OUCH Distance from the play is important!!

[BretMan]

Your mileage might vary, but...

At the last ASA National Umpire School I attended (January 2011), the member of the national staff who was running our plate mechanics drills instructed us to start at the point of the plate, read the play, then adjust accordingly. We were instructed that in most situations 3BLX is the best spot for a swipe tag, 1BLX the better spot if the runner would be sliding into a tag. It was also emphasized that there isn't really a "one size fits all" spot to be in for any given play and that our adjustments should be to wherever we can best see the play.

Works for me! Pretty much what I'd been taught in baseball years before I even started doing softball.