Strike Zone

• Watch where the catcher catches the ball, as this will give you a good indication of where the ball crossed the plate.
• When you watch the catcher, notice weather or not he sets up in or out of the strike zone.  If he sets up in the empty batters box and the pitcher drills the mitt, that pitch is NOT a strike.
• Get ALL of the letters. Lot's of new umpires I see want to make the pitcher thread a needle on the high part of the strike zone. More strikes are lost up there than any place else.
• Take care to call strikes too low.  This is truly an un-hittable pitch.  There is a tendency among some umpires to “make up” for squeezing the top part of the strike zone by calling pitches well below the knees strikes.  Try hard to avoid that.  The low strike is the bread and butter of good pitchers; calling this pitch a strike truly changes the game.
• Don't call those breaking balls too fast. Those last minute twists and turns that a breaking ball seems to make are happening well before the pitch gets to the plate. If that ball is caught near the strike zone, it crossed in the zone-- CALL IT A STRIKE
• Don't get fooled by catchers who try to yank the ball back into the strike zone (that pitch is a ball). See where he catches it, not where he frames it.  Most young catchers try to pull the outside pitch in but the good ones try to pull the low pitch up as well.
• Don’t penalize the pitcher if the catcher is not strong enough to stick a good fastball that crossed in the strike zone, but pulls his glove out of the zone – that pitch is a strike.  Watch where the ball is caught, not where it is framed.  Be especially mindful of the fact that young catchers try to pull this pitch BACK into the strike zone (see above).  Work hard to see where the ball is caught and have the nerve to call what you need to call.
• Go as far inside as you go outside. There is a tendency among umpires to give the pitcher a LOT on the outside part of the plate and squeeze him inside. Try to avoid this. If you go a little farther out, go a little farther in as well. I'm not going to tell you how big the strike zone should be, just remember if ANY part of the ball goes through ANY part of the strike zone the pitch is a strike.
• How do you judge the outside part of the strike zone?  Assuming the catcher is set up in the strike zone and a right handed catcher with a right hand batter.  If the catcher has to move his GLOVE to catch the ball, it is a strike.  If he has to turn his SHOULDER to catch the ball, it is probably not a strike.  For a left handed batter, if the catcher extends his arm past his body to catch the ball, it’s probably not a strike. 
• Avoid what I have heard others call the two-plane miss. That means don't call a pitch that is low AND outside. If it's a hair down, but cut the middle of the plate- be my guest. If it slices the inside edge of the other batters box belt high, have at it. Just avoid down AND in or up AND away.
• Whatever you do, don’t be afraid to call the third strike in a big situation.  Many good umpires LOOK to call strikes.  This is a good thing to do.