Tag up at third

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Oct 5, 2017
214
43
Western Indiana
Umpire responsibility question:
Runner on third with a fly ball to CF. Our dugout is on third base side (so right in front of us). As our CF catches the ball, three coaches in the dugout say at same time she left early. (Later base coach agrees with us, not even close.) The runner left the base was called back to tag and left again as soon as she touched the base. We get our players to throw the ball to third for the force out.

Home plate umpire calls runner safe (on appeal, lol no appeal was a force out still ball was in play). I ask if he would discuss with base umpire and of course ego over rules me and he says his call and she was on the base.

I was later told that it was not his call because he should have been watching the catch. Is it his call?
 
May 16, 2016
946
93
Fly ball to CF, field umpire has catch, and plate has the runner. Field umpire is closer to catch, better able to judge catch vs trap.

Fly ball close to the foul lines, it is reversed. Plate umpire has best view for foul/fair close to line.
 
Dec 15, 2018
809
93
CT
A little confused on the description of what the runner did...she left early, but then tagged up? (before the throw to third?...which is technically an appeal, not a "force", it's a live ball appeal by the fielders).

USA 2 man mechanics with BU in C with a runner on third and a fly ball, the PU has catch no catch and the tag up, with BU taking BR. But, some crews will have BU take catch/no catch to center of field - they hopefully will have pre-gamed what they are doing.
 
Oct 5, 2017
214
43
Western Indiana
Sorry she left early and coach said tag up. She returned to touch base and immediately leave again. No "tag up"

My bad on wording. I thought appeal was only done with dead ball.
 
Dec 15, 2018
809
93
CT
Sorry she left early and coach said tag up. She returned to touch base and immediately leave again. No "tag up"

My bad on wording. I thought appeal was only done with dead ball.

Ok, so as long as she returned to the bag and touched it before the appeal, she tagged up, and is no longer liable to be put out on the appeal.
 
Jan 11, 2015
78
18
Umpire responsibility question:
Runner on third with a fly ball to CF. Our dugout is on third base side (so right in front of us). As our CF catches the ball, three coaches in the dugout say at same time she left early. (Later base coach agrees with us, not even close.) The runner left the base was called back to tag and left again as soon as she touched the base. We get our players to throw the ball to third for the force out.

Home plate umpire calls runner safe (on appeal, lol no appeal was a force out still ball was in play). I ask if he would discuss with base umpire and of course ego over rules me and he says his call and she was on the base.

I was later told that it was not his call because he should have been watching the catch. Is it his call?
Sounds like the plate umpire did everything right. Plate Umpire has all tag up responsibilities at 3rd base. Base Umpire will not be looking at that so not really any reason to go for help. Especially if you said she even went back to touch 3rd after the catch was made. Seems you and all the other coaches just have a misunderstanding of the rule. The player doesnt have to be standing on the base at the time the ball first gets touched. As was said earlier, the player just needs to have touched the base at some point after the ball has been touched.
 
Feb 14, 2019
145
43
Umpire responsibility question:
Runner on third with a fly ball to CF. Our dugout is on third base side (so right in front of us). As our CF catches the ball, three coaches in the dugout say at same time she left early. (Later base coach agrees with us, not even close.) The runner left the base was called back to tag and left again as soon as she touched the base. We get our players to throw the ball to third for the force out.

Home plate umpire calls runner safe (on appeal, lol no appeal was a force out still ball was in play). I ask if he would discuss with base umpire and of course ego over rules me and he says his call and she was on the base.

I was later told that it was not his call because he should have been watching the catch. Is it his call?
Are you saying she started to run on the hit, returned to third and touched the bag then left again immediately before the fly ball was caught? Or did she return to third and touch the bag after it was caught?
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
Sounds like everything was right. Runner went back and touched the bag (after the catch was made) and was free to run home.

So many times (not you) I see parents yell "check with the other ump". Parents really don't understand how it works at all. I tell them often "it's not that umpires call to make". They don't get that explanation either.
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
Umpire responsibility question:
Runner on third with a fly ball to CF. Our dugout is on third base side (so right in front of us). As our CF catches the ball, three coaches in the dugout say at same time she left early. (Later base coach agrees with us, not even close.) The runner left the base was called back to tag and left again as soon as she touched the base. We get our players to throw the ball to third for the force out.

Home plate umpire calls runner safe (on appeal, lol no appeal was a force out still ball was in play). I ask if he would discuss with base umpire and of course ego over rules me and he says his call and she was on the base.

I was later told that it was not his call because he should have been watching the catch. Is it his call?

OK... 2 umpires.
The normal mechanic is that both the catch and the tag up is the Plate Umpires.
Reasoning: FU does not have tag up because they are between the runner and the ball and can't see both; so they have Batter-Runner

  • Correct mechanic with a runner on 3rd is for the Plate Umpire to move out and to the left so they have at least side vision on the runner tagging up on 3rd (or 2nd) and direct vision on the catch timing. If you can get to a direct line (easier with the runner on 2nd), do so, but make sure you have a clear view of the first action (i.e. the catch)
  • Field/Base Umpire has the Batter Runner.
It is actually not an easy thing to get ingrained as the plate umpire. Takes a few goes before you remember to do it this way. Most umpires will not move to a good position for this.

Plate still has the tag up in 3 man; but may not have catch.
Plate still has tag even if the field umpire goes out to call the catch because the runner is then behind the field umpire.
 
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