Proper appeal

If a play by it's very nature indicates to me that an appeal is under way then I have no problem granting it as such. That is, runner off with the pitch, fly ball hit and caught and runner is high tailing it back to the bag. It's obvious to everyone what is taking place.

In the scenarios above it may not be quite so obvious.
The runner at first base did tag up and the coach yelling "throw to first" could be perhaps to retire the B-R if the defense wasn't sure of the catch. Or the shortstop being instructed to tag the runner off of second base could simply be that; an attempt to tag out a runner off the bag.

If I don't grant those plays as appeals immediately there is, as you say, no real urgency. At the end of playing action the defense can still make an appeal and I have stayed out of what could be a very problematic situation. (granting an appeal that wasn't)

The bottom line for me is if I'm not convinced that the defense is appealing the runner leaving too soon I'm going to let play continue.

quote:

Originally posted by jjk:
What do you like to hear as an Umpire when D want's to appeal?
How obvious does it(the appeal) have to be, to just call the offender out?

In FED I know there's "the dead ball verbal", and I assume "coach" can make the appeal?

But how about the continuous ones?

R1, fly ball to LF, caught. R1 tags and goes to 2nd, throw cut off by SS and coach yells "throw it to 1st", SS does and F3 touches the bag and then runs at R2 who now is threatning 3RD.
They just think there was "no catch" and were forcing the BR?

R2 goes back to 2nd, F3 throws the ball to F1.

As an umpire do you accept this as an appeal?


How about, SS cuts off the ball and coach says "tag him" so SS does as R2 dives safely back to 2nd.

Ya ringing him up, or you making the D appeal?


Coaches/players, when you yell to your player add something like "appeal, he left early".

I mean there's really no urgency most the time.
Then tag the offending runner, not throw the ball back to 1st.

In your first question where they throw back to first, the appeal is obvious when the runner is trying to return to first. If he isn't then don't make a call. Now when the play is done if they ask then about the appeal then make the call.
In your second question, they aren't appealing a runner, they are making a play on a runner off the base. Once the play is "relaxed" then they can either tag him or request time and make a dead ball appeal.