Bounding ball between F1 and F6

[hill2933]

Had this last night and was wondering if there is a better way to handle it.

 

Working in C with 2 outs. Bounding ball hit back up the middle. F1 lunges for ball and misses and F6 is charging hard on it. I move toward 3rd to clear F6 who makes a nice play to throw BR out at 1st. It just felt really uncomfortable calling this play from that far away with F6 cutting in front of me after throwing the ball. If this would have been a closer play I could see arguments coming. If I had moved toward 1st, F6 would have had to throw around (or through) me. Any suggestions on how to get the best look at these?

[noumpere]

Move more or less straight to your left to stay out of the way of the fielders and the throw.

[MadMax]

My honest answer to this is it depends (to me) on the age/skill level playing. I'm quite deft and nimble, but at 6'2" 206, I don't exactly blend into the landscape, so if it's younger, less experienced players, I'll act like The Rabbit (U2 in 4-man), and run / shuffle towards where it came from. The ball should pass by, and I turn with it as it passes. With less experienced players, they won't be charging a ball like that, and will try and play it behind you (or, appropriately, where your IP _was_).

But with experience and coaching comes the skill to read a grounder like that, and charge it at an angle so as to cut down the distance. More often than not, a player has already taken into account where you, the umpire, are in your IP and is on a route that won't make contact with you. As long as you are safely not in the direct path of the ball, it actually works to your benefit not to move. Sure, it seems counter-intuitive, but your not moving is actually reducing the variables.

Unrelated... Why is the Umpire on a football official crew _called_ "The Umpire"? Because he gets hit the most.

[grayhawk]

It depends on how hard the ball was hit.  If F6 is charging hard (as you said), then think JFK - "back, and to the left" will allow you to stay out of his way both fielding the ball and throwing it, while keeping you towards the "B" side giving you better distance (and a good angle) on the call.  It's not easy to stay back, since we are taught, in most cases, to move up into the working area.  This is one of those cases where doing that will just put you in the way.

[ALStripes17]

I've found it very beneficial to step towards the ball like MadMax said. Batted ball came from the plate on this play, so stepping towards home/pitcher's mound should keep you out of any throwing lane unless F6 is not in standard position.

[hill2933]

This was one of those balls that hits a few feet in front of the batter and is bouncing all the way. If I would have stayed in my original possition it would have been directly at me. F6 fielded the ball pretty much in the working area behind the mound and threw on the run. He ended up on the 1st base side of the mound. If he had stopped after throwing I would have been straight lined with the play at 1st. I think backing up toward a deep B would have given me the best look at it. Just trying to be ready for this when it happens again. Thanks for the advice.

[VAUmp]

The same thing happened to me last night.  I had to go to my right.  F6 fielded it cleanly.  As soon as the ball cleared me I busted it back toward the working area, got set, and made the call.  The BR was out by three steps, so no big deal.  Here is the way I look at it.  

 

A.  Do whatever you have to do NOT to get hit by the ball.  

 

B.  Stay out of the throwing lane.

 

C.  Get in the best position you can to make the call.

 

You also have to be sure of where the play will be made.  Don't do all listed above and bust it towards first to find out F6 made a play on R2 at third.  

 

 

You will most likely not be in the best position to make a call at first on a play like this.  If the coach comes out and complains, just tell him:  "It's one of the drawbacks of the two-man system."   

[woodiemiller]

Had this last night and was wondering if there is a better way to handle it.

 

Working in C with 2 outs. Bounding ball hit back up the middle. F1 lunges for ball and misses and F6 is charging hard on it. I move toward 3rd to clear F6 who makes a nice play to throw BR out at 1st. It just felt really uncomfortable calling this play from that far away with F6 cutting in front of me after throwing the ball. If this would have been a closer play I could see arguments coming. If I had moved toward 1st, F6 would have had to throw around (or through) me. Any suggestions on how to get the best look at these?

A bounding ball or a bouncing ball? A "bounding ball" is a ground ball down either foul line in fair territory that bounces over the base and lands in foul territory making it a fair ball.

[JaxRolo]

 

Had this last night and was wondering if there is a better way to handle it.

 

Working in C with 2 outs. Bounding ball hit back up the middle. F1 lunges for ball and misses and F6 is charging hard on it. I move toward 3rd to clear F6 who makes a nice play to throw BR out at 1st. It just felt really uncomfortable calling this play from that far away with F6 cutting in front of me after throwing the ball. If this would have been a closer play I could see arguments coming. If I had moved toward 1st, F6 would have had to throw around (or through) me. Any suggestions on how to get the best look at these?

A bounding ball or a bouncing ball? A "bounding ball" is a ground ball down either foul line in fair territory that bounces over the base and lands in foul territory making it a fair ball.

 

Wrong. A bounding ball is nothing but a bouncing ball. Nothing to do with the foul lines or bases.

A ball can bound over 2nd base.

[ricka56]

 

Working in C with 2 outs. Bounding ball hit back up the middle. F1 lunges for ball and misses and F6 is charging hard on it.

 

Batted ball hit to my left ? It wouldn't have occurred to me to go to my left towards where the ball was headed (as some suggest), I would probably go straight forward, let the ball pass me (to my left), and with 2 outs/most likely play was at 1B, I'd get on the 1B side of the mound.

[blue23ll]

I would let the ball lead me, and pivot to the left with a drop step, trying not to get in the way.  Do not take your eye off the ball. 

[FleasOf1000Camels]

HTBT.  Experience and baseball instincts will tell you where to go on this play.

 

If I'm in C and that ball is bouncing past me on the left, my instinct is to follow the ball with my eyes, and shuffle a few steps towards the 45' line on the 1st base side.  This gets me out of F6's throwing lane AND gets me the best angle on that play at first.

[grayhawk]

One of the keys here is how hard the ball is hit.  The softer it's hit, the better off you are staying back because the working area is likely to be the throwing lane.  If it's hard hit, then stepping and turning with the ball to read the play will put you in a great position.

[hill2933]

One of the keys here is how hard the ball is hit.  The softer it's hit, the better off you are staying back because the working area is likely to be the throwing lane.  If it's hard hit, then stepping and turning with the ball to read the play will put you in a great position.

Thats what got me on this one. The ball was not hit hard and first big hop took a lot off it too. Expected F1 to make play on it and I think thats why I reacted late. If I had not moved ball and F6 probably get to my spot at the same time.