Straddling home

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Jun 2, 2012
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Dd is freshman varsity catcher. Coach wants her to straddle home near the apex on tag plays at home. I have never heard of this. She has always put her left heel near the left front corner of the plate. Opinions on straddling home.
 
Jun 2, 2012
42
8
Before. This is where he wants her to set up to receive the throw. Does not make sense to me.


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May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Dd is freshman varsity catcher. Coach wants her to straddle home near the apex on tag plays at home. I have never heard of this. She has always put her left heel near the left front corner of the plate. Opinions on straddling home.

Bold is the standard setup for plays at home.
 
Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
I was trying to give the coach the benefit of
the doubt - But as Eric mentioned, she’s already setting up properly.

And even once you have the ball, you don’t want to be straddling, it’s more of a catch and sweep, to both keep you out of the basepath (unnecessary collisions), and to make it easier to pop back up for any ensuing plays at a base.


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May 17, 2012
2,804
113
Dd is freshman varsity catcher. Coach wants her to straddle home near the apex on tag plays at home. I have never heard of this. She has always put her left heel near the left front corner of the plate. Opinions on straddling home.

No you do not straddle home as a catcher. Not only is it not best practice, it's dangerous. The coach is a moron.

You want to be just up the line and just inside the foul line. On a play where the runner goes straight into home it will be a sweeping tag. If the runner tries to hook slide around you need to drop the left knee and adjust accordingly.
 

Ken Krause

Administrator
Admin
May 7, 2008
3,911
113
Mundelein, IL
No you do not straddle home as a catcher. Not only is it not best practice, it's dangerous. The coach is a moron.

You want to be just up the line and just inside the foul line. On a play where the runner goes straight into home it will be a sweeping tag. If the runner tries to hook slide around you need to drop the left knee and adjust accordingly.

Agree 100% with this^^^. If you are straddling the plate, in addition to the potential obstruction call you are also making the tag a judgment call. Did the runner's foot get to the plate before the tag came down?

If you are up the line a bit, when the tag comes down clearly it happens before the runner reaches the base. Makes it easy for the umpire to call the runner out, and saves you from having to listen to all the parents complain about how the umpire "lost the game for us."
 
May 7, 2015
842
93
SoCal
Dd is freshman varsity catcher. Coach wants her to straddle home near the apex on tag plays at home. I have never heard of this. She has always put her left heel near the left front corner of the plate. Opinions on straddling home.

Up the 3rd base line a couple of feet and make sure that the left foot leaves about a half plate of "lane" for the runner.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
No you do not straddle home as a catcher. Not only is it not best practice, it's dangerous. The coach is a moron.

You want to be just up the line and just inside the foul line. On a play where the runner goes straight into home it will be a sweeping tag. If the runner tries to hook slide around you need to drop the left knee and adjust accordingly.

+

The way the rules are being called today straddling the plate without the ball will probably cost you for obstruction sooner then later.

+

Just slid and took catchers leg out....

=

No! Do not straddle home plate!


Would add a comment about the coaching on that...
GunnerShotgun already hit the target!!
 

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