Leaving the Base path
 

:D HS JV - Bottom of the 2nd, bases loaded, one out. Batter hits to F6 who fumbles the ball and then throws to F3 for out two.

Runner on 3rd comes home. Runner on 2nd is between 3rd and home when F3 throws to F5 who attempts to tag runner coming into 3rd. The runner leaves the base path by at least 2 steps and I call him out for the 3rd out and only count the 1st run as the runner between 3rd and home crossed after I called the 3rd out.

Move the the bottom of the 4th. Almost identical play but the runner only took one step. I still call him out for leaving the base path.

The coach goes ballistic and I tell him that we are NOT GOING to argue decisions.

We finish the game and I go home.

I had to do the game by myself as we were short on people for Monday.:(

2 steps & 1 step? Where did you learn to umpire? The runner gets 3 FEET to either side of the base line that they establish. I don't blame the coach for reaming you out.

:p I don't remember which clinic I went to that described how to judge this.

The normal adult male is about 6 feet tall. He takes a 24 to 30 inch step when walking. When running, he will take a 3 to 4 ft step.

You do the math.:p

But usually not perpendicular to HIS basepath.

And it''s HIS basepath, not the baseline

Seriously?

So ... your runner stopped and took two steps perpendicular to his bath path? I doubt it.

2 steps diagonally may or may not be 3 feet from the basepath that was established when the tag began. 1 step diagonally DEFINITELY was not.

One thing experience has taught me ... a runner running full speed toward a base almost never deviates more than 3 feet from the basepath (and remember - this is critical - the basepath that matters is the line between the runner and the base at the moment the tag began. Not before). A runner going out of the baseline almost always shows a very visible "running AROUND the feeling" look. When it happens, it's obvious.

Where were you when you made those calls at third base?? You might be able to sell those if you were going solo from behind the mound. But if you're working behind the plate and you've got this going on:

then there's no way in hell you can see a base path violation unless the runner going to third deviates by ten feet!

I assume that a fielder was attempting to tag the runner when the runner left the base path by 3 or more feet?:confused:

I can only remember 3 games I worked solo, there may be more, but I can't recall them. One was an adult wood bat summer league DH (actually that would be two games). Another was HS, and the last one was little kids on 60' bases.

An umpire working solo is at a disadvantage, to say the least. If I was working solo and called someone out for running out of their basepath I would take no grief about it. Likewise, if I called someone safe because I did not think they ran far enough out of their basepath to get called out I would also take no grief about it.

Actually, I think that would be true whether I was working solo or with a partner.

The math is a little off. The average male in this country is actually less than 6 feet tall. The stride length while walking is about right, and the running stride is actually more than 3-4 feet (close to 5-6 depending on speed and runner height).

The key in judging this is how was the step made. If she stops running and then takes 1 step to the left or right, you most likely don't have a violation. If he takes 2 steps, then it is likely a violation.

While running it is tougher to call because you don't have a good look at the angle the runner turns.

As others have said, you could have an out of the base path call with 1 running step, or it could take 2 or 3 before the violation occurs.

The easiest way to judge this is not by the number or length of steps, but the reach of the fielder. If you know the fielder is in the line between the runner and the base when he has the ball, the base path becomes a direct line between the base and the runner. If the runner deviates so far that the fielder while reaching can't touch the runner, you may have a violation. If he can't touch the runner after a step and a reach, you have a violation because the average step is 2-3 feet and the average arm length is 2-3 feet from the shoulder. At a minimum that would be a foot over the 3 foot allowed.