Determining Slow Pitch Height

Question
I am an ASA umpire and struggle at times with determining if a pitch is under the legal height of 12 ft for Slow Pitch softball. Is there any kind of mental reference you can suggest to help to call a pitch that is over 12 ft ?

Answer
Hi Mike,

Thank you for being part of a great organization as an ASA umpire.

First of all relax, the 12' ceiling will come with experience and education.  Go to all the state and national schools you can, that will help.  Here in my area we string lines between 2 poles 50' apart and throw pitch after pitch and let the umpires watch from the front, side and back to get a feeling for the both heights.

Watch other games when your not umpiring, with senior umpires working and watch their height from the side and back, that will help.  

If you make yourself available for ASA tournies in your area a UIC (like me) will teach and instruct you.  You will learn more in a weekend than you would by yourself in a year, I promise that with the right UIC.

I can assure you if you work at it and do the things I have suggested after a while it will become 2nd nature and you will have that mental reference and hit at least 99 out of 100.

Mark