[teebob21]

All of the above posts are good. Sometimes, you have to deviate. It SHOULD NOT be the standard mechanic. Last year, I covered home on a play after going out on a fly ball.

HS varsity game, one of our lower HS classes. The teams weren't great, but they were evenly matched. No runners on, 2 man system. Ball hit down the 1B line and F9 is charging. I turn to go out, and communicate with my partner. F9 misses the ball on a short-hop and it gets behind her. My not-very-mobile partner does a great job taking the BR to 3B, where F9 makes a great throw. The BR should be out at 3B by three steps. I turn and watch the play, drifting back towards my starting position. F5 whiffs on the catch, and the ball gets to the fence. The BR never breaks stride and comes home. There is no way my partner could have gotten back to the plate for a credible calling position. I called him off and got home in plenty of time for a bang-bang swipe tag play at home. Had I stayed on the grass, we'd have been absolutely stuck as there was no angle on the play from 3B for my plate partner to make a call.