asa strike zone

Question
In an ASA game this past weekend, a batter did not swing at a pitch that landed an inch or two behind home plate. The umpire stated that the pitch was a "ball" because it was "short" as it did not cross the batter's back knee (the batter must have been back in the box).

Also, this year one umpire explained to us that the plate "moves" with the batter. So, if the batter stands back in the box, the strike zone moves back with him. That does not make sense to me, as if I were to stand way in the front of the batter's box, all pichers between my shoulders and knees would hit home plate or fall in front of the plate and, thus, be a "ball".

Lastly, this year the black part of the plate has been declared part of the plate, and therefore a pitch hitting the black in a "ball". In past years, this was a strike.

So, my questions are: Would you please define the ASA strike zone? Could you address the items previously mentioned?

Thank you so much for you time and expertise.

Answer
Hi PJ,

a strike in ASA sp is a pitched ball enters the space over any part of hp between the batter's front knee and back shoulder with the batter in a natural batting stance adjacent to the plate.

The umpire was wrong that the plate moves w/ the batter, it does not. The strike zone does not change in relationship to where the batter stands forward or backward in the box.  A batter standing all the way back in the box can easily have a pitched ball "land" in front of them and be a strike.  The opposite is true for a strike for a batter all the way up in the box.

In ASA the "black" has always been part of the plate regarding a pitch or a play.  The plate is the plate is the plate.

Mark