Why isn't he out

IMO he's out trying to avoid the tag behind the plate. I'm not so sure he varied enough from his initial base path on his dive attempt. I'm not 100% familiar on how NCAA defines base path. I know it's a straight line from you to the base but how far out of it do you need to go to be consider out of it? 

He probably would have eventually been called out for running more than 3 feet away from a direct line between his position and the base toward which he is moving if he hadn't been tagged.

 

As a matter of geometry, any runner who misses the plate by more than 3 feet must have run more than three feet from that direct line because the direct line leads to the plate. However, being carried more than 3 feet away from that line by his momentum after he passes the catcher is not the same as moving more than three feet away from that line to avoid being tagged. So I have him safe through his first approach, which carries him behind and beyond home plate.

 

After the missed first approach, the runner might be guilty of moving more than 3 feet out of his newly established line when he moves from behind the left hand hitters batters box to behind the right hand hitters batters box, but it depends on when you establish the new line. If you wait to establish the line until he is clearly trying to avoid a tag again (i.e., after he and the catcher recover their balance and re-engage each other) it's not such a clear call. As an umpire, it's best to watch and let the play develop until it's clear and you're sure it's clear--you can always call him out after you let the action play out, but you can't re-start the action after you prematurely call him out.

 

However, it is clear that the runner moves more than three feet out of his last line in order to avoid the tag when he jukes back to his right and dives into the plate. However, by that time things are happening fast, and he does get tagged. Most umpires would rather ring up the out on an unambiguous tag than a subjective assessment of distance from an evolving line, so that's the cleanest resolution.

 

If this hadn't been the third out and other runners had the opportunity to advance during the dance-a-thon, it would have been proper to call him out as soon as the umpire was sure he deserved it. But the time lapse between the no-doubt-about-it more than three feet for the purpose of avoiding the tag to the unambiguous tag was so short that the umpire was right to take the clean resolution and let the catcher get his assist.

 

I thought the umpire's movements throughout the play to continuously give himself the best angles on what might happen next showed a lot of poise and experience. And he was right on top of that final tag.

I've asked the National Coordinator for his take on this.

Good job by the pitcher to block the plate and tag out the runner. 

       
       


Please let us know what he says. I'm real curious to know if my interpretation is close to what more experienced/authoritative guys say.

My question is:  Why does a D1 catcher chase a runner?  Stand at the plate because he must come to you.

Chasing a runner who has nowhere to go and isn't allowed to evade you is a more defensible action than the coach or runner's decision to try to score on such a short fly against an SEC right fielder. 

Originally Posted by Swampboy:

Chasing a runner who has nowhere to go and isn't allowed to evade you is a more defensible action than the coach or runner's decision to try to score on such a short fly against an SEC right fielder. 

 

The reason they tried to score was shown when that SEC right fielder’s throw was 20’ off-line. It’s not as though the ball was hit right to him where he could get set up, and they took the chance that he couldn’t catch the ball, get set, then make an accurate throw hard enough to get the runner. It was a good defensive play considering everything, but it’s not like every SEC F9 is Roberto Clemente, so it was definitely worth a shot at scoring the run.

I disagree.

When the rf catches the ball less than 200 feet from home plate, it doesn't matter if he's not set up. As long as he keeps his feet, there is ample time to gather himself and get the throw there ahead of the runner, which is what happened.

And once again, you distorted what I said and reacted to your distortion instead of my actual comment. My point about him being an SEC right fielder had nothing to do with any implication that he's a budding Roberto Clemente. It was an assertion that a right fielder in a top conference can be expected to make this play. The fact that the runner was a dead duck (albeit one that flapped and fluttered for a couple seconds before he expired) even with an off-line throw proves my point. 

When you send a runner on such a short fly at that level of college play, you are betting that the defense can't play catch and hoping they'll make a mistake. It didn't even take a particularly good throw to get him.

Any word as to what the official ruling should be on this play?

Swampboy,

 

As always, you’re more than welcome to disagree, but don’t claim I distorted something. I reacted to what I could see on the clip, and to me it looked likely the F9 would be running into the wall, or at least contend with it. To me, that’s much like losing his feet and makes the play much harder than a simple running catch and throw. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve seen a sac flies on balls hit a heck of a lot shorter than 200’, and that one looked like a good candidate.

 

If your assertion was that a right fielder in a top conference can be expected to make this play, that’s what you should have said. If it was, I wouldn’t have blinked an eye.

The video was posted on the NCAA officials site, and no mention was made of "out of the baseline" (no mention that it was legal baserunning; no mention that it was illegal and should have been called.)