How to not sell a call...

[BretMan]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Speaking softball, this is correct only if the runner did not touch the plate.

I wasn't commenting specifically on plays involving a runner missing the plate and the fielder missing the tag. Isn't the common standard at any base, on any play, what Andy posted above- no ball, no call (signal).

Example: R1 on at first. Steal attempt for second. Ball hits F6's glove and rolls away as R1 slides into the bag.

Should we even make a safe signal on these plays? Or do we follow the "no ball, no call" doctorine? Does the closeness of the play, or how far away (how obvious) the ball rolls from the play, dictate that a signal might be warranted?

As an aside, baseball handles the "runner misses plate, fielder misses tag" play differently than does softball. Instead of first making no call, then hesitating to see how the players react before giving a safe signal if no tag follows, baseball advocates making no signal at all unless one is needed for F2 following up on the tag or the runner attempting to get back to the plate.

This play actually came up in a high school baseball game where I was being video taped and evaluated a few years ago. Of all the times for that to happen! It was the first time I had ever had to make such a call.

The catcher missed the tag, the runner missed the plate. I hesitated before making any call. The runner got up and trotted to the dugout, the catcher made no move to tag or appeal the miss and I gave a very belated, routine safe signal. In other words, I precisely followed the prescribed ASA softball mechanic for this play!

Too bad the correct way to handle it in baseball would have been to make no signal. I got dinged on the evaluation for making the signal and that lesson was burned into my brain. In the three or four hundred games I've umpired since then it's never come up again.

But if it does, I will be prepared!