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Old Wed Jul 03, 2002, 10:22pm
PeteBooth PeteBooth is offline
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Originally posted by devdog69

To me, this is similar to an out of bounds call in basketball that happens on my line, I blow it and signal based on what I saw. If there is an immediate uproar from the crowd and players alike (more than the usual whining), it can very well indicate I may have missed something and I will make eye contact with my partner asking him if he saw something I didn't. JMHO.

You can't compare basketball or football to baseball and here's why.

Sitch: r1/r3 last inning 1 OUT HT up Game tied.

B1 grounds to F4 who attempts to apply a tag on r1.

Let's Freeze for a moment. This call by the umpire is CRUCIAL in determining F4's next move. If U2 calls R1 out, there's a real good chance F4 will flip to F3 for the inning ending DP and send the game into extra innings.

However, if U2 calls Safe, F4 will fire home and try to get R3 or the game is over.

Now after dust settles, U2 missed the call. At this point because of CONTINUOUS action an umpire has to LIVE with the call. It's almost impossible to go back in time and fix - that's why under certain circumstances you LIVE with the call.

On the play in question, this BU got lucky in that the PU could help him, but in most situations with r3, the PU cannot help you especially if r3 is heading for home.

No matter what sport we officiate we are NOT going to get'em all correct - it's part of the game. Now it's more common in football and basketball for officials to get together, but most of the time it involves a dead ball type situation and not a continuous type action play as the one I described.

The proper mechanic is to go to your partner BEFORE you make the call and also Do not hang your partner out to dry because you were the one out of position.

When we have r3, for the most part the BU is on his /her own on plays at first. One develops bad habits by constantly going to their partner when they shouldn't.

Pete Booth
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