Help on tag play
 

I am BU & I have trouble on a tag play at second & third base when the tags on the runner is high, (on his on his upper body not his leg)
This causes me look at the tag first & not watching the foot as it touches the base.
Any suggestions to get the big picture would be helpful.

Thanks,
Robert G

Get a little farther away.

And, if the tag is high, then you need to see that the tag was first -- otherwise, the runner is safe.

It's a tough tag play!
 

A tag play at 2nd and 3rd usually means the runner was not required to go, so any benefit of doubt should go to the defense if it is that close. You are going to get backlash from the offended team and supporters. If I am going to miss one on the infield, I am going to miss him out!

What a bizarre comment.

Isn't ANY tag play on a runner that was not required to go?

You hold it against a player for advancing when they are not required to?

Very very odd statements...

Last time I checked a tag play can be a force out. I am not holding it against anyone. I know a lot of umpires that beat themselves up on close plays. They linger in the umpire's mind much longer than they should. Call the play and move on to the next one without the baggage. Like Mr. Klem said "It ain't nothing until I call it and that is what it is."

Sure, a force play can be completed with a tag ... but it doesn't normally happen that way AT a base.

My point, though, was that you seemed to be implying that any runner who dared attempt a base that he wasn't forced to advance to was going to be called out because you feel he shouldn't have tried.

"Nobody" tries to apply a tag at a base if it's a force and the fielder is at the base. That said: If the on a force play the fielder is at the base and touching it and still attempts a tag (like you sometimes see in youth ball) just ignore a tag attempt - it is meaningless.

And a tag attempt for an out is a tag attempt for an out. Doesn't matter if the runner was on his own or forced.

The OP indicated that it was a close play difficult to call due to the fact that the foot was hitting the bag at approximately the same time as the tag was applied high on the runner coming into the bag. On that type of play I consider the slide or lack of a slide, how far out in front of the bag is the fielder applying the tag and attempt to see the whole play to its conclusion. I weigh these factors before rendering a call. With that said, I am always looking for outs.

Which touch happened first? That's all you need to know. Stop making it complicated

+1000

Why not require the throw go to the base and the tag to the bag? Or just call what you see?

Upon rereading @mr. Robert E. Harrison's post, he might be trolling. He appears to be concerned with backlash from "the team and it's supporters"

Thank you Rich, that's exactly correct.

Guys spend too much time analyzing, just watch, make the call and move on.

thanks
David