Another new mechanic?

[RKBUmp]

Watching PGF 18 championship this weekend, 3 man crew and when counter rotated it appeared much of the time U1 was positioned in C position off the left shoulder of the SS. Is this something PGF has started using?

[Andy]

U1?


Assuming that U3 was on the third base line, there were two umpires between second and third? That doesn't make sense to me.....

[RKBUmp]

Yep, thought I was missing something the first couple of times but kept seeing an umpire in C when there shouldn't have been one.

[Dakota]

My theory? U1 was unfamiliar with 3 umpire mechanics and was wingin' it.

[RKBUmp]

Originally Posted by Dakota

My theory? U1 was unfamiliar with 3 umpire mechanics and was wingin' it.

If that is the case, got to wonder about PGF/whoever did the assigning of officials unfamiliar with 3 man mechanics on a nationally televised championship game.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by RKBUmp

If that is the case, got to wonder about PGF/whoever did the assigning of officials unfamiliar with 3 man mechanics on a nationally televised championship game.

Yeah, but mere speculation on my part, since U1 is the usual position a 3-umpire rookie gets put it, and he was positioned where he was supposed to be if it was 2-umpire.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by Dakota

My theory? U1 was unfamiliar with 3 umpire mechanics and was wingin' it.

Were the other 2 asleep?

[AtlUmpSteve]

There is a basic disconnect/mistake with the opening post. Unless something has changed, PGF championship games use 4 umpires; something you cannot generally see clearly in typical TV coverage.

What you were seeing was U2 in position, not U3 rotated. Standard 4 man as taught by ISF (and what Smokey uses) has U2 in the typical 3 person rotated (line between 2nd and 3rd extended) only when there is a force at 2nd, or with bases empty and a righthanded batter up (opposite field of batter). With no force at 2nd and a lefthanded batter up, it is the mirror image on the shortstop side with the line between 1st and 2nd extended.