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As a young high school pitcher I learned a valuable truth; the major league strike zone isn't exactly the same as it is at the high school level. It seems strange but it's true. If a young player watches a lot of major league baseball on television it can fill their head with confusion when they try to understand what a little league umpire's interpretation of the strike zone is. In this article, we will go through what the strike zone is and how it can be handled at every age.

The Rule as stated in the Rule Book in 1988

"The Strike Zone is that area over home plate the upper limit of which is a horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants, and the lower level is aline at the top of the knees. The Strike Zone shall be determined from the batter's stance as the batter is prepared to swing at a pitched ball." In 1996, the rule was changed to say that the knees had been adjusted to include the bottom of the knee.

Does that make sense to you? How many baseball games have you watched where the pitch was a little bit above the belt and it was called high? It happened all the time for me. When I was growing up, Rickey Henderson had the greatest crouch in baseball. Rickey's job as the leadoff hitter was to get on base and he knew the strike zone very well. He played on the portion of the rule which talks about the stance of the batter. Richie Sexson of the Mariners, on the other hand, is 6 foot 8 inches tall and his strike zone is monstrous so it's no wonder why shorter players like Joe Morgan and expert "crouchers" like Henderson had such high on-base percentages. They had smaller strike zones and were great at utilizing that advantage.

Little League

I tell players in little league that if the ball goes over the plate from your shoulders down the ump will call it a strike. The purpose of little league is to gain confidence playing the game not walking around the bases. Most young pitchers struggle throwing strikes so the umps usually give them the benefit of the doubt. Train to recognize which pitches are outside and inside, but if the ball is set to cross the plate from the shoulders down, swing away!

High School

The same rule applies in high school baseball with a slight variation. I played high school baseball in Iowa and I loved it there. We had great umpires who used their jobs to teach kids instead of just rule over them. Before each game the ump, if asked, would clearly explain what he would call a strike and what he wouldn't. I enjoyed that level of communication as a young pitcher. That way it was my job to pitch to what he would call and not try to adjust otherwise.

Typically, high school is just a little more liberal than the pro game. The umps are not as experienced with seeing certain pitches and certain breaks on balls. They will typically call pitches more liberally on the corners as well as high or low. The ump will typically not squeeze you in high school ball. If you are consistently close on your pitches, he will call strikes for you. As a hitter, take the time to talk with an ump before the game and find out what he typically calls a strike. Don't argue about it; just learn where the strikes will be so you know what to expect. If the ump refuses to tell you where the strikes will be, be disciplined and watch the calls as the game progresses.

Brian Schofield is sr. writer for the baseball training site BigLeagueSkills.com

Displaying Personal Number Plates Legally

Whether it is a name, word or date, most personal number plates read exactly what the owner intended. However, as personal numbers plates are unique, only one person can own the “proper” plate. A minority of people buy close matches with the view to altering the lettering or spacing using various fonts and screws to make their personal number plates read something different.

The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 state that you must not alter, rearrange or misrepresent any characters when displaying a registration mark on a number plate. This includes illegally spacing the letters and numbers on personal number plates. By misrepresenting your registration number you are liable to a fine of £1000, your vehicle can fail its MOT and the registration can even be withdrawn from use.

Personal number plates must fit several criteria in order to be road legal. Firstly number plates must be displayed at the front and rear for all vehicles manufactured after 1st January 1973. Motorbikes registered after September 1st 2001 are only required to display a single number plate at the rear however motorbikes registered before this date can display a front number plate if the owner so wishes.

As with standard registrations, personal number plates must have black characters on a white (front) or yellow (rear) background. The characters must be 79mm high and 50mm wide (except the characters 1 or I) for all number plates purchased from September 1st 2001. A space of 11mm is required between each character and the space between the groups of characters must be 33mm. There are different regulations for number plates fitted before this date when legal character dimensions and spacing were different. The DVLA has set a mandatory font for all personal number plates however this font can also be legally displayed in 3D. Black and white number plates can only be displayed if the vehicle was registered before 1973 and by assigning a dateless registration to a newer vehicle does not mean that traditional black and white number plates can be displayed.

The British Standard sets out the physical characteristics that all number plates must legally adhere to which include strength, reflectivity and visibility. The British Standard number (currently BS AU 145d) and the company name or trademark who manufacturer the number plates must also be displayed. The standard size of number plates is 520mm by 111mm however other sizes are available for motorbikes, 4WD vehicles and imports.

Drivers can display the Euro symbol with a GB identifier mark on their personal number plates using a badge. By doing so the vehicle does not need to display the traditional GB oval sticker when driving in the EU. Alternatively other legal badges that can be displayed include the English, Scottish or Welsh flags and the Union Jack. A non reflective border (red, green, blue or black) around the edge of the number plates is also legally allowed to be displayed if the owner so wishes.

Show plates are incredibly popular with owners of personal number plates and can be manufactured with greater design options. Show plates display your registration number along with badges, logos and various fonts. The use of show plates on the road is illegal and they are intended for off-road and show purposes only

Number plates are now produced at many garages and car accessory shops. To have a set of number plates produced you must prove identity and ownership of the registration and vehicle to the number plate manufacturer. A photographic driving licence and V5 log book for the vehicle are the best forms of identification to use.

About the Author

Ross O’Donnell is a cofounder of Cape Plates who are specialists in supplying personal number plates and dateless registration numbers. Legal number plates and show plates can be ordered when purchasing personal number plates from Cape Plates.

whats a cheap way to keep my license plate from ratting?

from the bass from my car system. can i use old weather stripping behind the plate i mean glue it to the plate

I used doubled sided sticky foam between the license plate and my trunk lid. Just make sure use enough and get the corners or it wont stay. Good luck

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