SOFTBALL AUSTRALIA UMPIRING

MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2017 EDITION

www.softball.org.au

Blues News Online

The official Softball Australia National Umpiring Committee Publication.

Published Since 2001

Softball Australia Level 1, Suite 2, 273 Wellington Street,

Collingwood, Vic 3066

National Umpiring Committee

National Umpiring Committee Executive

Scott Rindfleish Communication

Debbie Grove Development

Kyira Cox Operations

Leigh Evans Technical

The Softball Australia National Umpiring Program is led by the National Umpiring Committee Executive; comprising the four joint National Umpire’s in Chief. With equal leadership responsibility the four UIC’s will continue to focus on the key portfolios of Communications, Development, Operations, and Technical. Communication with World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) on umpiring matters relating to Australia is a core priority for the NUC. To best facilitate this, a central point of contact has been created and the role ‘NUIC-WBSC (elect)’ will be held by one of the four National UIC’s. This is an elect position and at a NUC Executive Meeting, Leigh Evans was appointed NUIC-WBSC (elect).

National Staff Members

Communication Richard Barrow

Jesse Smith

Development Ron Houison

Chris Trengove

Operations Krissi Travers

Technical Jason Carter

Darrell Shephard

ANNOUNCEMENT

Chris Trengove

National Staff – Development

Softball Australia and the National Umpiring Committee Executive are pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Trengove to the position of NUC Staff Member – Development. Chris is a level 6 umpire from Victoria, and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the NUC. In addition to a proven track record in umpiring, Chris is also a skilful and senior statistician having represented Australia on multiple occasions at international events. Chris is also a member of the National Scoring Committee and has provided Softball Australia with use of his website capturing national and international event results. Congratulations and welcome!

In This Edition National Umpiring Committee – Structure

National Umpiring Program Annual Meeting

2017 Vivienne Triplett Umpire of the Year

Review of 2017 Softball Australia Rules Exam - Tough Questions

Softball Australia Umpire Resources

Website updates - Manuals, Mechanics and Resources

Technical Bulletin

International Reports

Play For A Cure

New South Wales articles

Northern Territory article

Queensland articles

Victoria articles

Review of 2017 Softball Australia Rules Exam - Answers to Tough Questions

Calendar of Events 06 - 12 Jan 2018 - Open Women’s National Softball Championship, Mirrabooka, WA

06 - 12 Jan 2018 - U17 Girls’ National Softball Championship, Blacktown, NSW

06 - 12 Jan 2018 - U17 Boys’ National Softball Championship, Blacktown, NSW

06 - 12 Jan 2018 - U15 Girls’ Regional Softball Championship, Mirrabooka, WA

14 - 20 Jan 2018 - Open Men’s National Softball Championship, Hawker, ACT

14 - 20 Jan 2018 - U15 Boys’ Regional Softball Championship, Hawker, ACT

22 - 28 Jan 2018 - U19 Men’s National Softball Championship, Blacktown, NSW

22 - 28 Jan 2018 - U19 Women’s National Softball Championship, Blacktown, NSW

01 - 04 Feb 2018 - Asia Pacific Cup, Blacktown, NSW

04 - 06 May 2018 - Australia Cup, West Beach, SA

09 - 13 Jul 2018 - International Friendship Series, Redlands, Qld

11 - 14 Jul 2018 - U23 Men’s/Women’s National Softball Championship, Redlands, Qld

State Director’s of Umpiring

Mark Gallagher

Scott Rindfleish

Darren Sibraa

Steve Wallace-Yarrow

Wayne Clarke

Trevor Murphy

Roy Cox

National Umpiring Program Annual Meeting

SCOTT RINDFLEISH

The Annual Meeting of the Softball Australia National Umpiring Program is one of the most important meetings on the umpiring calendar as all the senior key stakeholders come together to collaborate on all aspects of the National Umpiring Program. The National UIC’s, State Directors and NUC Staff Members came together with members of Staff at the Softball Australia Office for an interactive and dynamic annual meeting. This year like previous, the meeting explored the year’s activities, state and national components and discussed upcoming events. A significant change was implemented by using an interactive and facilitative style of meeting management. The board table was

removed and by opening up the room, people moved around and interacted in a free-flowing workshop style meeting that sparked many great ideas and with an air of openness all attendees shared thoughts and innovations for the positive future of our program. Thank you to all attendees for your fantastic contribution to a very positive meeting. You can read the Agenda summary below to see the core topics covered throughout the meeting. The Lead Presenter/Facilitator is listed so you may contact them if you wish to get more information or ask any questions. The NUC want all members to be up to date and aware of the new and exciting aspects of our program.

MEETING AGENDA (Presenter/Facilitator)

SATURDAY 1. What are the State Director Needs & Wants?

Brainstorming and Discussions (All)

What are your objectives?

What do you expect from the NUC?

What do you need to be successful as an SDU? 2. What are the needs & wants of umpires at different

levels in your state? (All) A workshop to explore what and how to deliver excellence at the state level.

Club Umpire | Junior State Championships Umpire | Senior State Championships Umpire

3. New Umpiring Innovations (All) a. Uniforms and merchandise

4. Umpires Operating Code Updates (Kyira Cox)

5. WBSC New and Changing Mechanics, Bat Testing (Leigh Evans)

6. NUC Structure Presentation (Kyira Cox)

7. Technical Bulletins (Leigh Evans) 8. Softball Australia Umpire Programs (Debbie Grove)

Development Programs and Resources

Level 1 Accreditation

WBSC Clinic 9. GROW: Developing a State Strategic Plan -

Workshop (Scott Rindfleish) 10. Accreditation Database (Brooke Wilkins)

SUNDAY 1. National UIC Presentations (4 NUIC’s) 2. State Directors of Umpiring - State Updates

(State Directors) 3. Nationals Leadership Program – New initiative for

2018 National Championships (Debbie Grove) 4. Developing a State Mentoring Program - Workshop

(Scott Rindfleish) 5. GROW: Action Planning & State Partnerships for

future collaboration (Scott Rindfleish)

Annual Meeting Survey & Comments

Overall Satisfaction Rating 90%: Excellent/Very Good

What did you like about the event? Chance to catch up and discuss various topics.

Technical update, Mentoring and GROW.

Workshopping, it wasn't all one-way communication, everyone got involved.

Good flow of ideas from all involved.

The interaction and involvement of most with value-added input.

The working format.

Update on umpiring resources, and opportunity to network with other State Directors.

There was lots of good communication. Gave every state a chance to ask questions, if needed.

Learning a load of stuff to bring back to the state.

Ability for all states, no matter what your state is doing or how big it is, to participate. Staff members being involved to see how they all fit to deliver the program. That also acts as a development opportunity for them.

Most Beneficial Components Mentoring - it provided thoughts and initiatives to

increase the capability of our umpires.

The mentoring session as it was very helpful and informative.

Mentoring session allowed me to think about a more active role I can play and think about my own mentor going forward.

GROW Strategic Planning as it gave lots of thoughts about the future.

It was informative to identify that each state body has similar challenges and I took away ideas that I

believe I can share with associations within my state to improve our training throughput.

Ideas generation - as a collective we all bring a varied set of skills, experience and interests ... getting the value out of that was good.

Technical and Development updates. Information was provided on changes that directly influence the States.

What are the needs & wants of umpires at different levels.

Comments about the meeting format… Very happy with the program for the weekend.

In my professional life I have attended numerous similar workshops for annual or strategic planning. This style has the benefit of involving people and stimulating ideas that can be taken back to the state forum and every Association.

Much better than a formal seating arrangement. It helps to remove barriers

It was informative and useful for new people, and less informational for those with experience. Some good ideas.

It was great for a change. Got stuck on some workshops too long.

I liked it, it wasn't all one-way communication, everyone got involved.

Very informative.

Good. It took a while for some states to participate, once they warmed up everyone had an equal opportunity to participate, provide feedback as ideas etc.

A great step in the right direction to encourage collaboration and sharing of ideas.

Group Discussions, Bat Testing and Brainstorming Umpiring Ideas

2017 Vivienne Triplett Umpire of the Year

JASON CARTER (Victoria)

The National Umpiring Committee and the Softball Australia

Umpiring Community is very pleased to congratulate and celebrate the

success of the 2017 Vivienne Triplett Umpire of the Year - Jason Carter.

2017 has been a great year for Jason, with the notable highlight of umpiring

at the 2017 15th WBSC Men’s World Championship in the Yukon, Canada.

Jason has been a member of the Victorian Umpiring Committee since 2005

and has acted as a senior umpire trainer and assessor, Tournament Chief

Umpire and Deputy Chief Umpire at state championships. He has led the

way with Softball Victoria’s Zero Tolerance Policy and has acted as a

mentor for Victorian WBSC candidates. Jason has officiated at more than

20 national championships between 2005-2017.

Jason serves on the National Umpiring Committee with the Technical

Committee, assisting with the development of umpire training materials. He

has been appointed as an assessor for national championships.

An active member of the Werribee Softball Association, Jason serves as a senior umpire, training and mentoring both

junior and intermediate umpires. He is a positive role model amongst the wider softball community, establishing

relationships with players, coaches and fellow umpires.

International Tournaments:

2014 - Memorial Vancouver Challenge & 10th WBSC Junior Men’s World Championship

2015 - European Premier Cup (Women) & European Super Cup (Men)

2017 - 15th WBSC Men’s World Championship

The National Umpiring Committee also celebrates the Softball Australia Hall Of Fame Inductees Adam Humble,

Nathan Jones and Kris Kiefel.

Read more:

http://www.softball.org.au/hall-of-fame-recipients-and-umpire-of-the-year/

Jason Carter, clearing the counter and on the clock during the WBSC Grand Final

2017 Rules Assessment Review of the Tough Questions (Part 3) By your head-in-the-rule-book correspondent

As a follow-on from our earlier ‘tough ten’ article in September, here is our conclusion to this two-part series. The 2017 Softball Australia Rules Assessment was held in April, again using the online Rules Portal. From a large database of questions, umpires across Australia received a random set of 100 different questions to test their rules knowledge. Of course, staying sharp from a rules perspective should be a constant goal for all umpires, and the best way to do that is to practice and review throughout the year, not just cram in some pre-assessment study. To that end, we outline another ten of the toughest questions from the 2017 Open Rules Assessment for your review. Have a crack at them, and we will provide the answers later in this edition of BNOL.

2017 Softball Australia Rules Assessment

Question Total

Correct Total

Incorrect %

Incorrect

K

None out, R1 on 3rd and R2 on 1st, with F3 playing behind the baseline. B3 hits a line drive ground ball that strikes R2, who is still standing on the base, before it passes a fielder other than the pitcher. F3 picks up the ball and tags R2, who by now is off base, then touches the base to force B3 out. R1 advances home on the play. RULING: All plays are legal, so the run scores on the double play.

7 32 82%

L

A Turn at Bat begins when a player first enters the batter's box and continues until he is put out, or becomes a runner. 12 40 77%

M

A batter interferes with a play at home plate in an attempt to prevent an obvious out on an advancing runner at the plate. RULING: The runner should be called out, along with the batter, with other runners returning to the last base held at the time of the pitch.

13 33 72%

N The umpire should call play ball when the pitcher is outside the pitcher s circle and this is delaying the game. 14 27 66%

O The batter becomes a batter-runner and the ball is always alive, when a fair-batted ball strikes the person or clothing of an umpire standing in fair territory. 12 22 65%

P

When a runner, in an attempt to break up an obvious double play, deliberately interferes with a fielder attempting to field a batted ball, the runner closest to home plate is always declared out.

9 15 63%

Q

With R1 on third base, the first base coach interferes with F3 attempting to catch a foul fly ball. The Batter Runner is out. 12 16 57%

R A starting player who has been illegally substituted cannot return to the game as a Re-Entry. 11 14 56%

S When a batter-runner is called out for creating interference, the ball is dead and all other runners must return to the last base legally touched at the time of the interference.

13 15 54%

T

R3 on 3rd and R4 on 1st, with none out. B5 hits the next pitch to F6, who throws to F4 at 2nd completing the force out. R4, who is still on his feet, intentionally knocks F4's arm, making the throw for the double play go well wide of F3. R3 scores after the interference and B5 advances to 2nd. RULING: R4 and B5 are out, R3 must return to 3rd and the ball is dead.

15 15 50%

Remember, there are resources available to assist you in keeping your rules knowledge fresh.

Softball Australia Umpire Resources

Rule Book The Softball Australia Rule Book is available in both electronic and printed versions. Both options are accessible via http://www.softball.org.au/merchandise/

Technical Bulletins Technical Bulletins contain information relating to Rules and Interpretations of the current playing rules. They are published at http://www.softball.org.au/technical-bulletins/

Online Rules Assessment Portal The Softball Australia Rules Assessment online facility offers a year-round 30-question practice assessment. http://www.softball.org.au/2121-2/softball-rules-assessment/ Why not schedule that in every couple of months to keep you on your toes.

Rules Resources From any of the National Umpiring Program pages of the Softball Australia website, http://www.softball.org.au/national-umpiring-program/ the “Softball Rules” sub-menu has a number of relevant sections to assist you in developing and maintaining your rules knowledge, including a quick-view version of the Rule Book and an “Ask The Umpire” facility.

Website Updates - Manuals, Mechanics & Resources Check out the recent updates and additions to the Umpiring Program area of the Softball Australia website.

Quick link (bookmark this) http://www.softball.org.au/national-umpiring-program/ All areas are then accessible from the umpiring program sub-menus, as seen above. About Us / Softball Rules / Accreditation / Umpire Roster / Blues News / Recognition / National Events / Merchandise / Resources, each with their own subsequent drop-menu. Why not navigate through the various areas to get yourself familiar with the site.

On the “Accreditation” menu, the Level 3/4 umpiring manual has

now been published. There have also been updates and refreshes to the Level 1 and Level 2 umpiring manuals. You should always use the latest manuals for any training you deliver, as well as for your own development – these are great resources and give us a high quality standardised nationwide program.

On the “Resources” menu, as well as Technical Bulletins, you will

find Mechanical Bulletins and general Umpiring Resources. Those working a 3-umpire system should read the latest Mechanical Bulletin MB-2017-1 which outlines a range of variations to our starting positions, movements and mechanics. Mechanical Bulletins are available on the sub-menu under Resources or at http://www.softball.org.au/mechanical-bulletins/ Also in the Umpiring Resources section, there has been refreshes to the Umpiring Program Operating Code, tournament guides and the TCU and Assessors manuals. See them at http://www.softball.org.au/umpiring-resources/ Another recent Technical Bulletin of interest is TB-2017-1 issued Sep 2017 that explains the Bat Certification Verification Procedure http://www.softball.org.au/technical-bulletins/

In addition, there is TB-2017-2 issued Sep 2017 that explains the Bat Compression Testing Procedure, also available on the technical bulletins page. This bat compression testing will be in use at the 2018 Australian National Championships. We hope you gain value from the National Umpiring Program website and the resources and tools provided there.

TECHNICAL BULLETIN

Updated Rules and Technical Bulletin As many of you will be aware, updated rules will apply to the upcoming 2018 Australian National Championships. Umpires - you should contact your local competition organiser to determine when these rule changes will apply to your specific competitions, and your SDU to determine when these rule changes will apply to your State tournaments. Please read the SAL News Item issued on Nov 8th http://www.softball.org.au/2018-national-championship-rule-changes/ Please read the Technical Bulletin TB-2017-03 issued Nov 2017 that explains the rule changes http://www.softball.org.au/technical-bulletins/ During the Rule Book changeover period, Softball Australia will continue to use the 2013 – 2017 Rule Book in conjunction with this Technical Bulletin for the 2018 Australian Championship season. As these rules will be implemented at the 2018 WBSC World Championship events, Softball Australia has directed that all the new rules will apply to Australian National Championships from the date of the Bulletin. The World Baseball Softball Confederation – Softball Division (WBSC-SD) review and update the international playing rules every four years at the WBSC Congress.

Of the twenty-four approved rule change proposals, eleven were for housekeeping, simply rewording the rule to help with the interpretation of the rule without affecting the intent of the rule.

The approved changes affecting the way we play the game relate to: 1. Appeals 2. Bench Area 3. Illegal Glove 4. Strike Zone 5. Uniform 6. Pitching

The ‘highlight’ change to the Pitching rule is flexibility with the starting position of the back foot. Remember - you should contact your local competition organiser to determine when these rule changes will apply to your competitions, and your SDU to determine when these rule changes will apply to your State tournaments.

From Far North Coast to Florida

WBSC XII Jnr Women’s World Softball Championship JAY GIBSON I was absolutely overwhelmed and extremely excited to receive the phone call back in February to say, “congratulations you have been selected to umpire in Florida” at the Junior Women’s World Championship. Before I knew it I was on a flight to LA to commence my world championship debut. It was comforting that I already knew five umpires on the crew, so that was a great advantage. Once I arrived in Clearwater Florida, after around 23 hours transiting, I was glad to see my hotel room and some familiar faces from the Aussie Junior Spirit team. The very next day I umpired a practice match between New Zealand and Australia. Here I met up with Dave Fortin from NZ, who I had umpired with in Christchurch in 2014. The next afternoon all world championship umpires were to meet at our new home for the next 10 days. Day One saw us meet and greet our fellow crew members and also collect our uniforms. As there were 30 umpires on the crew, this was not a quick process. The next day was the technical meeting and bat checks, which was a large undertaking as 27 countries were competing. That afternoon we had our umpire’s meeting with WBSC Director of Umpiring, Bob Stanton, and received the first day’s umpire appointments. Following this we participated in the opening ceremony, which took place on a stunning Florida beach. Game day! With high expectations, the day had arrived. We finally had the opportunity to pull on our WBSC uniforms and umpire some amazing games alongside some fantastic umpires. Being in Florida the weather was challenging as most days were hotter and more humid than our January Nationals! There were no compulsory drink breaks so drinking litres of water before each game was essential. Most days we all had two or three games to umpire, with the last time slot beginning at 7.00pm. Every night the entire crew met with the supervisors at our accommodation, which was the same Golf Resort in Clearwater that hosts the PGA Golf Championship every March, to discuss the day that was. The week was very enjoyable and allowed me to form great international friendships. I was privileged to work under WBSC Director of Umpiring Bob Stanton and his

Assistant Umpires-in-Chief: Chris Drumm, WBSC Regional Umpire Coordinator – North America; Haruhi Goto, WBSC Regional Umpire Coordinator – Asia; and Santos Vazquez – South America. Both Santos and Haruhi umpired at the 2004 Athens Olympics and, along with Chris Drumm, offered wonderful insights each and every game. The end of the rounds saw the intensity of play increase as teams tried every defensive and offensive strategy in their arsenal to secure their spot in the top eight. After umpiring all week and doing the best I could, and after years of preparation, I was humbled to be appointed to 1st Base on the Major Semi Final. This was a battle between Japan and the USA, which would see the winner advancing through to the Gold Medal Match. This attracted a massive Team USA crowd which gave the game an amazing atmosphere. This was a fantastic opportunity and privilege to umpire. That night the UIC’s put a dinner and drinks on to extend their appreciation for our efforts over the past 10 days. At the conclusion of dinner we all waited for the final day’s allocations. I was not expecting anything as I had already umpired the major semi, and most umpires were ticking off their second world championship. Chris Drum asked whether she should hand out the roster or she should say them aloud. All umpires agreed for them to be read aloud. Names were read out for allocations for play-off games and then the Gold Medal Game umpires were announced:

Plate – Scott McLaren [Canada]

1st Base – Zdenek Zidek [Czech Republic]

2nd Base – Sabrina Fabrizi [Italy]

3rd Base – Jay Gibson [Australia] To hear my name read out left me ecstatic! I never had any expectations to have this prestigious appointment. I was thrilled enough that Softball Australia had selected me to represent our great country at this event, let alone being appointed to the Gold Medal Game. This was by far the best achievement of my career. On reflection, being appointed to the Junior Women’s World Championship has made me realize how well regarded the Australian National Umpiring Program is internationally.

I would like to thank my wife, Breanna, for her continued support throughout my umpiring journey thus far. Also, I extend my gratitude to my Softball NSW umpire family who have always pushed me to be the best I can. And to members of the National

Umpiring Program and Softball Australia, I thank you for your continued support, training and encouragement. This was an experience I will always treasure.

Jay Gibson in action on the plate, calling a strike in the Great Britain v China game

2017 WBSC Junior Women’s Softball World Championship Umpiring Staff

ARGENTINA: PENARROYA, Javier AUSTRALIA: GIBSON, Jay & DUFF, Warren BAHAMAS: SEARS, Thomas BULGARIA: ATANASOVA, Mariana CANADA: MCLAREN, Scott & MICHAUD, Annie CHINA: YU, Zhiling CHINESE TAIPEI: YU, Ko Chin CUBA: CUE, Maikel CZECH REPUBLIC: ZIDEK, Zdeněk FRANCE: LAUTIER, Franck GERMANY: SINGER, Christian GREAT BRITAIN: MCCASKILL, Jana & CAMERON, Bridget ISRAEL: ARON, Brian ITALY: FABRIZI, Sabrina JAPAN: SUDA, Saeko & OTA, Masao KOREA: JEON, Munsook MEXICO: ROJO, Jorge NETHERLANDS: GIESKENS, Bob NEW ZEALAND: FORTIN, David NICARAGUA: RODRIGUEZ Jose PUERTO RICO: MORALES, Jose SOUTH AFRICA: KGOMO, Kgatla UNITED STATES: VILLA, Mindy & DUNBAR, Matt & GEHOSKI, Jason & BRUNO, Cindi.

Canada Cup and U19 Women’s World Championship WARREN DUFF The numbers speak for themselves:

7 weeks

11 plane flights

4 countries

2 trains

1 cruise ship

Plus 35 games of softball umpired across two tournaments

And all shared with my wife Michelle with a 5 year old and a 6 month old in tow. My previous international appointments, Michelle had been unable to go. Being on maternity leave with our new son, there was no way I was going to the Canada Cup without her. She was busily planning a holiday post tournament, when I found out I was also going to the U19 Women’s Worlds in Clearwater. The Worlds were a week after the Canada Cup, which threw all the planning out the window – until my travel agent informed Michelle that a round the world ticket was going to be cheaper. After 23 hours of flying, we started in Vancouver with a couple of days to acclimatise. I caught up with a few of the umpires traveling to the Men’s Worlds before boarding a cruise ship to Alaska. An amazing 8 days but then into business calling some exhibition games at Softball City, in Surry BC - a good way to get the cobwebs out after the cruise. The UIC was Ian Brown, who I first met way back in 2006 when I was just starting my national umpiring career. A major highlight was during the Canada Cup opening ceremony where I was given the honour of reading the Official’s Oath.

For the next 8 days, we all generally worked 3 games a day in the Elite Women’s division. It was great to have fellow Aussie’s David Casey and Leanne Gearside there and have experienced Canadian Umpires to provide some guidance. Brenda Terpstra, who I worked with at the 2016 Japan Cup, and Sean Wells made the trip over the boarder to represent USA, whilst Florian “Flo” Lautenschläger had flown in from Germany as part of the Canada – Europe exchange. All round games were covered by three umpire system, with finals being covered by four umpires. The first day of rostering did confuse me somewhat – when someone said they had a couple of pillows for the day, I thought they were talking about having a nap. No, they had two bases! The first game was generally around midday and we didn’t make it back to the accommodation, affectionately dubbed the Pink Palace, until midnight. That allowed for a few drinks and laughs to be shared. I found a few fellow craft beer fans amongst the crew and we enjoyed sampling the vibrant local craft beer scene. Timmys (Tim Hortons) was a popular breakfast on the way to the ball park. The game standard was good and the feedback from the management crew and senior umpires was excellent. I was on the pointy for the Australia v Canada Elite game, which ended up nil all after 7. The (self-proclaimed) “Judge, Jury and Sentencer” all in one deemed that a suitable liquid punishment was to be supplied to the crew. Debts were paid although the choice left some questioning a gift horse. I was privileged to be appointed to the Gold Medal plate – a matchup between team Japan and the Aussie Spirt team. It was a great experience to see Yukiko Ueno pitch again, having seen her during the Japan Cup. Grand Final crew pictured below.

The final finished up around 11pm but there was little time to wind down with the crew. I was booked on a 5am train to Seattle the next day. Changing from softball mode back to family mode was instantaneous – my 6 month old son decided that he didn’t want to sleep now that Dad was back. Made for a very long day! A couple of days in Seattle to wind down – unfortunately missed out on seeing the Yankees play as we were onto another plane for what should’ve been a short hop down to Orlando. Storms and a screaming baby made it into a long trip. A night in Orlando before picking up a car to make a visit to Walmart for child car seats, allowing us to drive to Clearwater. Setting the family up in a local apartment, only 15 minutes bus ride from the grounds, I then joined the Jnr Aussie Spirit team and fellow umpire Jay Gibson. A reception mix up meant that Jay and I were allocated only a single queen size bed – something that we sorted out pretty quickly. A trip to the baseball sorted out the evening, where we got to catch up with ex-pats Bridgett Cameron and Jana McCaskill who were also at the game. The next day was meant to be exhibition games, but the heavens opened up with torrential rain flooding any diamonds. As there was another youth age tournament winding up, any playable diamond was allocated to those games. We left the Australian team and made our way to the umpire’s accommodation at a nearby golf estate. Located about 30 minutes by car from the grounds, it was a little bit of a trek. The estate was massive and the apartments were well spaced out. So spaced out that you called for a tram to get you around the complex. The standard of accommodation was high – although another mix up saw me and my Mexican roommate sharing a bed. Something which was again quickly sorted out. The technical meeting and bat check occurred in one of the MLB team’s spring training facilities, followed by the umpire’s meeting and ground inspection. The umpire’s room was two demountable trailers a short walk from the fields being used for round games – cramped but adequate. It was my turn to confuse the crew when I referred to them as “dongas”. Games commenced the next day – it was extremely hot and humid, especially after the mild conditions experienced in Vancouver. We were told to expect 3 games a day with potentially a fourth for a few people, due to some visa issues delaying or cancelling some umpires from attending. The days were long with games commencing at 8am, which meant a 6:30am tram to reception to then catch

a bus to the grounds. The last game commenced around 7:30pm which meant that the daily umpire meeting was held around 10:30pm. The only place we could meet was at one of the resort’s bars. Due to the heat, jugs of ice cold water were extremely popular. Midweek a sickness struck down a number of the crew, including myself. I called one of my plate games with no voice, relying solely on mechanics. The heat also took its toll, with two crew members needing to be treated by paramedics with heat related stress. I was drinking 8 to 10L of water per day and still thirsty! The finals were played in the grandstand complex which was located about a kilometre away. This meant getting in a car to be driven to your game. It is a challenge to get in a car dressed in full plate gear. There were even golf carts to ferry umpires to the games. The gold medal game was bought forward as the thunderstorms from earlier in the week, were expected to be back. Some 15 minutes after the gold medal game finished, it bucketed down with some of the heaviest rain I had seen in a long time. This made packing up gear and putting it in the vans a challenge as you were jumping over rivers of water. The final night involved dinner and drinks with the crew at the bar – a great chance to relax and socialise after what was a hectic week. All of the crew were departing the next day, with some going home and others taking a few days break to visit Disneyland or other theme parks. That ended the softball part of my trip. My family and I had another two weeks of holidays, visiting Legoland, Kennedy Space Centre and then spending another week in Rome. After the heatwave of Florida, we were hoping for a cooler time in Europe. Rome was in the middle of a 40 degree plus heatwave but at least the humidity was gone. My thanks are extended to Softball Australia, Canada Cup organisers, WBSC and my family for everything which came together over this journey.

Play for a Cure Congratulations to all involved at the Play for a Cure Game at

Blacktown International Sportspark! A great cause and great support

by all at Softball NSW. Congratulations and thank you to umpires

Nick Beashel, Amanda Houison and Ron Houison who umpired the

exciting game.

Celebrating Sporting Success Shout out to Nick Beashel, NSW Umpire (Level 5) – congratulations on your appointment to the 2017 NRL

Grand Final as Touch Judge and for your outstanding success as 2017 NRL Touch Judge of the Year!

New South Wales News

Open Women’s State Championships The 2017 SNSW Open Women’s State Championship was held at Blacktown International Sportspark from 30 September – 2 October 2017. Ten teams from across the state converged on Blacktown to see whether they could win the 2017 state crown. Also taking the diamond were Level 4 candidates Tony Moncaster [Newcastle] and Jessica Rooke [Manly Warringah], pictured below. After six assessment games across the three-day competition, both candidates were successful in their bid for Level 4 accreditation. Both umpires shared with Blue’s New Online their umpiring stories following their success. “I started my umpiring career at Manly Warringah Softball Association at the age of 12 and still continue to umpire for Manly Warringah Softball Association to this day,” Rooke said. “I started out as a junior blue officiating at my local club games. I grew to love umpiring and learning more about the game. I wanted to be more involved in softball, which led me to working towards my Level 1” “Once I achieved my Level 1, I then started working towards my Level 2. At this stage I knew that I enjoyed umpiring a lot and wanted to further my development and umpiring journey. I then accomplished my Level 2 at the Under 14’s State Championships in Illawarra.” “After my Level 2, I had a short break before realising how much I missed umpiring and began to get back into it. During this period, I learnt there was a lot more I wanted to achieve in umpiring and decided it was time to dedicate my time to achieve my goals. I achieved my Level 3 at the Under 19’s State Champions in 2016 and was fortunate enough to be well supported so that I could attempt my Level 4 at this year’s Open Women’s.” “I love the game, umpiring and the friends I have gained throughout this journey. I wouldn’t have achieved what I have today without the constant support and guidance by so many in the umpiring community,” she said. Tony Moncaster, by contrast, has had a different rise to Level 4: “I started by umpiring career in 1999 to help facilitate junior games in my then local association, Tamworth. I was awarded my Level 1 in Tweed Heads at the Northern Zone Championships in 2001.” “My goal then was to become a good umpire, though at that time not realising what that was and how much work was involved. Though fairly isolated in Tamworth, I was fortunate enough to have help from Howard Watt [Level 6 – ISF Umpire], Jesse Smith and Jay Gibson from Lismore.” “After attending junior State Championships for some years, I achieved my Level 2 in Orange in 2010. Over the next two years I spent a lot of weekends travelling to Sydney to gain help and experience from senior umpires. I subsequently achieved my Level 3 in 2012 at Georges River, along with another umpire that I was proud to have been on my umpiring journey with.”

“After moving to the Central Coast in 2013, and registering with Newcastle Association, I was able to travel more to Sydney and gain so much help from so many of the senior umpires. I owe so much to all of them and I hope they all realise how much I appreciate them.” “I have always loved the game of softball, and being an umpire I feel privileged to be involved in the game. Having achieved my Level 4 I know I have much more to do in achieving my goal of being a good umpire,” Moncaster concluded. Congratulations also to the Umpire Crew of the 2017 Championship Final: Manly Warringah def. Hornsby

Plate – Scott Rindfleish 1st Base – Kyira Cox 2nd Base – James English 3rd Base – Amanda Houison

James English, Kyira Cox, Scott Rindfleish, Amanda Houison

Green Cap Presentations in NSW In recognition of achieving Level 6 Accreditation, three NSW umpires were presented with their Australian Green cap at the 2017 Open Women’s State Championships. Robert McIntosh achieved level 6 in 2015; Claire Austring and Andrew Compton achieved level 6 in 2017. Congratulations on your success!

Robert McIntosh - #177 (2015) Claire Austring - #181 (2017) Andrew Compton - #182 (2017)

Pictured with Andrew Rindfleish and Scott Rindfleish

NSW Open Men’s State Championship

Seventy years of State Championship finished up on Sunday 26 November with the Open Men’s closing out what has been a busy year for NSW Umpires. The NSW Open Men’s State Championship showcases some of the best softballers NSW has to offer and is definitely an event in the calendar that many umpires look forward to. “There were the usual team rivalries mixed with plenty of friendly banter throughout the weekend. With State League being the ideal lead up to this event, many of the players were ready for the weekend’s games,” TCU Andrew Rindfleish said. For regional umpire Dylan Murdoch, many a game has passed since he started umpiring in Wagga Wagga at a young age. Obtaining his Level 5 at the National Championships in January 2017, umpiring his first Open Men’s Championship was the next step up for Dylan as he prepares to take the diamond at the upcoming Nationals in 2018. “Hard work and persistence pays off. Many may think that umpires don’t train as hard as players, yet I want to ensure that I am always putting my best foot forward to service softball and ensure that I am always giving 110%.” “Casting back 7 years ago when I had some of the best umpires having dinner at my nan’s in Wagga, including retiring umpire Bruce (McCahon), I knew then that I wanted to be the best, for the sport I love, and I hope I am doing just that,” Murdoch said. Congratulations to the umpires appointed to the grand final. Pictured right. Bruce McCahon [2nd Base], Leanne Gearside [1st Base], Amanda Houison [Plate], Andrew Compton [3rd Base]. NSW umpires will be back in action during the ‘Summer of Softball’ with 15 umpires representing NSW at National Championships during January 2018.

Northern Territory News

Fun experience at the Northern Territory Softball Championships

- Brian Schrindler

In the wake of the NT Softball Championships, I reflect on what was a fun experience, having learned a lot also. As

well as meeting a host of new people, being thrown into the unfamiliar realm of softball was exciting.

Having been a baseballer all my life, and more recently a baseball umpire, I was aware of the similarities of the two

games, and found the quirky difference between them interesting and relatively easy to adapt to, but it was generally

the same game that gave me the confidence to walk into the new territory and I would recommend any baseball

umpire to do so.

Opening ceremony with Nicky Baldwin (Bacon)

Brian Schindler at work behind the plate

The highlight of the weekend for me and Carl

Slattery was achieving our Level 1 accreditation.

So thanks for everyone that helped in this to

happen.

I found the accreditation process to be fairly

relaxed, yet professional and thorough. The

assessor, Debbie Grove was friendly, most-

knowledgeable and easily approachable for

advice and wisdom. The written Rules

Assessment was clear and it was

interesting diving into the more "left-field" aspects

of the game. As with baseball, there are many

rules of which many players, some highly-

experienced, do not know - and that's the beauty

of umpiring - taking the love of the game to a

level of higher learning. Carl Slattery calling balls and strikes

All in all, I found the NT Championships to be a most enjoyable experience, from the fun and friendly people, to the

atmosphere, to watching the games - from the stands and from the best seat in the house - behind the plate!

Queensland News

Queensland School Sport 10-12 Years Boys Softball State Championships

Toowoomba – 25th – 27th August 2017

A small but enthusiastic crew of 9 braved the late August winter chill of Toowoomba to officiate at the Queensland School Sport 10-12 Years Boys Softball State Championships. A number of the crew were attending their first tournament so nerves were high and adrenaline was pumping as the first round of games kicked off. By the end of the day, new friendships had been made amongst the crew and even in such a short time, some huge growth and learning was evident on the diamonds. Saturday morning brought with it an invaluable clinic from TCU Dale Kaimoana and Aaron Robertson, providing opportunities for the less experienced among us to gain confidence and reinforce knowledge without the pressure of the game situation. This led to visibly more confident umpiring throughout the day’s play. Congratulations to Lochlainn Martin on his selection as Student Official to the Queensland 10-12 Years Boys Softball team. I look forward to my next tournament having gained a bit more experience in my umpiring journey.

Green Cap Presentations - U23 Nationals, QLD In recognition of achieving Level 6 Accreditation, umpires were presented with their Australian Green cap at the 2017 U23 National Championships in Redlands in 2017. At a gathering of the Nationals umpire crew, the following four umpires from the crew celebrated a major milestone. Congratulations!

Jamie Harries - #175 (2015) Janelle Hicks - #176 (2015)

Dale Kaimoana - #179 (2017) Krissi Travers - #180 (2017)

Pictured with Darren Sibraa - TCU

Softball Australia – Green Cap Roster

Click Here for the list of Australian Level 6 Accredited Umpires

Victoria News

2017 Memorial Shield

Werribee, September 9-10th - Kian Privitera

Once again September has arrived and for many people it’s

time to travel to the west side of the city for Werribee’s

Memorial Shield for the first competition of the summer

season.

We started the 2017 Memorial Shield with two or three

diamonds unusable for play due to the heavy overnight rain as

Melbourne tends to have an extended cold and rainy winter.

Thankfully the tournament organisers only had to make

diamond changes in the first time slot as their hard work

ensured all eleven diamonds were available for the remainder

of the tournament.

The second and final day of games gave us perfect playing

conditions with nothing but sun and clear blue sky.

We saw a large number of female umpires attending this year,

18 out of 48 to be exact, who filled two change rooms! The

senior umpires were on hand with the likes of Trevor Murphy,

David Addlem, Stan Tolmie, Richard Dodds, and Leigh Evans,

and returning to umpire after their long breaks from softball

Deb Keogh and Kerry Franklin, welcome back! Kevin Offer did

another great job as UIC, with Stan Tolmie and Talia McDonald

completing the umpire management crew (I hear Kevin even

umpired a few games to fill a couple of holes).

L-R: John Larter, Kerry Franklin, Leigh Evans, Deb Keogh and Jason Carter

Deb Keogh, Kerry Franklin and Angela Broadbent prepare to take the diamond

2017 Memorial Shield cont.

Over a weekend that gave every type of weather except snow or fog, we amassed the following umpiring stats:

48 umpires in total

18 Females, 30 Males

Five Level 3-4 candidates

Four Level 2 candidates

Eight umpires accredited for Level 1

One novice umpire who umpired his first games

125 games

101 two-umpire games

24 three-umpire games

274 total umpiring appointments

The Werribee Memorial Shield is also the first opportunity of the season for many candidate umpires to begin the

quest to achieve the next level of their umpiring accreditation. This year the Victorian Umpiring Committee held the

Level 2 Course over the weekend and had eight, yes eight, Level 1 candidates, of which all eight candidates have

passed their course requirements.

Congratulations to all of the course participants and we wish you well with your progression towards level 2.

Tobias Sadler on the Plate with Lisa Lever umpiring at 1B

It’s going to be a busy couple of months for Victorian umpires with the Men’s State League starting with Tournament 1

in Geelong on 24th September and then the weekly Tuesday night games, club competitions generally begin after the

AFL Grand Final weekend, the U17 State Championship at Waverley on 4th-5th November and then the State Team

Round Robin in December. Good Calling to all for the coming summer.

U17 Victorian State Championships 2017 – WAVERLEY

4th- 5th November with Georgia Hill It’s that time of the year everyone! What a way to kick off the 2017-18 summer season of State Championships in Victoria. With the U17s to kick off the series we were taken to the eastern suburbs, located at Waverley, tucked away in the beautiful surroundings of Jells Park. This year we were lucky enough to see the best of what Victoria has to offer in the under 17 age group, and wow some of the sportsmanship, enthusiasm and level of expertise for the game was outstanding. With this saw sixteen blues take on the challenge and step out onto the diamond maybe for the first time this season, for others just another day in the ballpark, ready to call the best that they can. Kicking off day one we got the opportunity to see what the teams had to offer, some dusting off those cobwebs and some seeing if they could go out there and perform at their very best, representing their association with pride. At day’s end we were very aware that this tournament with going to be full of surprises with rain in the morning, then finishing up the day warm and sunny. Kicking off day two we saw teams go into crossovers to secure their spot in the final series to be played later that afternoon. With this we saw some brilliant catches, hits, game play and come-from-behind wins to help teams secure those crucial positions in the grand final. This season Softball Victoria went live to the world, streaming the girls cup final, which was fantastic both as being an umpire on that game, also for the increased interest for softball in Victoria. Thanks to those who were involved in the setup of this, it was awesome. At this tournament four of the sixteen umpires would step out onto the diamond as candidates hoping to proceed to their next level of accreditation, and another step toward their future umpiring goals. After umpiring great games over the weekend, we saw all four candidates become successful from their hard work. From me and on behalf of the blue crew we would like to congratulate the following umpires on their success, we are sure they are pleased to see the rewards for their efforts leading up to the tournament:

Tobias Sadler (Werribee Softball Association)

Les Morrison (Knox District Softball Association)

Ian Fearn-Wannan (Frankston Softball Association)

Rob Dykstra (Waverley Softball Association) L-R: Les Morrison, Rob Dykstra, Tobias Sadler, Ian Fearn-Wannan

Finally, a quick thanks must go to those behind the scenes in running a tournament like this, and the amount of work that is done in such a short period of time. Thank you to Waverley, as a host association the grounds were kept in pristine condition for both days, and the canteen for always providing great food. Finally to the blues, thank you for your comradery and friendship as always, and to the senior umpires, whether you had to put the assessors’ hat on or were there to provide us other umpires with feedback, your hard work is always appreciated. See you all at the next State Championship!

Les Morrison Rhonda Rowe calling balls and strikes.

2017 Rules Assessment Review of the Tough Questions (Part 4)

Okay, how did you go? Grab your rule book to read the rule references for the ten tough questions below.

2017 Softball Australia Rules Assessment Question Answer Rule Reference

K None out, R1 on 3rd and R2 on 1st, with F3 playing behind the baseline. B3 hits a line drive ground ball that strikes R2, who is still standing on the base, before it passes a fielder other than the pitcher. F3 picks up the ball and tags R2, who by now is off base, then touches the base to force B3 out. R1 advances home on the play. RULING: All plays are legal, so the run scores on the double play.

FALSE Rule 8 Sec 1e Effect 3

Rule 8 Sec 10m

K Remember that the batter becomes a batter-runner when a fair-batted ball strikes the person, attached equipment or clothing of an umpire, or a runner. And if that happens before the batted ball has passed a fielder, excluding the pitcher, without being touched, the ball is dead. So, the ball has not yet passed a fielder as F3 is playing behind the baseline, so the ball will be dead. R2 is not out as he is in contact with the base on the play, and the play becomes dead once that batted ball has contacted him. So, being tagged while he was off the base is inconsequential; the batter B3 is awarded 1st base, R2 is thus forced to 2nd base. There is no double play. R1 will return to the base held at the time of the interference, which in the above scenario is likely to be 3rd base.

Case play 635

L A Turn at Bat begins when a player first enters the batter's box and continues until he is put out, or becomes a runner.

FALSE Rule 1 Sec 102

L … continues until he is put out, or becomes a batter-runner. Remember that a “batter-runner” and a “runner” are two distinct terms; they have different rules and penalties in some situations.

M A batter interferes with a play at home plate in an attempt to prevent an obvious out on an advancing runner at the plate. RULING: The runner should be called out, along with the batter, with other runners returning to the last base held at the time of the pitch.

FALSE Rule 8 Sec 9z & Effect

Rule 7 Sec 9k 4 Effect Exception

M “… all other runners must return to the last base held at the time of the interference”. A rule of thumb: for Runner and Batter interference it is “the time of the play”, for Batter-Runner interference it is “the time of the pitch”.

N The umpire should call play ball when the pitcher is outside the pitcher s circle and this is delaying the game.

FALSE Rule 1 Sec 81a

N “…play shall begin, or be resumed, when the pitcher holds the ball and is within the pitcher's circle”

O The batter becomes a batter-runner and the ball is always alive, when a fair-batted ball strikes the person or clothing of an umpire standing in fair territory.

FALSE Rule 8 Sec 1e & Effect 3

O The ball is dead, if it strikes the umpire before passing a fielder, other than the pitcher, without being touched.

P When a runner, in an attempt to break up an obvious double play, deliberately interferes with a fielder attempting to field a batted ball, the runner closest to home plate is always declared out.

FALSE Rule 8 Sec 9m & Note

P It is the immediate succeeding runner who is called out, NOT the runner nearest home.

Case Play 582

Q With R1 on third base, the first base coach interferes with F3 attempting to catch a foul fly ball. The Batter Runner is out.

TRUE Rule 8 Sec 2k

Q The batter-runner is out, when a coach interferes. Case Play 492

R A starting player who has been illegally substituted cannot return to the game as a Re-Entry.

FALSE Rule 1 Sec 85

R The starting player was not the illegal substitute who was placed in the game. The starting player can re-enter the game, unless they have now been substituted out twice. After an upheld appeal for an unreported substitute, the original starting player is considered to have left the game.

S When a batter-runner is called out for creating interference, the ball is dead and all other runners must return to the last base legally touched at the time of the interference.

FALSE Rule 8 Sec 2g Effect Secs g-k

S When it is the batter-runner who causes the interference the runners return to the base they held at the time of the PITCH, not the last base legally held at the time of the interference. If the BATTER or RUNNER causes interference, each runner must return to the last base touched at the time of the interference. It is a different ruling for the batter-runner interfering.

Case Plays 482, 483, 485 and

487

T R3 on 3rd and R4 on 1st, with none out. B5 hits the next pitch to F6, who throws to F4 at 2nd completing the force out. R4, who is still on his feet, intentionally knocks F4's arm, making the throw for the double play go well wide of F3. R3 scores after the interference and B5 advances to 2nd. RULING: R4 and B5 are out, R3 must return to 3rd and the ball is dead.

FALSE Rule 8 Sec 9o & Note & Effect

T R4 and R3 should be out, because once a runner has been declared out, if they interfere with a defensive player’s opportunity to make a play on another runner, the runner closest to home at the time of the interference will be called out.

Case Play 601

Don’t forget the Case Play section is a fantastic way to use the rule book, and more oriented to, and descriptive of, game situations. The Points Of Emphasis (POE) section is a concise and condensed outline of some key areas of the game, detailing the interpretation and reasoning of rules. Another often overlooked rule is Rule 12 – Scoring. Good luck, continue your rules review all year round, and you will be ready for the 2018 Rules Assessment, and more importantly, you will be ready to adjudicate on that sticky or rare situation next time it occurs on the diamond … because you know it will.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

2018 Open Rules Assessment

12.01am AEST – Sat 21st April to 11.59pm AEST Sun 29th April 2018

___________________________

Basic Rules Assessment

Available from May through March each year