LL Mechanics

[Umpire in Chief]

You might have read some of my posts elsewhere where I trash LL mechanics of working on the outside in their games. You might have read my blog where I had the district Pinto champoinship game and had to get help on a call because I was in bad position, partly due to the LL mechanics we used, mainly due due to my not being a customed to working with LL mechanics.

All of that aside I was thinking that there may actually be a some benefit to working in the LL mechanics. From the "B" or "C" you are working on the outside and when the ball is hit to the outfield you come to the inside.

In thinking about this this is very good training for people working bigger games because getting into the habbit of stepping in when the ball is hit can take some getting use to. I think this mechanic can actually help with that. I see so many guys who's first step when the ball is put into play being somewhere other than to "the working area"

Don't get me wrong I still think the mechanics are inferrior and would perfer to work the inside. The penalties are so weak on a kid leaving the base early that it really doesn't have effect on the game.

[Bigdog]

You might have read some of my posts elsewhere where I trash LL mechanics of working on the outside in their games. You might have read my blog where I had the district Pinto champoinship game and had to get help on a call because I was in bad position, partly due to the LL mechanics we used, mainly due due to my not being a customed to working with LL mechanics.

All of that aside I was thinking that there may actually be a some benefit to working in the LL mechanics. From the "B" or "C" you are working on the outside and when the ball is hit to the outfield you come to the inside.

In thinking about this this is very good training for people working bigger games because getting into the habit of stepping in when the ball is hit can take some getting use to. I think this mechanic can actually help with that. I see so many guys who's first step when the ball is put into play being somewhere other than to "the working area"

Don't get me wrong I still think the mechanics are inferior and would prefer to work the inside. The penalties are so weak on a kid leaving the base early that it really doesn't have effect on the game.

Hey all,

There are only two reasons for being outside on LL mechanics:

1: the size of the field (some of the 12yo's can hit!)

2: to be able to see then enforce the penalty for leaving the base early

(NOT necessarily in that order.)

The rest of the mechanics are basically the same.

Bigdog:cool:

[catoblue]

Agreed... Since all I work is LL games, I'm used to being outside when in B or C. On a field that small, a grown-up standing on the grass can screen much of what F4 and F6 can see. There just isn't a lot of open space on a small diamond.

Safety is a big concern too and BigDog aludded to it when he mentioned that those 11 & 12 year olds can really stroke the ball. Being on the outside will give you a little more time to get out of the way when a hot line drive is screaming in your direction.

[littleleagueump]

Like Bigdog says, If you are on the infield, you can not see the runners leave early. I am a 21 year Little League umpire and 7 year insturctor too.