Safe says blue......... uhm, I changed my mind??????

[Iluvblue]

Ball grounded to f5, runner at 3rd breaks for home, hook slide around catcher, plate umpire signals and verbally says, " Safe." Runner gets up and moves to front of plate to retrieve the bat on ground. Catcher says, " she didnt touch the plate," and tags her. Blue changes his mind and calls her out.

UIC gets involved and says this is proper.

If a kid misses plate doesnt blue do nothing? Once he signals safe isnt that play over? maybe the runner could have easily reached back and tagged plate but since blue said she was safe the runner now feels no need to touch plate.


Different issue.

Brand new umpire behind plate. Defense tries walking a hitter intentionally. Catcher is clearly outside of the box (there is no lines left at this point) and when they throw the pitch I walk up and piint to where she is and let him know that is an illegal pitch. Runner at third should score. he grimaces as he does not know the rule, this is last inning of the title game. UIC gets involved. he admits that the catcher was out of the box when ball was pitched, but he didnt know the rule, thus he did not signal illegal pitch.

Uic says since he did not call it immediately that it is now too late to do so. Is this correct? He admitted she was out of the box, he just didnt know the rule. Isnt that what the UIC is for, to clarify the rule and then make it right on the field?

Thanks

[artomatic]

i thought the catcher's box is as wide as the outside lines of the batters boxes....
wade? mtr?

[Iluvblue]

It is, she was outside of those lines. She was about 12-14 feet away from the plate at first, then they moved her closer, but she was still clearly outside of that. Lets not even debate whether she was in or out, the opposing coach admitted after the game she was out of the batters box, blue admitted she was outside of batters box. i want clarification on what the uic said, which is that since he didnt signal the call right then, that it is now too late to do so.

No pitch was thrown after this as i was halfway towards home as soon as the pitcher released the ball as I knew what was happening before she even caught the ball.

I just think the line from the UIC is incorrect.

[GIMNEPIWO]

The Catchers box extends to the outer edges of the batters box making it 8.5' wide, extending back 10' from the back edge of the batters box ... The catcher must remain in the box until the pitch is 'released' ...

[Iluvblue]

I already know that.......... we dont need box dimensions. That is basic stuff.

I want clarification on what the UIC said. Home blue says to the UIC (im paraphrasing) yeah, she was outside of the catchers/batters box. I didnt signal illegal pitch because i was unsure of the rule.

To which UIC basically says, wow, she was out of the box, but since you didnt signal it immediately, it is now too late to do so. Why is it too late to do so. No pitch has been thrown since the play in question, her being out of the box is not disputed, the umpire just needed clarification on the rule. Once rule is straightened out, why is it not an illegal pitch ???


Also, what about the first scenario where blue signals safe at the plate and then changed his mind 6 seconds later??

[artomatic]

we had a couple plays at home this weekend where the ump didnt make a call....our kids went back and touched the plate, then he called safe...so in your case, seems like the wrong call there also.

[Iluvblue]

Thats what I thought,if the umpire sees a player didnt touch the plate, he doesnt signal anything, but once he signals " SAFE" that is basically saying she touched the plate ahead of a tag.

[wadeintothem]

Ball grounded to f5, runner at 3rd breaks for home, hook slide around catcher, plate umpire signals and verbally says, " Safe." Runner gets up and moves to front of plate to retrieve the bat on ground. Catcher says, " she didnt touch the plate," and tags her. Blue changes his mind and calls her out.

UIC gets involved and says this is proper.

If a kid misses plate doesnt blue do nothing? Once he signals safe isnt that play over? maybe the runner could have easily reached back and tagged plate but since blue said she was safe the runner now feels no need to touch plate.

The correct proceedure is to hesitate slightly and signal safe. You do not have to touch home plate to be safe. You are considered safe when you pass the plate (or any of the bases) - if you dont touch it and get properly appealed - you are out... if not appealed - run scores.

Different issue.

Brand new umpire behind plate. Defense tries walking a hitter intentionally. Catcher is clearly outside of the box (there is no lines left at this point) and when they throw the pitch I walk up and piint to where she is and let him know that is an illegal pitch. Runner at third should score. he grimaces as he does not know the rule, this is last inning of the title game. UIC gets involved. he admits that the catcher was out of the box when ball was pitched, but he didnt know the rule, thus he did not signal illegal pitch.



Uic says since he did not call it immediately that it is now too late to do so. Is this correct? He admitted she was out of the box, he just didnt know the rule. Isnt that what the UIC is for, to clarify the rule and then make it right on the field?

Thanks

I leave this one for the debate of the forum. I wouldnt want to 2nd guess the UIC's ruling because I dont know the circumstances and obviously I know them very well I'm sure.

[wadeintothem]

Leaving the UIC question alone-

I'll tell you how I would have handled the catcher box issue if I was PU- I would have prevented it. Its the same way I may adjust a batter if they are too far forward. So you really wouldnt have gotten that call from me. I just would have handled it differently.

i just tell them "move back 2 inches" (or whatever) and thats it.

There are never chalk lines at this point and NEVER a catchers box, so I prevent the issue.

Also, Its not where the catcher is when they catch it.. its where they are when the ball leaves the pitchers hand..

So thats another way to get out of it

Some times its not what you call or dont call but how you properly handle it with the coach.

[wadeintothem]

Thats what I thought,if the umpire sees a player didnt touch the plate, he doesnt signal anything, but once he signals " SAFE" that is basically saying she touched the plate ahead of a tag.

It is correct and proper to signal safe. You hesitate and signal safe. If you dont call anything, it clues the defense and thats not our job.

The runner, by rule, is safe when she passes the base.

Its up to the defense to appeal.

That is 100% by the book and was proper on the field.