2013 CCA Umpire Manual

[EsqUmp]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

The statement referred to the starting point with a runner on 1st.

With R1 on 1st base only, the starting distance for both 1BU and 3BU has been cut down from 6-12 feet to 6-10 feet.

That means you are too close if there is a high throw to put out the BR @ 1B.

I would rather stay back and step in AFTER the pitch for a possible play on the runner. Now, maybe the statement was taken out of context and I'm not seeing something, I don't know.

In choosing the starting positions and calling positions, the NCAA concluded the following:

1. It is better to have an umpire in the calling position to start with when there is a potential pickoff or steal. Their reasoning is that the umpire has significantly less time to react than on a typical play in the infield. They feel that even if the umpire only has to take two steps to get into the calling position, the umpire will likely be moving when the play occurs, which is never a good thing.

2. On force plays, the umpire need only drift a step or two back to be in the proper calling distance. The umpire has more time to do this since the runner must travel 60 feet and the umpire only has to drift back and over a few steps. The umpire should not remain in the 6-10 for force plays. That is too close and the umpire won't be able to see the forest through the trees.

By cutting down the maximum starting distance to 10 feet but leaving the minimum distance at 6 feet, my guess is that the SUP thought that too many umpires were probably closer to 15 feet. So, by cutting it to 10 feet, maybe they will only be 12 feet, which is what they found acceptable before.