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Mike,
We could get in the discussion about how to handle the situation of the batter missing home plate by an inch on an over the fence game winner. I don't think it is worth it.
I will say, that in this neck of the woods both teams expect the neighborhood plays and tags in any levels above 14 years, and in the skilled 12 year olds.
I don't think I'm going to force the player waiting on the tag at the base to suffer a broken wrist to get the out. Lay the tag down, pull it up the last instant before the spikes and show me the ball you get the out. (Don't tell me the younger girls won't hurt the defensive player on that tag. We lost one of our girls for the last two months of her 15 year old summer with a broken hand on a tag play, and she missed the first month of HS vollyball.)
If the defense executes the play well, if it looks like a tag they get the out. If F6 brushes her foot within a couple of inches of the base as she avoids the sliding runner, she gets the out. If the baserunner misses a base by an inch when no play is being made on her, I don't have a miss.
If the tag is missed by an excellent slide around the defense your safe. If the missed base is obvious, your out on the appeal. If the runner is leaving the base so quickly that I'm not sure if she left early or not, her timming is good.
That keeps the balance between the defense and the offfense. Its also what is expected by the players and coaches. It makes for good ballgames and no hard feelings.
Roger Greene,
Member UT
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