SEC Softball: Missouri v S. Carolina 3-8-15

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by EsqUmp

Umpire in terms of priority. Being too far up the 3rd base line in order to see the runner hit the base is a poor and unacceptable excuse for not being in position for the play at the plate. Umpire must return to the point of the plate and adjust for the play.

You can see a runner hit/miss a base from almost anywhere on the field; and if it's so close that you need a micrometer to tell, you're not calling the out.

The game is about scoring runs and preventing the opponent from scoring runs. There is nothing more fundamental than that. Therefore, poor positioning should never be an excuse for violating the fundamentals of the game.

That said, I only see the tag. I'd presume the ball stayed in the glove and there were no control issues based on others' comments.

And if there was a possible play @ 3B? Or maybe there was already a play @ 3B and this was a subsequent play. We don't know.

I do agree that the plate is the priority. However, the point of the plate is not where an umpire goes if s/he is responsible for any play at more than one base.