Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelVA2000
After developing your angle and distance and seeing F2 with possession of the ball and the runner coming towards home, why didn't you go hands on knees set? This could have avoided the confusion of a safe mechanic where your hands were at your chest with your elbows extended.
From training notes:
On Instructional Technique : A quick word on a method for starting of the "safe" and "out" signal by initially starting from a hands-on-knees set. It is particularly important when teaching novice umpires. The real-world sequence becomes: "pause, bust to the angle, pause to access the throw, hands-on-knees-set, read, now "CALL IT", return to set."
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I never do and never would suggest any umpire place their hands on the knees. There is a reason intructors at many levels abandoned this move, mainly because it often locks an umpire, especially a novice umpire, into a specific, limited-mobility stance and that is not where you want to be.
I understand what you are trying to do, but a standard, every-day set position works.
I also know what happened, but not why. I fould myself bringing my fists to my chests last fall in a game. Had no idea why I did it and didn't realize it until a player said I was ready to call a runner safe before there was even a play. Like Bob, I'm saying that just wasn't true. So far, this season I have gone out of my to make sure this doesn't occur.
However, in a discussion with a couple umpires yesterday, I may have an idea why some PUs may do this. One umpire was getting "gigged" at a higher level because he was raising his left hand to just below his right shoulder any time he went to call a strike or routine out. He was not aware he was doing it, but noted that the shoulder pads on his CP tend to be a little tight. It turns out it may have been a simple reaction of lifting the CP enough to get a good hammer. Now that he knows, he is making adjustments to correct it.