Out Of Basepath.

[MT73]

Back in 2008 I was taught  that “a step and a reach” was the criteria for judging the 3 foot deviation of avoiding a tag.

‘Meaning that if a runner avoided the fielder’s outstretched arm he was to be called out.

Last month.I called it when the runner swayed her body away from the fielder’s outstretched arm but her legs didn’t deviate at all.‘The offensive coach was upset with my call but it stood.

Recently I saw a MLB play similar to mine where U3 called the runner Safe.

It was on close call sports website and the commentator said that the old “ step and teach” criteria no longer applied.

How does everyone here judge a 3 foot deviation?

[ArchAngel72]

The best way I would say for you to figure it out is to go to a field run a path that is a "straight" base path.

 

Then lay down a yard stick 90 degrees to it and run a bath around the yard stick.

 

Go back to where you would normally adjudge that call and take a look at it.  If you have 2 people to help bring them and put them on those paths.   Look at it several times and try to get used to that distance rake the area and then practice it without the paths but try and call it yes or no and then lay down the yard stick and see if you were right or not.

 

To me that's the only way you will be able to figure out your own "judgement" for a 3 foot deviation ( practice seeing what it looks like)

 

In the end its your judgement if they did it or not..  I find with the less than adult sized folks its harder to "see" that 3 feet. I do not grasp it but to me a taller more adult person I see a yard so much easier with.. /shrug

Then again youth players to me seem to either run thru the fielder ( getting tagged out anyway) or they take off for the outfield and are easy calls to make

 

[Tog Gee]

I have heard of "step and reach" in regard to a runner interfering with a defender fielding a batted ball. If a defender muffs a grounder, they are stlll protected within a step and reach, but more than that they are liable for obstruction.

I think your best guidance for being out of the base path is 3 feet. It's gonna come from the gut anyway...

 

[Umpire942]

overall to me, if the fielder attempts a tag, and hes not taggable, hes out.  If he didnt tag him thats different.

 

But if you want to make an argument. Lets talk about the pickle play on steriods,and bring up the skunk play(1st and 3rd).  R1  takes a position way out of the base line, and base path.  Is he out?  no.  As long as he runs a straight line to a base ( or straight period), hes legal.   Each play on him, he can take a different path.

 

 

[beerguy55]

55 minutes ago, MT73 said:

Last month.I called it when the runner swayed her body away from the fielder’s outstretched arm but her legs didn’t deviate at all.‘The offensive coach was upset with my call but it stood.

Unless perhaps you're 7 feet tall if your feet don't deviate from the path but you're able to sway your head/shoulders/hips to avoid a tag, you're not moving three feet.  Even then, if the feet are on the path, they're on the path.

It should be blatant if you're going to call off the base path.

Remember, the first base running lane is three feet wide...it should give you a pretty good frame of reference to how far a runner needs to deviate their path to be called out.  Another good frame would be the batter's box, which is four feet wide.

[BigBlue4u]

2 hours ago, MT73 said:

Back in 2008 I was taught  that “a step and a reach” was the criteria for judging the 3 foot deviation of avoiding a tag.

I was always taught that a "step and reach" was the limit for protecting a player fielding a batted ball.

[Umpire942]

i said "step and a reach" doing 1 man one time on a pickle play.  I ran out there he avoided tag somehow and said this term.  Coach said thats softball.  I mistakenly said I do know anything about softball.  Welp,  he then said I no nothing about baseball.  We can all pretty much guess what went happen on from there.

[MT73]

They meant avoiding the fielder’s outstretched arm on a tag attempt.