STRIKE ZONE
QUESTION: In high school, baseball and softball, is the zone judged the same in each sport?
ANSWER: (Baseball only) The zone is judged in space over home plate with the top part halfway between batter’s shoulders and waistline and the bottom being the knees. If batter crouches in an exaggerated position, the zone is judged as per his normal upright position. (Rule 2, Sec. 35)
(Softball only) The zone in fast pitch (FP) is judged in area over home plate between batter’s forward arm pit and top the knees while in normal batting stance. (Rule 2, Sec. 56, Art. 3).
Therefore, the strike zone is judged differently in both sports.
QUESTION: Is the black beveled area considered part of the strike zone?
ANSWER: In both sports, the rule book does not address the black area of home plate. A strike is judged when any part of a pitched ball in flight passes through the zone. (BB- Rule 1, Sec. 2, Art. 10, Diagram 2 and Rule 7, Sec. 2, Art. 1,a) (SB-Rule 1-2-2, Figure 1-1 and Rule 7, Sec. 2, Art. 1,a ).