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Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve
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The NCAA coaches saw it differently; they created a special game situation where the runner gets immunity and still can run a trick play if returning within 3' either side of the foul line. That forces umpires and players to stare at the runner until she fully (and often slowly) returns to the bag and stops. No one can move on; we stand in our calling position, unable to rotate to our starting position for the next play. In a three umpire crew with no other runners, PU stands at attention half way up the foul line, U1 stands in fair territory facing first, and U3 stands on the infield side of 2nd, at attention, simply waiting to be able to rotate to get into next position. It looks like a dummy drill. ...
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Thanks for your outstanding summary, Steve.
The 2007 JUCO national champs (Chipola) liked to take advantage of the NCAA interpretation. Their runners would come back down the RF line, looking for the defense to relax. If they saw an opening, they had the green light to break for second.
At the Florida JUCO tournament we ran the "three man dummy drill" a lot. I even got to make a call at second (I was U3) when F4 forgot to cover. Interestingly, the umpires knew their tendencies better than the other teams.