timing play in NCAA
 

Here is the stituation. Two outs, runners at first and second. Ball hit to centerfield. Girl on second heads for home and girl on first heads for third. Throw comes in towards home but is cut off by the pitcher who fires the ball to third and they tag out the runner at third BEFORE the runner slides into home. I am PU and set up slightly outside the right handed batter's box for a possible play at home. I see the tag at third, have time to look towards home and see the girl hasn't made it to home at the time of the tag. I verbalize loudly that the run doesn't count while giving a strong safe signal. After the game when I was talked to about my performance, I was told I should have been set up on third baseline extended which would have lined everything up perfectly for this call and it would have been an easier sell. I can see this, but is that a good place to be if the pitcher hadn't cut the ball and the play was at home? Dave

I'm not NCAA, but this was brought up in the ASA NUS I went to. They are working on moving PU from the standard holding zone and on your play as you have agreed it would have been a good place to be. On your second question you would have wanted to be 90 degrees from the tag....I like being in the normal holding zone, creature of habit, but as I make myslef get out there I see that I can see swipe tags up the line better from there. 90 degrees from the plate (normal holding zone) is the best if there is a play directly at the plate, meaning the tag is at the feet and you are judging if the feet touched prior to the tag or the tag happened first....but if F2 is up the line some and tags the runner anywhere else you have a better view of the tag instead of trying to look through the runners body to see it, and you can still see the feet coming into the base.

Third base line extended is a terrible place from which to make a call at the plate. You lose a dimension and, yes, I know MLB uses it and I've seen them miss some close tag plays at the plate from there. For that matter, just recently, there was a Phillies-Astros game decided on a close call at the plate from this position on a knee.

The catcher tagged the runner around the knee/thigh while sliding into the plate. It was close with a camera angle from above, so I doubt the umpire could tell if the lead foot was on the plate at the time of the tag.

From the back of the RH batter's box, it probably would have been a no brainer.

I know sometimes at umpire schools / clinics you get the hobby horse notions of the clinicians rather than the "official word."

So, I'm asking... is ASA actually considering 3rd base line extended for plays at the plate?

And, if they are, would this only apply to 3+ umpire crews?

If so, you are talking to one umpire who will be out of position. I'd rather get the call right.

My evaluator was in no way stating that third base extended was the place to be on a play at the plate, just to be there to line everything up to see if the run would count. But as PU, I have no idea if the ball will be cut off or not. If it is, there is not enough time to get to the third base extended position. Dave

Exactly. The back of the RH box, will give you a good look at the play at 3B and the runner's position in relation to the plate.

Another point would be at 3B line extended, you also have a catcher and runner to look through/around to see the play.

By the manual you should be somewhere in the point of the plate holding area which allows you to move etheir way... Sounds like you were close enough to that ... but thats where you are preferred to be

Shipwreck,
Why a strong safe signal? You had an out at third and the run not counting at the plate. The NCAA signal for the run not scoring is crossing the hands above the head.

I'm new to NCAA ball. I guess I gave the wrong signal, but positioning was the question not what is the proper hand signal. Dave