Play at the plate

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by GPC2

I guess my question was how would the umpire know if the tag was actually made since the tag would be made on the opposite side of the player's body than the ump was positioned on? Is it just a feel thing, where you get used to knowing if the player was tagged? I guess, to me, it would seem like you could see that better from behind the plate (but then you would be obstructed from seeing the plate I guess) - hey man, I don't know - just wondering.

You're right. As it turns out, there could have been a better place (based on the pictures). But, that "better place" would heve made it more difficult if the tag had been on the side / arm / shoulder of the runner closer to the catcher. And, the play goes from a "tag on the shoulder" to a "tag on the back" in about .1 seconds (SWAG).

It happens in all sports (I don't work FB, so I won't try to come up with an exact analogy). All you can do is use your experience, and other evidence (sound, the movement of F2's glove / arm) to determine what most likely happened.

[GPC2]

Thanks all. I know this was a really tough play and I just wanted to get some insight into what actually happens (from an officiating standpoint) on a bang-bang play at the plate.

[johnnyg08]

Try to get in the best position possible to make the call based upon your training and experience, call what you see and move on. If you missed it...try to learn from the mistakes made and don't make them again...then whenever possible, educate one more person about what you learned from that play...then maybe they won't make the same mistake. Sometimes we get 'em right, some times we miss 'em, but we're calling what we see. I guess that's the human element.