U3 Button-Hook

[shagpal]

Manny, a WCWS extols the virtue of ball status and is ASA. I'll let you guess which one or maybe all of them. Button hooking requires you purposefully lose ball status only to regain it again prior to repositioning.

If you (U3) are rotated and U1 chases caught, you are already at 2b. Watch tagup and wait for runner to come to you, be ahead of the runner. If dropped, stay at 2b for throw into 2b, or take several steps towards 1b ending up in the rotated B position outside to call a close one at 1b. The placement of the fly will likely hint at where the throw will go. PRR, pause, read and react.

If you (U1) don't chase, take a couple of steps foul or simply open up to watch tagup at 1st.or dropped ball and the ensuing scramble. Your angle will be fine in foul to see it all. Be aware of first base coach.

If U3 chases, unless you (U1) will end up right in a throwing lane for a play at 2b, watch tag while opened up, then parallel runner into 2b while rimming outside. If you feel you will be squeezed, you can always default to pivoting inside (button hooking) since you already know how, but you will need to know ball status and prepitch your secondary calling position at 2b to determine you going inside.

PU comes inside the diamond and has a good look at the throwback to help at 1b if there is one since he will likely be trailing BR anyways if its close.

This is all PPP, pre pitch planning. Thinking umpires. No longer are we told X marks the spot where you must go.

You working 3-man which NCAA dominates. Be ahead of the runners if possible, let them come to you, and stay outa the way by button hooking as little as possible, unless you must when working ASA.

Consider that when working outside, you have far less worry about crossing running lanes to make you uncomfortable like you felt, and can concentrate more on throwing lanes, and all the while maintaining ball status to help you make those decisions.

Originally Posted by Manny A

Hmmm. I rarely have any problems button-hooking in on the tag-ups, and watching all the elements. But I do agree, for example, that as U1 and a runner at first only, it would be much easier to see the tag-up of R1 on a fly ball in left-center that U3 chases, if I stayed out and opened up.

The problem then, for some of us older types, is getting into position to watch the tag play at second should R1 advance. You're at a disadvantage starting from essentially foul territory.