In a 'Provide a Ball' tournament, there is no telling what the other team will provide. Some coaches teach their pitchers how to make sure they end up pitching a 'dead' ball to you, while you end up throwing a 'lively' ball to them. This manipulation can get interrupted with foul balls, but a knowledgable pitcher will know when and how to ask for the other ball.

'Pitch Your Own Ball' is truely worthless. It is exactly opposite from 'Hit Your Own Ball'. In this type of tournament, the balls provided are in bad shape because obviously, a team does not want the opponent to hit well and the way that is accomplished is to...pitch a dead ball. Many times these types of tournaments become an escalation of 'who has the worst ball'. I've seen teams pitch balls that were not only mushy, but not even round after a few hits. You know the balls...they cost about $1.50 at your local sporting goods store.

Hey Blue, Call The Illegal Pitch !
Ask the tournament directors to talk with their umpires about the illegal pitch rules and encourage them to enforce the rules. Make sure they understand that both the plate umpire AND the field umpire have equal authority to call the illegal pitch. Perhaps it is just a local thing, but illegal pitching is common in the tournaments in our area. There are many common things pitchers do which constitute illegal pitches, such as; not having both feet on the rubber, not taking or not 'pretending' to take a signal while on the rubber, stepping back as part of the beginning motion, not starting with the hands apart etc. But by far, the most common illegal pitch is a result of not putting the hands together prior to the start of the pitching motion. The ASA rule book states that the hands must come together for not less than 1 second and not more than 10 seconds 'prior to the start of the pitching motion'. Notice the words 'PRIOR TO'...not 'as the motion is started' or 'during the motion' ...but 'PRIOR TO the START of the motion'. Many pitchers start their motion without putting their hands together and in many cases, never do put their hands together. Sometimes they put their hands together DURING the motion. These pitchers get away with illegal pitches at the younger age groups and as a result, learn their pitching routines wrong. When they are older, they will encounter better and more experienced umpires who will make the IP call. At that point, they will be forced to make very difficult corrections to their pitching routine and will likely have a difficult time of it. Teach your pitchers properly in the first place and demand that the umpires enforce the rules.

Report Bad Umpires - Don't Whine...Give Specifics
A difference of opinion is not an arguable situation. Don't argue 'balls' and 'strikes' with an umpire. Don't waste everyones time with 'safe'/'out' or 'fair'/'foul' opinions. However, if an umpire does not know the rules, make your point and if necessary, find the tournament director. Follow up with a letter to the director containing the name(s) of the umpire(s) and the specific details. If Blue is going to take money for calling a game, they better know, understand and apply the rules. Pick your battles wisely and DEMAND higher quality tournaments at ALL age-levels of play.