Appeal Runner Leaving Early

[Comp]

If there is no play being made there is no signal to make. If there is a play made such as a tag and the tag is missed as well as the plate the mechanic is to delay slightly to see if the catcher attempts another tag, then give a safe signal. Not signalling anything is tipping the defense that something has happened.

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[CoachJD]

If there is no play being made there is no signal to make. If there is a play made such as a tag and the tag is missed as well as the plate the mechanic is to delay slightly to see if the catcher attempts another tag, then give a safe signal. Not signalling anything is tipping the defense that something has happened.

Just because I'm curious: Have you ever had a situation where the runner missed the plate on a tag attempt, but also was not tagged, so you did the slight delay mechanic, called her safe, and THEN the catcher applied a tag (runner never did touch the plate? If so, how did everybody react to the delayed safe and then the out call when the runner finally was tagged?

Not saying it's wrong to do it that way by any means, but this seems like one of those plays where the team on offense would go crazy at the safe-then-out call.

 

[Comp]

I have had situations where both the tag and plate were missed but never had the catcher try to tag the runner again or an appeal after the safe call. The miss of the plate is usually so slight no one notices in the dust-up. But, there is a YouTube video from 3-4 years ago where that exact situation occurred and the offensive coach, fans and even the news announcers went crazy about "she was called safe, how can you call her out". It's very simple, by rule the runner is assumed to have touched the base once they have passed it, so if the tag is missed they are by rule safe, UNTIL there is a proper appeal.

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[WVSteven]

If there is no play being made there is no signal to make. If there is a play made such as a tag and the tag is missed as well as the plate the mechanic is to delay slightly to see if the catcher attempts another tag, then give a safe signal. Not signalling anything is tipping the defense that something has happened.

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I know that in Ohio and WV both they have requested that we no longer delay the safe call. The idea was that it gives the defense a tip that something was different and may cause them to appeal the play even if they did not see the missed base. So now for us a missed base is treated exactly like a touched base.

I had one instance where a player missed home, catcher missed the tag and the runner was headed to the dugout. "SAFE!" Catcher told the coach the runner missed the plate, he called time and asked me if I saw her miss it, I said yes and called her out. Does not happen often, just had a catcher paying attention.

 

[The Man In Blue]

I may have that backwards, it may be the way WVSteven said. I didn’t work enough NFHS this year ...

Like that play you just provided, I had one on a walk-off home run in an 18-u State tournament. The catcher and I were the only ones that saw it. The catcher said “Not that it changes anything, but she missed home plate.” I said “Yes she did, good job watching that.” I signaled out and made sure both books did not count the final run. It didn’t change the outcome of the game (3-run shot when they were down by 1), but it did take a run off the board. It could have impacted tie-breaker standings in the tournament.