A Good Plate Arbiter is Mobile - November/December 2006

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A good plate arbiter is mobile. In the two-person system, the plate umpire may be required to make a call at each base. You can partially compensate for lack of speed by anticipating the play and getting a quick start to the proper position.

With no runners on base, the base umpire is on the first base foul line ("A" position). Fair/foul coverage on the first base line is divided. As the plate umpire, you will take any ball which stops short of first base or is touched before reaching the base. Any ball which passes the base (front edge) untouched is the base umpire’s responsibility. The plate umpire has to cover the entire third base line. With runners on base, the base umpire is positioned inside (both 60-foot and 90-foot diamonds) and the plate umpire has both foul lines in their entirety.

With no runners on base, for ground balls hit in the infield where fair/foul is not a factor, you should immediately advance up the first base line, striving to get as close to the start of the three-foot lane as possible and taking a standing set before the play occurs. There are three reasons for doing that. 1) You must watch for interference by the batter-runner while out of the three-foot lane. 2) You must be ready for overthrows, being prepared to bounce into foul territory and rule on a dead ball and any subsequent award. 3) From that position, you can assist on a pulled foot and/or swipe tag, if asked.

There are several situations when you are responsible for covering third; other situations are optional depending on crew preferences. The play that will bring you to third most often is a base hit to the outfield with a lone runner at first. When the ball is batted: pause, read the position of the fielder and the speed of the runner and react by clearing the catcher and moving up the third baseline in foul territory, about six to 10 feet from the line. Let your partner know: "Mike I've got third. I've got third." If a play develops, pop into fair territory and make the call from the edge of the notch (cutout). You can get there in sufficient time to take a hands on knees set. If you take too long to read the play and don't react immediately, you'll probably be moving when the play occurs, no matter how fast you are.

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