The strike zone in competitive softball extends from the top of the letters on the softball uniform shirt to the area just above the knees. The pitch must be over the plate within that area for the umpire to call a strike. Home plate is white in color and it is surrounded by black edging. A ball that is over the black edge is considered to be over home plate.
Swinging Strikes
The softball pitcher tries to make batters swing and miss at a variety of pitches. Overpowering pitchers will challenge batters with fastballs and dare them to swing and make contact. Many other pitchers will throw risers, drops, changeups and curves. Those pitches may appear to be over the heart of the plate but move out of the strike zone by the time they reach home plate. Once the batter commits to swinging, the pitch moves and the result is a swing and a miss for a strike.
Foul Ball
When a batter swings and hits the ball outside the foul lines next to first or third base, it is a foul ball and a strike, if the ball is not caught before it hits the ground. However, once there are two strikes, foul balls do not result in a third strike. Foul balls on a swing attempt keep the count where it was prior to the pitch being delivered.
Bunt Foul
When a batter attempts to bunt the ball and it goes foul, it is a strike. If a batter tries to bunt with two strikes, the foul bunt is strike three. A batter strikes out if she attempts to bunt with two strikes and either misses the ball or bunts it foul.
Check Swing
Many batters may start their swing and attempt to hold up before the ball reaches home plate. This is called a check swing. If the batter stops her swing before the barrel of the bat crosses home plate and the ball is not over home plate, the pitch will be called a ball by the umpire. However, if the barrel of the bat crosses home plate and the batter attempts to bring the bat back, the ball will be called a strike. If the batter holds up successfully on the swing but the ball crosses the plate in the strike zone, it is a called strike.
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