really good job. If I could suggest something to the bad ones it would be to call the inside strike a strike. The plate is stationary. If the hitter chooses to crowd it, don't move the zone. Give the pitcher that strike. It is a strike. If the hitter is hit, it is because they are too close to the plate. Some are too close because some umps call two balls off the outside of the plate a strike. It becomes a circle of a problem.

I say I'm stingy inside I mean for everybody. If anything hits the plate I give it but I'm not giving anything that is off the plate inside. If a batter chooses to crowd the plate, I'm not changing the zone to give him any advantage. I had a kid the other day that did exactly that and watched a curve ball hit him. I kept him in the box, coach wasn't happy but it was the right call.

Just curious, MT, do you "give" anything on the outside?

Saw that in the ACC a couple of weeks ago. If the ball is a ball high but the batter is over the plate and it hits him, is it a ball or a strike?

The kid leaned on the plate, but the pitch was high and would have been a ball. I think it was called a strike.

Yes, I will give a little outside but it haas to be a hittable pitch. There are some that go so far out you could never reach it. Most batters have enough plate coverage to swing and hit that pitch. This is why I don't give much inside, it's not hittable and it can be dangerous.
In answer to baseballpapa if it is in the zone and the batter gets hit it's a strike. If it's high then it's a ball.

If you give a ball width to the outside, you ought to give it inside. It's not dangerous. It's part of the game. It's sad that the blues have taken away the inside of the plate from the pitchers. Especially in the MLB.

The inside pitch can be hit, in fact pulled with great power. IF the batter isn't hanging his toes on the plate.

I say if any part hits the plate inside I will give it to you. This means that a ball width inside is a strike. I don't think we are saying anything different in theory just semanticly.

Not semantics. Sorry I wasn't clear. I meant a ball width off the inside corner. E.g., you expand the outside corner a little, but not the inside corner.

You are proving that there is no defined strike zone with your definitions--- I undertstand that--all I ask is that whatever your strike zone is , to be consistant so our pitchers and hitters can adapt