Proper positioning question
 

I had the following situation the other day (SINGLE UMPIRE) Adult SP Co-Rec game. R1 on 3rd, R2 on 1st, 1 out. Fly ball to dead center field. Left Center fielder comes in and attempts to make a diving catch on the fly ball.

What is the proper position for a single umpire in this situation. I came up the third base line and stayed in foul territory while attempting to see the catch, and the runner at third possibly tag or come home, while still being in position for a possible play at the plate on a tag or throw home (LC Field has a cannon for an arm, and already nailed one runner on a tag up earlier in the game).

I felt, based on the angle I had that the ball bounced before ending up in the fielders glove. He, and his team mates did not agree with my call (nor would I expect them to). He insisted that he caught the ball in the tip of his glove and what I saw was him pulling the glove up as he rolled over. He did come up quickly with the ball in his glove after the roll.

I had moved up the line so I was not looking straight at the play and had some "side angel" to see the play.

You did what you're supposed to do and made your best call based on what you could see. People complain about close calls that don't go their way all the time. Why would this one be any different?

Sounds like you did the right thing and the call with the information you had available.

Looks good to me.

IOW, he tried to "sell" the supposed catch... nothing new here. You can't afford to abandon your responsibility for a possible play at home, so you just get the best angle you can and call what YOU see.

Tell them if they don't like your call to pony up more money to play so that a second umpire can be hired. If they don't want to do that, they will need to live with the call you made.