Quote:
Originally posted by Al
Hi justme,
Yes, I am new to Upiring but I was a coach for two years and played baseball and softball my entire childhood all the way through high school.
You asked..."Let me ask you personally this, if the BR rounds 1B headed full speed for 2B, where due you judge the 3' running lane to be? The same question for the BR rounding 3B heading home"?
The base-line is different from the base-path. If a runner rounds a base and goes ten feet into the outfield where a fielder attempts to tag her she will have 3' from either side as her base-path. I had this happen twice last year where the runner in both cases stayed within her BASE-PATH all the way to the next base and I called them both safe. Both times (different teams) there was at least one coach that said she was out of the base line and should have been called out! I explained she established her BASE-PATH and didn't go out of it while the fielder tried to tag her, nor when she tried to catch up with her on her way to the base.
In the play I posted where a girl was coming home I should have mentioned the girl was right in the center of the BASE-LINE when the attempted tag and the moving away from that tag came into play. But at that time no foot went outside of the base-line (which in this case was also her base-path)until she had already passed the girls attempted tag and was now very close to home plate. On our fields (from third to home only) they have a line 3 foot line inside and outside of the direct path to the plate, but it runs only part way to the plate. The runner was past that line when her momentum nearly took her into the backstop. A very good umpire; (also the admistrator) who also is a respected coach of 12 & under and 16 & under f/p was there and said I made the right call. I called the runner safe!
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Reading your latest post it sounds like you did make a good call.
Welcome to umpiring where usually your popularity rating is 50% at best. Remember, coaches and parents see plays with their hearts....umpires see plays with their eyes.