Safe at 3rd overturned

[Thunderheads]

I don't do much 3 or 4 man, but ...... what's the proper positioning for this play at third?  I'd think it'd be straight on .... meaning, in foul territory looking at 3rd?

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/63817564/v36257963

[blue23ll]

I'm thinking that I would probably not want to move toward the play, but take a few steps toward the line and get a better angle. If I can move a step closer as I make my call, I will. From where Miller was, I'm not sure he could see where the runners feet were. 

[noumpere]

Moving foul instead of fair would be better -- but if you do so in a level where the coach isn't used to 3 (or 4) umpires, then you might have to push the coach out of the way.

[cookie]

I'm thinking that I would probably not want to move toward the play, but take a few steps toward the line and get a better angle. If I can move a step closer as I make my call, I will. From where Miller was, I'm not sure he could see where the runners feet were.

From the very little actual 3-Man (but lots of training) that I've done, I'd do exactly what you have described. With an R2, I'd be positioned a ball's width off the line in foul territory a few feet behind the 3rd baseman. From there, I'd move toward the coach's box and position myself accordingly for the play.

[MadMax]

Firstly, I feel that Miller was too deep / far away for his initial position. With no-one on, or an R1, the U3 should be at his/her maximum distance away from the bag (keep in mind, in 3-man, with R1 at any time, U3 is at C). With R2, it means you have a runner imminent to your bag (3B), and should be closer. If your initial, maximum distance is, say, 18 feet, then I would say go 2/3rds of that, and be at 12 feet. On a 50-70 (or on a 60-90 w/ 13 and 14 year olds), I'd have an initial distance of 15 feet, and drop it to 10 feet. When you have a R3, then you're at your closest distance of 1/3rd of your initial distance (approximately 6 to 5 feet). You want to be close to the line, but in foul territory. 

 

There is one caveat. I've done some research, and found that in the Majors, with a R3, some U3's will set up astride the line at the edge of the grass. My guess is at that level, there are next-to-no pickoff attempts to 3B. Also, at that level, the guys are bigger, and usually obviously stand in foul territory, so if the U3 was to take up an initial position in foul territory, too, they'd be visually obstructed from home plate. But, again, this is only with R3.

 

Then, as the action happens, it looks like Miller went the wrong direction. Instead of running onto the foul side of 3B, so both vectors of action are coming at you, he went on the fair side, and the vectors going away from him. Besides that, he put himself behind the tag... the announcers keep saying that Miller "had a good look at the tag", but Gosselin's body is between Miller and the tag. I don't think Miller ever _saw_ a tag. If you project a position on the foul side of 3B, at approximately the same distance that Miller covered from his initial position, he sees everything.