Triple Play no matter how you slice it
 

Situation in my game a few seasons ago: 2 umps. Bases loaded, no outs, home team at bat. Batter hits a liner at the pitcher's feet and the pitcher stabs it, I'm in C, so I can't really tell if the ball hit the ground first or not. He throws to 3rd, 3B throws to 2nd, 2B throws to first. I figure no matter what, I've got three outs, home plate umpire was blocked by the catcher so he wasn't sure if it was a catch or a trap.

So if it was a catch, then the catch is the 1st out, throw to 3rd gets the runner on 3rd, throw to 2nd gets the runner on 2nd, 3 outs, throw to 1st is superfluous.

No catch, then 3rd to 2nd to 1st gets me a triple play of force outs so no timing issue with runner on 3rd.

Home team coach comes out and asks us what the ruling was. He acknowledges it's a triple play on his team either way but for the book, he wanted to know how to score it. It looked like a catch to me, so that's what I told him. How would you rule that play?

From now on, I'm going to delay any catch/no-catch call until all playing action has ended.

I would hope the plate umpire made a call at the time it happened regardless of whether he was 100% sure.

HP has gotta make a call here. Make a call quickly and live with it.

Send him to the PU - whose call it was.

^^^What he said.

Am I missing something here? If it was a catch, that removes the force - just throwing to 3rd doesn't get any outs (no mention of a tag) and likewise throwing to 2d - no mention of a tag. Also, taking the time to tag the advancing runner @ 3rd slows down the throw to 2d where the tag also has to be made.

The way the outs are obtained changes significantly if the pitcher caught the ball.

If the ball was caught, the throws to the base result in appeal outs of R3 (at third), R2 at second. If the ball wasn't caught, the throws result in a force out of R2 (at third) and R1 (at second) as well as an out on the BR at first.

Of course those outs probably wouldn't happen had the plate guy MADE A CALL.

Got it - Thanks - I WAS missing something - I forgot the runners going BACK to the bag and concentrated on the runners ADVANCING to the bag :o

Since there was no argument as to the number of outs, why not ask F1 if he caught the ball?

If it's ruled a catch it's scored 1-5-4-3. Pitcher is credited with the put out of the batter, throw to third who gets and assist for throwing to second base where R2 is retired, then to first where R1 is retired.

Or

If it's ruled no-catch it's scored 1-5-4-3.