TSSAA RULES

[UC21FAN]

I have always called my daughters pitches through out her young career, and in travel ball. I was in contact with the TSSAA and asked them via e-mail, about a parent calling pitches in H.S. play. They e-mailed me back and stated that if I wasn't on the coaching roster that NO I could not call her pitches it had to be the players or coaching staff only. I really cant see what difference it makes other than if you know how to read batters and sometimes we even mess up, but we learn from our mistake where a kid may not remember. There is a H.S. team out there in our confrence that has alot to loose if they get reported to the TSSAA, and I really wouldn't want to see that happen. You know who you are. Just someone who cares. /popcorneater.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":popcorneater:" border="0" alt="popcorneater.gif" />

[catsbackr]

The parents are calling the pitches when their daughter pitches?

 

This is hilarious!

[Indian]

I can see why it's done, but would you want a parent not on-staff calling the plays during a football game especially if he was out there just when his son was quarterbacking, etc. Softball shouldn't be any different.

[wingman10]

I have always called my daughters pitches through out her young career, and in travel ball. I was in contact with the TSSAA and asked them via e-mail, about a parent calling pitches in H.S. play. They e-mailed me back and stated that if I wasn't on the coaching roster that NO I could not call her pitches it had to be the players or coaching staff only. I really cant see what difference it makes other than if you know how to read batters and sometimes we even mess up, but we learn from our mistake where a kid may not remember. There is a H.S. team out there in our confrence that has alot to loose if they get reported to the TSSAA, and I really wouldn't want to see that happen. You know who you are. Just someone who cares. /popcorneater.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":popcorneater:" border="0" alt="popcorneater.gif" />

 

Glad you are on the T...but, let the coach be your daughter's coach.

[ERA]

The best answer I can give you is to have a meeting with the coach and tell him what and how your approach to calling her pitches are made. If he's receptive, you've gained some ground. Otherwise, just let the coaches do their jobs. Or you can keep her out of high school ball and only play travel ball. Take it from a dad who has raised two pitchers. It's not easy being dad and coach. At some point, the girls have to figure out how to get on with their game without dad and usually the sooner the better. I know it's hard but there's very few options at this point. Hope it all works out. /cool.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="B)" border="0" alt="cool.gif" />

[fastpitch101]

The best answer I can give you is to have a meeting with the coach and tell him what and how your approach to calling her pitches are made. If he's receptive, you've gained some ground. Otherwise, just let the coaches do their jobs. Or you can keep her out of high school ball and only play travel ball. Take it from a dad who has raised two pitchers. It's not easy being dad and coach. At some point, the girls have to figure out how to get on with their game without dad and usually the sooner the better. I know it's hard but there's very few options at this point. Hope it all works out. /cool.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="B)" border="0" alt="cool.gif" />

 

What he is saying is that HE is not calling his daughters pitches but there ARE other teams that do have dads calling their daughters pitches in high school. He is telling them it is illegal because he asked.

[#12fan]

As a parent who also raised a pitcher, tell your daughter (and her coach if they'll listen) what to look for when batters swing, what you see as a batters strengths & weaknesses, how the umpire is calling/not calling the strike zone, etc. It's also a good idea to bring your daughters catcher in on the conversation since they'll have to communicate a lot during the game. In short, educate your daughter and the catcher so that they will be able to call their own pitches and hopefully they'll learn a little something. The biggest difference between really good pitchers and the ones who just throw pitches is in the mental game. Great pitches think. Average pitchers just throw.

[catsbackr]

So, tell me how this works, please.

 

If the daddy in the stands is giving the signs to the pitcher, how does the catcher know what is being thrown?

 

Usually, the signs come from the coach to the catcher then to the pitcher.

 

I don't know about softball, but in baseball the signs must come from the catcher to the pitcher while the pitcher is on the rubber. The rule book covers penalties for failing to do this.

 

Does the catcher even know what pitch is being thrown?

 

Why would a coach allow this?

[FridayMainEvent]

So, tell me how this works, please.

 

If the daddy in the stands is giving the signs to the pitcher, how does the catcher know what is being thrown?

 

Usually, the signs come from the coach to the catcher then to the pitcher.

 

I don't know about softball, but in baseball the signs must come from the catcher to the pitcher while the pitcher is on the rubber. The rule book covers penalties for failing to do this.

 

Does the catcher even know what pitch is being thrown?

 

Why would a coach allow this?

 

It's the same in softball, Cat. The signal comes through the catcher. I teach my catcher to call the pitches. My catcher (also my daughter) knows what to look for from the batters. She picks up on tendencies very well and can obviously see where the batter is located in the box a lot better than I can from the dugout. Her high school coach calls the pitches for the high school team, but I let her call pitches for travel ball. I'll make sure she knows which hitter is up and give her feedback on what they did in prior at bats and she usually does a pretty good job calling the pitches. In softball, they are required to get a signal or "simulate" getting a signal from the catcher also.

[robotman]

The parents are calling the pitches when their daughter pitches?

 

This is hilarious!

 

That doesn't say much for the coach, does it.

[SLOWNEZ]

The parents are calling the pitches when their daughter pitches?

 

This is hilarious!

 

 

No doubt, this is the craziest thing I have ever heard. I have coached my kids for years as my dad did me but he also knew when it was time to let go and I have done the same. It might be hard but it is the best thing for your kids.

 

As for the coach who allows this to go on, well I won't say!!!

[dore83]

I have always called my daughters pitches through out her young career, and in travel ball. I was in contact with the TSSAA and asked them via e-mail, about a parent calling pitches in H.S. play. They e-mailed me back and stated that if I wasn't on the coaching roster that NO I could not call her pitches it had to be the players or coaching staff only. I really cant see what difference it makes other than if you know how to read batters and sometimes we even mess up, but we learn from our mistake where a kid may not remember. There is a H.S. team out there in our confrence that has alot to loose if they get reported to the TSSAA, and I really wouldn't want to see that happen. You know who you are. Just someone who cares. /popcorneater.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":popcorneater:" border="0" alt="popcorneater.gif" />

 

 

Don't know who you talked to at TSSAA, but if they did write you back, it wasn't someone with knowledge of the softball rules. There isn't anything in TSSAA rules, by-laws, supplementals, etc. which convers anything like this or which would replace FED or ASA rules. This is often debated in school and travel ball and one can occasionally find an umpire who will tell them that it is illegal or will try to prevent it during a game. A select few decide that they don't like something and will then maintain there is a rule that doesn't exist and if that doesn't work to stop the behavior that upsets them, they cite an umpire or official who supposedly once told them it was illegal.

 

In reality, there is absolutely no rule which prevents a pitcher or catcher or any other player from getting a signal of any type from someone in the bleachers, nor is there any rule which limits signal calling of any type to coaches, players or bench personnel. In addition, there are several "rules" quoted elsewhere in this thread which are not rules either.

 

The pitcher does NOT have to be on the pitching plate or even in the circle to receive a signal. She can legally take a signal whenever and wherever she wants to take a signal and she can take a signal from anyone she wants to. There are no softball rules which prohibit doing so. What the rule does say is that once the pitcher steps on the pitching plate, she must then "take a signal or simulate taking a signal." (Incidentally, the rule book doesn't say who she has to take the signal from or simulate taking the signal from while on the pitching plate.)The primary purpose for the rule is to prevent quick pitches. The catcher doesn't have to give a signal at all. The pitcher has to pause long enough while looking into the batter to avoid a quick pitch by stepping on the pitcher's plate and beginning a pitch all in one motion.

 

It might not be a great idea to have a non-coach calling pitches from the bleachers, but it simply isn't illegal. And as far as the catcher not knowing what pitch is coming, a lot of the top pitchers decide what they want to throw on each pitch and communicate that pitch to the catcher simply by shaking off her signals.

 

Perhaps I'm wrong, but from experience and the tenor of this post, I'm guessing that this is a bluff aimed at a particular pitcher on a rival team with the hopes that her father/pitching coach will believe all this "against the rules" and "a lot to loose [sic]" stuff and quit calling pitches. Somehow, in a few minds somewhere, there is the belief that if they can take away a weapon or advantage, the pitcher who is doing just fine will crumble without that tool. I've lost count of all the "rules" over the years that get made up, spread, and believed because some parent has their nose out of joint over a rival they can't beat and want to attribute the loses to some activity or strategy utilized by the competition that their team doesn't use, understand, or like.

 

Ultimately, there isn't anything to lose (or loose) for the team in question. They aren't violating any rule, nor is there any consequence for that behavior. Even if they get an uniformed umpire who tries to stop it, there isn't any penalty in any rule book. (BTW, that's usually a pretty good way to know if a rule exists or not - for every behavior prohibited in every rule book, there is a corresponding resulting consequence. If there isn't a specific penalty outlined for a specific behavior, there isn't a rule against it.)