Play at the plate
 

Hey guys (and gals),

As I've said before, I'm new to softball officiating, and so I have a question which may seem basic to most of you guys, but I'd appreciate any help.

Ball thrown from F6 to F2 with runner R1 rounding third and coming home. F2 makes catch at the plate, and R1 jumps outside the base path to avoid the tag. I call R1 out for jumping outside the base path. No questions from either team. After the game, I was talking to my partner, who said that a player cannot be called out for going outside the baseline on a play at the plate. Is this true? Is this the same in all ball (SP, FP, and baseball)?

Thanks,
Quinn

Thats idiotic.

Your partner is wrong.

What he said....

Speaking ASA

#1. There is no rule forbidding the runner from ever leaving ANY base line.
#2. There is a rule forbidding the runner from leaving the base path and that applies ANYWHERE on the field.
#3. Your partner needs to actually READ the rule book and then attend a few clinics.

What is worse is when there is a rule change and then an
"old vet" who doesn't read the rule book or attend training
sessions makes a call based on the old rule. That really steams me !
In a "perfect world" officials organizations would have enough members
to force everyone to keep up in order to get assignments.
Sadly that is seldom the case.

When avoiding a tag?

There is no rule forbidding it. They are simply out for running more than three feet from the basepath when a fielder is attempting to touch them with the ball. (ASA 8:7:A) ;)

Yes, that is correct, but I don't think this umpire would know the difference. I used forbidding because if the runner does leave the base path to avoid a tag, that person is no longer a runner.

Point is I simply made a comment that a rule exists, I just didn't offer the specifics.

I just want to make sure I'm understanding this right. The difference you're pointing out here is that the base line isn't necessarily the base path. IE, R1 runs straight through and past third, and then attempts home. Base line is directly between third and home, but base path three feet either side of the straight line between where he is and home plate. Is that right? Is that the distinction you were trying to draw?

Close.

First - the base LINE is irrelevant in almost every situation.

The only thing you omitted in the above quote is that the basepath is 3 feet either side of a straightline between where he/she is and home plate AT THE MOMENT A FIELDER INITIATES A TAG ATTEMPT (and also a straight line between that point and third base.) Don't create a basepath in your head for a particular runner until that tag attempt happens.