[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Let's be clear, though, Joel, the runner touching the fielder who is touching the plate is not the runner touching the plate, so if all the runner does is touch the fielder's foot, the runner has NOT touched the plate.

What you are saying is that, due to the human running motion (e.g. heel down, foot rocks forward, pushes off with the toes), it is so highly UNLIKELY that the runner would touch ONLY the fielder's foot, that the umpire SHOULD consider this as touching the plate.

At least, I think that is what you are saying. And, taking the technical way and ruling that the runner did not touch the plate is looking for trouble with something you could not possibly see with certainty.

There is also the question of how low the umpire is going to get to see whether any part of the runner's foot also touched the plate