Live ball appeal - missed home plate

[AtlUmpSteve]

Proper mechanic I have been taught is that you do not give the offense (pitcher if she is looking, catcher if the pitcher is not) a replacement ball after a home run until all offensive players have completed whatever advances they intend. Your giving the defense a ball implies they can NOW initiate an appeal.

If a base is missed, you look to see if the offense attempts to return; if the missed base is home, you wait until either 1) a following runner has touched, or 2) the runner that missed enters dead ball territory, before you give the defense a ball. I was taught that mechanic after the USA team missed home after home run in Olympic play, and the (foreign) umpire honored the appeal earlier than it should have been (USA player missed home, but made no attempt to return, best as I recall).

If you put a ball back into play, you should honor an appeal. So don't give it to the defense until the offense is done running bases. Just like allowing awarded bases to be touched after a ball is thrown out of play before awarding bases.