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Originally Posted by tibear
Everyone knows about the phantom tag of second base on a force where the F4 or F6 doesn't actually touch the bag and the umpire still calls the out when the ball clearly beats the runner.
Two questions:
1) Generally speaking, how far from the bag do you generally give the defensive person on a play where the runner is say 3 or 4 steps from the bag.
2) Again with the runner 3 or 4 steps from first, do you ever give F3 any leeway when they sometimes step off the bag a fraction of a second before they actually catch the ball? i.e. F3 catches the ball after lifting their foot off the bag.
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Regarding #1 - I'm not a believer in the phantom tag, so I don't call it.
Regarding #2 - See number 1
Especially #2 - if F3 is off, everyone's concentrating on it so they will know. The same is not always true for the phantom tag at second just because of the distance involved.
Regarding the phantom tag - some use safety to justify using it. However, with FED rules the way they are (and I only do FED rule games) they go out of their way to protect the fielder. Some use "the intent" of the game. Again, I am not a suscriber to that philosophy. If the rules makers wanted to allow for the phantom tag, it would be in the rules. I'm just one. Whatever you do you have to feel comfortable about it.