Pulled foot mechanic and timing

[Rich]

I work big boy ball, Stevie. I work college, high school, MSBL, and semipro baseball. Most of my baseball in the summer is pretty high level wood bat baseball.

I still get on the first base side of the mound. Here's why:

The appropriate place for an umpire to be BEFORE the fielder commits is the working area behind the mound. It is the best place for the BU to go in EITHER direction.

EXAMPLE: R2. Ground ball to F6. The base umpire in C steps UP and opens himself up to the ball as the ball is passing him. After the ball passes the BU, he quickly cross-steps so that he is directly behind the mound.

If F6 throws to third, the BU takes a few steps to get an angle (like on a steal of third, he heads to the midpoint between third and home) and makes the call on the tag. If F6 throws to first, the BU takes a few quick steps to get an angle on the foot at first base.

Your post is condescending, but since you bothered to type rather than cut-and-paste I'll throw in some small diamond stuff since I worked my first 2 small diamond games in 10 years on Saturday. It is much harder to call this play on the small diamond. The BU in C stands BEHIND F6 and has to wait until R2 crosses in front of him before coming into the infield. Those of us on the 90 foot diamond can move and get angles without worrying about runners and fielders being in the way. I still don't remember involving the plate umpire in my job, though.

My experience umpiring is that those umpires that ask for help on swiped feet and other squirrels usually ask because they didn't work to get in the right position to make the call themselves. Some probably think: Why bother, I can just ask my partner. Well, the reason to bother is because that is solely the base umpire's call.

Rich