[Kaliix]

I was working a weekend tournament for 12-13 year olds last summer. It was comprised of travel teams from the surrounding states, so the level of play was good.

I had this play happen. I was the BU. There were no outs with R2 and R1 and I am in "C". The BR pounds a pitch into the ground and it bounds towards F6. The ball is not a slow roller but it took some time getting to F6. R2 hesitates for a second and then breaks for third. With the speed of the ball and the hesitation of the runner, I am thinking that there is a good possibility of F6 going to third for the force since R2 hesitated and turning two will be close due to the speed of the ball. So admittedly I not really moving since I am anticipating a possible play at third.

Well don't you know F6 fields the ball and fires to F4 who makes a great quick turn and relays the ball on to first. I set to get the call at second and then turn and move to call the play at first. The throw was high and towards home. F1 stretches straight at me and manages to catch the ball before the BR gets to first. I sell the out call.

Immediately I notice the first base coach react in disgust. The stands behind him (filled with fans for the offense) are starting to go nuts. I am wondering what the commotion is about? Three or four seconds after the play I hear the head coach(?) yell from the bench, "Can we appeal the call?" I yell no and go back to "A".

My belief at the time was that I thought I had the call right and that my partner was likely not looking at the play because he would have responsibilities at third. When the coach politely asked later in between innings why I wouldn't ask my partner for help, I told him about his responsibilities at third and that I didn't think he would be looking. He bought the explanation.

Well as it turns out, my partner was looking and didn't break for third (he is newer than me) and when I asked him at the end of the inning if I he saw the play, he said that he had a great look at it and that the first baseman wasn't even close to having his foot on the bag. I pressed him and asked if he was sure, he repeated that he had a good look and his foot was obviously off the bag.

In retrospect, this was the worst call I made all year. In thinking about it, I missed it because for whatever reason I let my focus drift up to the glove for the catch and was looking at the foot with my peripheral vision. I was also not in the best of positions because of how the play developed.

The situation brings up some interesting points.

1)Should I have gone to my partner in that situation? I didn't because the request was yelled from the bench. If the coach came out and asked what I saw and said that F1 pulled his foot and would I check with the PU, I likely would have asked.
Should I still have asked? Explain why you would or wouldn't have checked?

2)Would the use of some signal from my partner have been useful in this situation to let me know he had something? Should the PU not have said anything or should he have come right up the line and offered help? Explain what you would have done differently?

3)SanDiegoSteve offered a good description a while back of how best to cover that sort of play. From reading, I guess this a difficult play for the BU to handle, especially without training. I didn't copy down his description before. Can anyone else offer a good break down of how they handle the situation above?

4) Any other thoughts?