Tagup Responsibilities

[KJUmp]

Need some help here as I do not have an ASA mechanics manual.

What are the correct tagup responsibilities (as being taught at ASA national/regional schools&clinics) for a 2 MAN CREW-SLOW PITCH?

Irish? NCASA? Any of you other guys who have recently attended the national school? Can you guys set me straight.
Thamks in advance.

[NCASAUmp]

Simple.

Plate Umpire always has a runner that's on 3B.

Base Umpire always has a runner that's on 1B.

If there are multiple runners, the plate umpire always has the lead runner, and the base umpire always has all other runners.

Make sense?

[NCASAUmp]

KJUmp pointed out to me that I forgot one scenario.

Lone runner on 2B is the Base Umpire's call.

I'll also mention that the only time any of this changes is if the Base Umpire goes out to call fair/foul (which should NEVER happen when the Base Umpire is in B, or I'll f'ing smack you), or if the Base Umpire goes out to call the catch/no catch.

General rule of thumb is that if the Base Umpire turns his/her back to the infield, the catch/no catch is now his/hers. However, if you're the Base Umpire and you do this, do it right: GO OUT THERE. Make it clear to your partner that you're going out to make the call by calling out "one man" or "going," and move your butt out of the infield to make the call.

Sorry for forgetting that.

[CecilOne]

Simpler yet:
The PU only has tag-up for runners on 3rd or the lead of multiple runners.

[chymechowder]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

Simple.

Plate Umpire always has a runner that's on 3B.

Base Umpire always has a runner that's on 1B.

If there are multiple runners, the plate umpire always has the lead runner, and the base umpire always has all other runners.

Make sense?

I'm in USSSA. Mens slow pitch. 2 man crew. With any runners on base, BU is positioned just inside of 2B before the pitch. So if there's only a runner on first, how is the BU supposed to watch a (routine) fly to left for catch/no catch AND watch the runner at first tagging?

We have BU taking the tag for any runner at 2B (even if there are multiple runners), and PU will have all other tags.

I"m not saying that's necessarily the correct mechanic--just that that's what we do. But it makes sense to me. With a runner on 2B (even if he's the lead runner), the BU can always position himself (inside the bag) so that he's aligned with the bag and the outfielder.

[outathm]

That may be true for USSSA. The question was for ASA.

[chymechowder]

Originally Posted by outathm

That may be true for USSSA. The question was for ASA.

gotcha. out of curiosity, then: in ASA with a man on first and a fly ball to left, the base umpire is supposed to have the catch and the tag?

that seems extremely odd to me. why wouldn't home plate take the tag here? I mean, there's only two things happening--why have one guy do both?

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by chymechowder

gotcha. out of curiosity, then: in ASA with a man on first and a fly ball to left, the base umpire is supposed to have the catch and the tag?

that seems extremely odd to me. why wouldn't home plate take the tag here? I mean, there's only two things happening--why have one guy do both?

In your situation, in ASA, the BU can not have both calls. Either the BU goes out to call the catch and the PU has the tag-up, or the PU has the catch and the BU has the tag-up. Once the BU goes out to call the catch, he's done for the rest of the play - once you go out, you stay out.

There are always going to be problems inherent to the 2-umpire system when it comes to tag-up coverage. If tourneys or leagues don't want to pay for a 3-umpire crew (and who could blame them, since it increases the cost by 50%), then they just have to accept that we will do the best we can.

I think ASA keeps it pretty simple with the tag-up responsibilities in a 2-umpire system, demonstrated by the fact that it took only a few sentences to describe who has which runner. If we start getting into left field versus right field versus center field, that would add a layer of complexity that no organization with 40,000+ umpires is ready to deal with.

Personally, I've not had that big a problem with it in 17 years.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by chymechowder

gotcha. out of curiosity, then: in ASA with a man on first and a fly ball to left, the base umpire is supposed to have the catch and the tag?

that seems extremely odd to me. why wouldn't home plate take the tag here? I mean, there's only two things happening--why have one guy do both?

What sounds odd to me is why the base umpire would call the routine catch?? Calling catch/no catch is reserved for "going out", which certainly isn't appropriate for a "routine" fly ball.

Let the PU make the routine call, and the BU has the runner; every part of the runner, the tag, the advance to 2nd (if it happens), the return play back to 1st (if it happens). If BU concentrates on the catch (versus first touch), then he will lose the release point by the runner.

If the ball drops, PU picks up the lead runner into 3rd, BU still has 1st and 2nd, like always.