official blunder
 

During a youth leagues game last weekend I (as a fan) observed an ugly situation develope due to an umpire making a call that I believe should have been appealed first. Bases loaded 2 outs, B4 hits to the gap, R1, R2, R3 all score. Umpire claimed R1 did not touch plate and immediately called him out negating his run as well as other 2 runs...inning over. Coach goes ballistic arguing he can't make that call with out an appeal from defensive coach. I believe this coach is correct, what does the official rule state?

The coach was correct, it must be appealed. It used to be in HS games that the umpire automatically called runners out for missing bases, but even FED realized that it was not the right thing to do. It has been drilled into my head since childhood that the umpire is not to give away an appeal play. He is to go on as if it never happened and wait for the defense to appeal.

I take it that when you say R1, you are referring to the runner at 3rd base. It is easier to follow if you will label your runners by the base they occupy. For example, R3 for the runner at 3rd.

FED and up all require an appeal by the defense. What rules were they playing by?

And...why did the runner miss home plate? Sounds like a running error first and foremost.

Excuse me I meant R3 missed home plate, negating R2 and R1.

R3 simply was not paying attention when he crossed the plate.

Where are you as well? Here in South Carolina all HS games are played by Fed rules with exception of appeals for missed base or improper tag up. Many of us don't like it but the State League requires us to make the out call at the end of play action.

Well, he did say that it was a "youth league" which pretty much tells us it wasn't a high school game.

Does South Carolina plan on joining the rest of the country (and baseball) any time soon?

This reminds me of a JV game I did back in 1987, when we were required to rat on baserunners who missed bases. Bases loaded, bottom of 7th, 2 outs, home team down by two runs. The batter hit a ball into the gap, which cleared the bases for the win by one run.....except the runner from 2nd missed third base. I was working solo, so I had all the runners at all the bases and I happened to see the runner miss 3rd base. Being the brutally honest person I am, I called the runner out, negating 2 of the runs, and costing the home team the come from behind victory.

They were mad, and did not understand why an appeal wasn't required. I had to explain that the stupid rule in FED ball said the umpire has to call out the runners who miss any bases. I felt like some kind of stool-pigeon for making such a call. Bad rule.

Well technically YOU didn't cost the game, the player who missed the base did.
Except of course in the mind of coaches who are always 100% right on their strategy calls, field teams of 1.000 batters and 0.00 ERA pitchers, and know ever rule inside and out.
Sorry. The librium must have just kicked in.

Game was played under dixie youth rules, but there is no mention in the rules I can find that says the umpire has descretion to call this runner out without an appeal.

Despite the repeated requests of my association to the High School League, and the discussions we have had with them....the answer to your question, unfortunately, is a resounding "NO!".