Ive never been a fan of the "C" position in FP because of the look( or lack thereof) you get at plays at first..... but it can be sold fairly easily. I LIKE the "b" position with a runner at third...but I DONT like what the OP said about giving the play at 3rd back to the plate umpire...he has NO angle on that, it should be kept by the base umpire.

ANd I wouldnt use this position without pregaming it with my partner.....and if he/she objected....I wouldnt use it......

Here in NYS girls FP this is the mechanic that is used. The one problem I have is the 3rd baseman can shield your view when looking head on from this position.

Big,
What Mark speaks of here is what I'm calling "working between pitches".
With runners on 1B & 3B, I'm going to be 15-20 feet off of the 3B line and about 8 feet behind the 2B to 3B path. Sometimes, this will put me about even with F6 - several feet away. But I'm still behind the infielders - draw a line from F5 to F6 & I'm behind that. By working between pitches, I am positioning myself for the pick-off at 3B AND/OR the steal at 2B - I have a 90 degree angle on both. With a runner at 3B, you are not at all likely to see a pick-off at 1B. With an infield ground ball, chances are very good that I will get near the circle for the play at 1B. Mark's right - read, react, and hustle - after being prepared.

With a runner on first only, and the BU in 'B' (hopefully), are you giving the PU the pick at first? Pretty much the same thing. Here, we are expecting our BU to get in position to make the call.

I'm not opposed to trying something new, if it makes sense. I just don't think this positioning makes sense. What do Jim Craig or Ed Crane think of this? They're both New York state folks.

Here's as possible difference.

In my mind, (leave that alone, please :D ), a runner on 3B is most likely going to be in foul territory. Any quick return would most likely be in foul territory. If it is a close call on the outside of 3B, there is no way the BU is going to get even a good guess on the play, and the PU is very likely to be blocked by the runner's body.

An umpire in the C and moving after the pitch has a much better shot of getting some type of look. Even if still blocked, the perception is that the umpire is there for a call. This isn't available from working near 2B.

Secondly, where is a missed call most likely to hurt the defense, at 1B or 3B? Of course, none of us want to not see a play clearly, but it happens and there is no fool-proof set of mechanics to avoid it.

That was what I have been thinking throughout reading this thread... What is the priority, here? It may very well be that a play at 1B will happen more often than a pickoff attempt at 3B, but which is more important to get right?

Someone mentioned using B with 2 outs... that I can understand, since the play at 1st will prevent / allow a run to score.

But otherwise, it seems to me the priority should remain the runner at 3B.

Just for the record, I can assure that IS NOT standard baseball positioning.

With runners on 1B & 3B and less than two outs, I'm going to assume R2 will go to 2nd and there might be a play; although the fake play to a pick at 3rd is more likely.
I try to get an angle for the pick at 3rd because it can happen quicker.
With IF up, right behind F6 is usually good because I only need a step or two in, even if she covers. With IF back, a little left of F6 and back a few steps allows the same cover. If to the right of F6, I'm more likely to have a bad angle because of F6 covering.
Obviously, any of these require movement after the pitch to get where I would be if there was no possible batted ball.
Either way, seeing a play at 2nd is just a turn following the ball and a play at 1st is the usual hustle from an variation of C.

I feel like I'm being more wordy than clear, but the best I could do right now.

Am I the only one that just saw a HUGE door open? :D

I wasn't sure if he tee'd it up, opened the door, or told the skeet handler "pull". It may have been all three!!:D :D :D

Yup, he did. And he didn't use the disclaimer that you used back there with "In my mind."

Spencer
 

Hey Mr Sander
I am in the Czech Rep for the European Girls Championships that you should of been at, and because you were not here Gilbert only had 9 umpires for 120 spots, why did you not send your wife on Holiday and you come here :)
Clemence says hello, he did a great job for his 1st ESF Tournament. Hope to see you soon. Totziens

Hi Spencer,

It's Mr Bootsman, Sander for friends. I hope you'll continue with calling me "Sander"... It's not that I didn't want to be in the Czech Rep.; my boss couldn't miss me for four weeks. Tomorrow I'm leaving for France, with wife and son.

How did you do in Pilzen? You're having about 12-13 games this week? I saw a great pic of Gilbert, while he was at the EC-FPman in Belgium.

Was Clemence the only fresh (from my class) one? I thought that also two Greek-rookies would go and maybe a lost dutch (Arjan or Bob)...

Hope to see you soon...

Yeah Pappa George and Bob are also here but you e\want to call Bob a Fresh Man well with his knowledge I suppose he is but with his experience I am not to sure about the term Freash, but any how Pappa Gearge is a great guy and a very good umpire as I am sure you are too, Pappa George just showed me a pic from Chocen
Catch You Later as I am now enjoying my Jack Daniels