Base Path 3rd to Home:

A Coach I respect stated the other day that there is no such thing as a base path between 3rd and home. In fact, the statement included a remark that the runner can go anywhere to avoid the tag. So, my take was this. Once a play was attempted on the runner, the base path was established. The "base line" does not matter at all. Should the runner now expand the base path to avoid a tag, they are out. Thoughts?

Coach needs to go back and study the rules a little more.

First off, base line and base path are 2 completely different things. A base line is nothing more than a straight line between 2 bases and also is the foul line between home and 1st and 3rd bases. Base path is set by the runner and can be virtually anywhere on the field. Base path only comes into play when a play is being attempted on a runner and then they are restricted to 3' either side of their basepath which is defined as a straight line from the runners current position to the base they are attempting to advance to. And yes, it still applies between 3rd and home.

How many times have we heard from our extremely informative, top notch umpires on this site that the base line and base path is not the same thing? The base path is established with the BR. Typically they will take the shortest and fastest points between A and B which so happens to follow the baseline since it's a straight line. I believe this is where the confusion comes into play. Your respected Coach is incorrect IMO. For example, your BR is on third. On a hit ball to LF, your BR on third could theoretically run towards first base and almost reaching it turn towards home for the score. Once she gets close to the base, or home in this case, she has established her base path. If a tag attempt is made and she moves 3' outside of her base path to avoid the tag, she's out. At least that's my understanding of it.

NM: Comp beat me to it.

I've seen a couple of plays on this I've argued on before. Tag up on fly ball, runner leaves for home. Throw on line or slight inside towards field side. Runner slides away from tag with access to whole plate as C was set up in fair territory. Runner slides misses plate avoiding tag with reaching hand by 8 inches or more but able to scramble and touch home before C can tag her. When I was coming up thru BB I was always told you had to be able to reach bag or its an out. I know this is a hard call when a quick runner "jukez" a defender between bases. But slides where they can not touch the base would seem like automatic 3 foot violation in say 14u on. Arm length is mostly over 18 inches , add 12 to 14 across shoulder, plus distance they missed bag and 36 is exceeded. Clarification for me does 3 feet mean 3 to each side giving a 6 foot total width or 18 inches from center of established lane.

Its 3' either side and only applies when a play is being attempted on the runner. If the catcher doesnt even have the ball yet there can be no base path violation, and if the catcher is not attempting a tag on the runner there can be no base path violation.

In the case I was referring to there was a tag attempt. Tag misses but the runner was able to roll and touch the plate with the hand that was away from the plate on the original slide. I tried the approach if the hand closest to the plate missed (couldn't reach it) then rolled over and touched the plate with other hand then they had to have exceeded the 3ft rule. This type play mostly only happens on inside throw and C has to fully extend to make tag and runner recovers quicker than catcher on the scramble to the plate.

Comp said:

Coach needs to go back and study the rules a little more.

First off, base line and base path are 2 completely different things. A base line is nothing more than a straight line between 2 bases and also is the foul line between home and 1st and 3rd bases. Base path is set by the runner and can be virtually anywhere on the field. Base path only comes into play when a play is being attempted on a runner and then they are restricted to 3' either side of their basepath which is defined as a straight line from the runners current position to the base they are attempting to advance to. And yes, it still applies between 3rd and home.

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This is the response I knew would come and so, I'll send text or email and have that coach take a look. Thanks a bunch. While I think that this what I mentioned in the OP, it never hurts to have another person state so.

YOCOACH said:

How many times have we heard from our extremely informative, top notch umpires on this site that the base line and base path is not the same thing? The base path is established with the BR. Typically they will take the shortest and fastest points between A and B which so happens to follow the baseline since it's a straight line. I believe this is where the confusion comes into play. Your respected Coach is correct IMO. For example, your BR is on third. On a hit ball to LF, your BR on third could theoretically run towards first base and almost reaching it turn towards home for the score. Once she gets close to the base, or home in this case, she has established her base path. If a tag attempt is made and she moves 3' outside of her base path to avoid the tag, she's out. At least that's my understanding of it.

NM: Comp beat me to it.

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I think you and I said the same thing as well. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Cannonball said:

I think you and I said the same thing as well. Please correct me if I am wrong.

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Nope. We agree.