The Santa Cruz County
Softball Officials Association
website

Welcome to the Santa Cruz County Softball Officials Association web site. We meet on selected Sundays throughout the high school and middle school softball seasons at Good Shepherd Catholic School (click for directions) in Santa Cruz. We umpire games from grades 7 through 12 for high schools in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League as well as middle schools in the Central Coast Athletic League. Our dues are $60 per year and the pay ranges from $37 to $54 per game. If you would like to join or have any questions, email the SCCSOA or call (831) 475-1126.

Forms you'll need to fill out to join the SCCBOA: Contract | Profile | Availability | W-9

Updated information
Umpires, in an effort to help you more quickly find updates to the website, I will post links to fresh or updated information at the top of the site each time I update it. The current updated list is as follows:

• Game schedule
  A schedule of all assignments through the end of the regular season, May 20. (Updated 5-17, 6:33 p.m.)

• ASA test and answer key
  For those of you who need an ASA test, you may print the exam and answer key.

• Rules differences
  Rules differences between NFHS (high school), NCAA (college) and ASA. You might want to just download the file to your computer instead of printing it, as there are 30 pages in the file.

• Study Guide and Classification Tests  
  To help you prepare for your Classification Test, there are:

  • 100-question Study Guide, and the answers to the questions

  • Quizzes, with answers, for Rules 2-3-4, 6-7-10 and 8

  • Classification Test A and/or Test C for practice

• Schedule of meetings for 2009
  Our eighth and final meeting of the 2009 season is Sunday, May 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Good Shepherd Catholic School in Santa Cruz. We will continue rules instruction on this night. Please plan to attend this important meeting.

• Instructional videos for viewing/downloading
  The NFHS has an education web site for softball umpires with videos available for viewing and downloading.

• Teaching Interference and Obstruction
  A Power Point Slideshow that teaches about Interference and Obstruction, and the difference between two. This presentation comes with detailed photographs that help explain the two rule infractions as well as case plays that serve as a quiz.

• DP and the Flex -- and how to use them
  This Power Point Slideshow that gives five sample exercises about the Designated Player and the FLEX, complete with lineup cards and step-by-step instructions on how to use them correctly.

• 20 rules interpretations
  A Power Point Slideshow of 20 case-play situations and the ruling on each one. You may also print a copy of the presentation so that you may follow along. Also, there is a list of three printing error corrections at the top of the sheet.

• 43-foot pitching distance experiment
  This Power Point Slideshow offers charts of a three-year study that details the comparison of game statistics for the three years prior to the implementation of the experiment and the three years since its start. There is also a list of benefits for having the distance at 43 feet.

• Middle school rules
  Middle school games are played using high school rules, with seven exceptions that may be found here.
  

• Non-Approved bats

  • A handy one-page list of bats not approved by ASA, courtesy of Allen Siekman;

  • An on-line list of bats not approved by ASA (updated April 8, 2009) and, therefore, banned for use in high school play;

  • A multi-page list of the same bats with pictures of the bats;

  • A one-page list of the same bats with pictures;

  • The bats are small on the one-page list, so you may want to print the two-page list, which is much easer to see. It is courtesy of Jim Cole of the ASA.
    
    

• Line-up card management
  A step-by-step Power Point Slideshow shows you how to keep manage a line-up card throughout the game, complete with explanations on the DP, Flex and legal substituting. Make sure to take notes -- there will be a quiz during the presentation. (Seriously!)
  
  

• The ins and outs of the DP/FLEX
  Though designed for ASA, this Power Point Slideshow also works for high school as it shows you everything you want to know about the workings of the roles of the DP and FLEX. And, for that matter, the Slideshow probably has everything you don't want to know, too. (There will be sample exercises at the end of the presentation.)
  
  

• The strike zone
  A three-page Power Point Slideshow on how the strike zone should be called.
  
  

• Pitching Point of Emphasis
  The pitching rule is always a point of emphasis. Coaches and umpires play a critical role in ensuring the game is played fairly and no advantage is gained by pitchers utilizing illegal tactics. First, coaches must teach proper pitching techniques to their players. Second, umpires must recognize when an illegal pitch has occurred and must enforce the proper penalty. The links here  show video footage of specific pitching techniques -- Leap, Crow Hop and 24" Length Violation -- and the applicable rules associated with each.

MESSAGE BOARD

We now have a way of posting private messages to discuss things that happen during games, etc. You'll need to sign up and follow the steps to receiving permission to join our private group. Our group is called SCCSOA. Just click to be taken to the page, where you can post a message.

To access the page, you first need to set up a Google account. Your email address is your user name and you select a password for your account. Once that is done, you may sign into the group to read and post messages.

You may set up your preferences so you view the messages on the web site or in your email.

Also, you can access a password protected roster of all of the officials in our association by going to the message board. (It is called a password protected roster because only the officials in our association may access it.) Make sure to select Save, and not Open, when given the choice.

The roster contains the following information: name of officials, time up to which you may phone an official, home phone number, work phone number, pager number, cell number and email address.

Email me if you have any questions. Greg

2009 meeting schedule  (at 6 p.m. at Good Shepherd School, except where noted)

• January 11 -- Sign-up night

• January 25 -- Coaches Night, 7 p.m.

• February 8 -- Rules, scrimmage assignments, hand out test, 7 p.m.

• February 22 -- Rules, scrimmage assignments, non-league assignments

• February 25 -- ASA meeting, 6:30 p.m.

• March 1 -- Rules, non-league assignments.

• March 11 -- ASA meeting, 6:30 p.m.

• March 22 -- Correct test, league assignments for SCCAL

• April 5 -- Receive SCCAL and CCAL assignments; review season.

• May 17 -- Post-season Pizza Party at Tony & Alba's in Capitola, 5 p.m.

GREAT SITE FOR LOCAL SOFTBALL SCORES, STATS
Monterey Bay Prep Report is a fun site to visit for local softball news.

NEED EQUIPMENT?
Cactus Umpires (links, links and more links)
The Official's Choice
Stripes Plus
Ump-Attire 
Honig's
Get Official 
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ASA Gear
SOS Sports
Google search engine for umpire gear

Links to other useful sites
National Federation softball rules page
Central Coast Section website
ASA Umpire Program
NorCal ASA website
ASA website
E-Officials (pay site)