. . . returns immediately . . .

[PeteBooth]

Originally posted by Jim Porter

So, did I deserve the grief I caught? Is a, "flinch," toward second enough for you to decide that the BR did not, "return immediately," to first? Or would you require more, like a step toward second, before you'll terminate the BR's protection?

Jim in your scenario, I would agree with your call because of the situation. B1 saw the ball overthrown so his "flinch" towards second would indicate to me that B1 made a legitimate attempt to go but what happend:

He saw F2 backing up the play and since this is a men's league probably said to himself oh s@@t I'm a dead duck if I try for second, so he decided to go back - Oops Too late.

If this were a routine type play, then B1 would have to do something more than "flinch" for me to consider that he / she attempted to go to the next base.

As umpires not only do we have to know the rules but we also have to have awareness of what's going on out there as evident in your thread.

Pete Booth