When should plate umpire make call at 1B?

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

May 23, 2018
93
18
We had a play in a 10U rec game last night that puzzled me. There was one out, with a runner on 2B. Batter hit the ball to SS and SS threw to 1B. Field umpire was positioned behind SS due to runner being at 2B. Throw from SS was slightly off, possibly pulling the 1B off the base. Field umpire never made a call, but plate umpire, who was standing just in front of home plate (in fair territory) on the 3B side called the runner safe and made the motion with both hands to indicate the 1B came off the base. Meanwhile the runner who was on 2B is rounding 3B and heading home. Plate umpire never sees the runner but 1B does and attempts to throw home with plenty of time to get the runner. The catcher is standing on home, ready to receive the ball, but 1B starts, then stops, her throwing motion because the plate umpire is standing right where she would be throwing the ball, waving her arms. Runner scores without a throw.

Questions:

Should plate umpire have made the call without field umpire asking for help? Where should plate umpire have been positioned? Should the runner have been allowed to scorE.
That's horrible mechanics on the part of both umpires. The call is the primary responsibility of the base umpire. It's his judgment call to make. I know that when I'm on the base, plays at ist base are my judgment. You use your best judgment. If a coach wants me to check with my partner, I'll only do this for a pulled foot or a bobble. Or else, you're supplanting your judgment for someone else's. What should have happened is that the plate umpire should have gone up the line about a 1/3rd of the way then move to a holding pattern nearest the third baseline. The ump needs to stay on the ist base line long enough to see the play at first.
 
May 23, 2018
93
18
That's not exact enough. The question should be precise. E.g. "did F3 pull her foot?", or "Did F3 miss the tag?". Hopefully one umpire will never go to another just because a coach thinks he missed a call.
Exactly! One umpire's judgment should not be supplanted by another. Pulled foot or missed tag is acceptable appeals to the plate ump, but safe or out, you're asking one ump to use judgment. What is implied is that the other ump's judgment is better.
 
Jun 27, 2021
418
63
That's not exact enough. The question should be precise. E.g. "did F3 pull her foot?", or "Did F3 miss the tag?". Hopefully one umpire will never go to another just because a coach thinks he missed a call.
correct, it needs to be the exact play call in question and not a "we need help"
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,478
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top