Runner dives over catcher on tag play

[BretMan]

Originally Posted by HoopsRefJunior

I'm amazed at those who say they would also ignore this.

So, Hoops Ref Junior, are you a hoops ref? If so, have you ever had to use your judgment to make a call. Did your judgment always match your partners, the coaches, players and fans?

No one here is going to dispute the rule. But if all I have to go by are those pictures, I'm not sure if I'm convinced that the runner dove over the catcher. It looks to me like maybe the runner was upended by the catcher. That is there was no intentional diving action on the runner's part. The catcher moved into him, took out his legs and the runner just happened to land the way he landed.

Maybe. I don't know. I would defer to the judgment of the officials who were actually there and actually observed the play.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by BretMan

So, Hoops Ref Junior, are you a hoops ref? If so, have you ever had to use your judgment to make a call. Did your judgment always match your partners, the coaches, players and fans?

No one here is going to dispute the rule. But if all I have to go by are those pictures, I'm not sure if I'm convinced that the runner dove over the catcher. It looks to me like maybe the runner was upended by the catcher. That is there was no intentional diving action on the runner's part. The catcher moved into him, took out his legs and the runner just happened to land the way he landed.

Maybe. I don't know. I would defer to the judgment of the officials who were actually there and actually observed the play.

I agree with this 100%.

[MD Longhorn]

A series of still photographs makes this extremely difficult to determine. But for me to call this definitively, I need to see some sort of verticality achieved. Pick a part of his body and look at successive photos. His head definitely never rises. Nor his shoulders. Torso remains flat for a time, then down. Waist, even, doesn't appear to go up from photo to photo. And by the feet/legs start rising, there's no question in my mind that he's already been contacted by the rising catcher.

I don't think this player jumped or dove over the catcher any more than he simply tried to stop his momentum (his legs DO stop for about 3 frames) and was falling forward when his legs were forced up by the catcher.

Not saying I would fault an umpire who DID call him out in this sequence - just saying the evidence we're being shown doesn't really prove anything in either direction.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by bretman

maybe. I don't know. I would defer to the judgment of the officials who were actually there and actually observed the play.

+1