Are you seeing this?

[DynastyFastpitch]

I keep seeing girls being called out for leaving first early on steals that are using the rocker start. The umps are seeing the movement before the pitch and thinking that equates to leaving early but they aren't. Have you seen this happening also?

 

[24GahannaLadyLions7]

Happened to my daughter at least a half-dozen times the last two years... half of those have been when there has been only 1 umpire... On the verge of telling her not to rock and just use a still sprinters stance. Smh

 

[wow]

You see it more at the rec level, or as stated above, one ump games. The concern I see is when the opposing team coaches complain about it and then the ump calls a kid out. Hard to do with one set of eyes. One solution is to start behind the bag this way there is a slight delay from when the momentum starts until the player actual leaves of the bag. The "sprinter" type approach puts the player too far in front and gives the illusion of leaving too early.

 

[Lenski65]

We were told by an ump last week at Pennsbury that the runner is allowed 2 steps prior to the pitchers release...lol.

I have not seen one kid called out for leaving a base early this year so far.

 

[BretMan2]

I'm not seeing this myself. The only runners I've called out for leaving early were doing it on purpose in a blowout game.

 

[lewam3]

We were told by an ump last week at Pennsbury that the runner is allowed 2 steps prior to the pitchers release...lol.

I have not seen one kid called out for leaving a base early this year so far.

Len- i remember the same ump explaining to me that the "runner can leave once the pitcher pushes off the rubber", and "since your pitcher has such long legs (Chelsea is 6'2") it takes her a while to release the ball..."

 

[10thman]

If you get a runner that beat the throw by a split second leaving early it helped steal the base. Close games I have the blue man watch the runners closer.

 

[snoman76]

If there is only 1 umpire and he/she is calling a runner leaving early from first base then he/she can't be watching the pitch. How can an umpire call balls and strikes if they are keeping an eye on the base runners?

 

[24GahannaLadyLions7]

If there is only 1 umpire and he/she is calling a runner leaving early from first base then he/she can't be watching the pitch. How can an umpire call balls and strikes if they are keeping an eye on the base runners?

Thats what I'm saying...

 

[wow]

One eye watches runner, the other balls and strikes? its not that hard...

 

[Lenski65]

Len- i remember the same ump explaining to me that the "runner can leave once the pitcher pushes off the rubber", and "since your pitcher has such long legs (Chelsea is 6'2") it takes her a while to release the ball..."

Lol.....crazy, wasn't it?

 

[Hilliarddad3]

If there is only 1 umpire and he/she is calling a runner leaving early from first base then he/she can't be watching the pitch. How can an umpire call balls and strikes if they are keeping an eye on the base runners?

Ump has two eyes no?? Just kidding.... But it can be done to see both.....

 

[Louuuuu]

I've worked one-ump games where the coach says "Blue, the runner is leaving early". I feel like saying "Okay, let me pre-call the next pitch - 'Ball' - so now I can watch their runner." What I really say is "I'll try to keep an eye on it". But in reality, unless the runner is on 2nd, and it's an obvious call, the home plate umpire isn't going to see it. (Because we're more concerned with protecting our essential body parts from the incoming pitch.)

 

[Shane]

As a coach of 8U and 10U teams over the past few years, we have run into many games with one umpire. You realize there is no way the umpire can police the timing of the runner leaving the base and trust coaches do a good job of policing their own players. If coaches are not correcting their baserunners, it would say a lot about the character of the coach(es).