LLWS plays at the plate.

How catchers and umpires set up for plays at home plate. Using some Little League World Series plays as well as a number of other games.

[@TheDjcarter1966]

1. Even with a perfect wedge positioning I don't think you will see that tag on the foot. If the runner slides in foul territory he is safe. 2. As an umpire after first play I would let the catcher know I'm calling interference on any play at the plate and if he does not move on plays where there is no play at the plate causing the runner to run to collide with him for simply running through home and unsportsmanship call is in his future for initiating contact by not moving. Now as the other team on any throw home I'm telling my kids to slide really hard and late feet first and put this kid on his butt, and never do what the kid did slide head first into his knees that is a recipe for getting hurt. 3. This is EXACTLY how I teach all my kids to slide home fast, hard, late (although maybe not this late) and feet first. Many old school umpires are just too tied to first and third extended which as you have shown is just not ideal as you get blocked a lot of times Really love the one umpires position on a pass ball well into the field of play on the hip of the pitcher covering home thats some good work there

[@billyray994]

2. You would be wrong. It’s obstruction. Calling it unsportsmanlike is a reach.

[@billyray994]

Some guys / umpires have ever attended a camp or haven’t in a while may be good reason for going first base extended and 10-15 ft away (like you mentioned). It’s the way it used to be taught and it’s tough habit to break. Yes, point of plate to 3rd base extended - tag zone - and roll with hip are the ideal mechanics with 90% of plays at the plate. One thing to note, especially for the last guy, is that he is on a small field / cramped area at the back stop. It’s been My experience (and if you will look at a number of his plays) in those type of fields / parks that 1st base extended is where you end up the most. In any given lower level game the majority of your plate plays are passed balls. With a passed ball most mechanics are ignored. You have to open the gate for the catcher, avoid the ball on the ground / or the throw, and make due with what your left with.

[@davej3781]

3:15 - nice, that's how you get your nose all up in a play. a little too close actually, but I'll take a step too close over the guys who sit at the back of the dirt circle and don't move at all. the issue with being so close here is that the tag and the touch may be difficult to see in one view, a step back opens that up. still, nicely done.

[@glasshalffull8625]

3:07 Finally, a kid who slides to the outside and avoids the tag!!! The number of runs we lost because of sliding right at the plate.

[@davej3781]

2:41 - clear violation by the catcher of whatever the little league version of 6.01(i) is - the buster posey rule. obstruction.

[@jaydenmorrison8666]

my umpires assocation still teaches first and third base extended

[@RonaldGorman]

LLWS was not on hiatus in 2021. No international teams. Top 2 regional teams made it to the LLWS.

[@gavinvelicevic1907]

I have watched multiple teachings online about positions on tag plays at home plate. The umpire should be in the foul territory if the catcher is in fair - vice versa.

[@davej3781]

3:48 - oh, that's just pretty.

[@davej3781]

1 - stay point of plate, don't move toward 3B, that's usually a bad place to be; swing around toward 3blx as the runner comes home. 2 - again, stay point of plate until you have reason to move. this umpire seems to have a natural instinct to move back and to the left for no reason, that needs to be erased 3 - nice movement, adjusting as the play happens 4 - really not in a good position, started backing away and left, now have to walk back in; also never looked to see where the ball was. good job getting close in the end... these are hard plays though, I don't get these the best I could either 5 - pretty good, still backing away a little more than necessary, you can see where F2 and F1 are, and move towards a better position as the ball is thrown 6 - work on taking bigger, more purposeful drop- and cross-over steps; all these little hoppity-hops got you there eventually, but they ain't pretty. make a real safe call, drop the sad little quarter-arm thing - it's a play at the plate, a kid just scored a run, SAFE! that kid 7 - reasonable movements, but be a little more crisp and put some stank on that out call

[@MH-Tesla]

Good points! I think he may be going left on some of these because he's got to see RLI or pulled foot on play at 1st with field umpire in C position. But no need to move so soon with runner on 3rd and potential play at the plate. Maybe I should get video of myself umpiring too so I can critique myself. Maybe I'd see things I need to improve on? Like this guy moves his head too much on pitches. Got to keep that head still! FYI, thanks for the feedback!

[@davej3781]

@@MH-Tesla he's going back and left before reading any kind of play at 1B, and gets way too far away. if he stays point of plate, 1BLX is only 1 step away once he reads a play. don't drift around. the mantra should be "stay point of plate until you need to move"; there will be many reasons to move, but all such moves should be for a purpose

[@MH-Tesla]

@@davej3781 Just finished a State Juniors All Star tournament. Really took this comment to heart and did much better. Thanks. Wish I had video. Made a difficult call at the plate in great position and called runner out followed by a lot of disagreement. The player I called out turned out to be the pitcher who asked me, "where did he tag me on that play?" I said, "he got you on the thigh just before you touched home plate." Then he acknowledged that I was correct and admitted he was out. FYI, by this point I had already developed a good rapport and respect from both teams which is why the player felt comfortable asking and I felt comfortable responding. This a likely the best I've ever done and the next day we did 3 man for semi and championship with great umpires and with the exception of a very few ball/strike mistakes (still waiting to do that perfect game in that regard) we were 100% on base plays. So much fun and awesome baseball to be a part of.

[@MH-Tesla]

@@davej3781 oh, one other thing. I made sure to give a proper "safe" call like you suggested. And better out calls. As you said, they earned the safe or out, so give it to them. So I did this weekend.

[@davej3781]

@@MH-Tesla I'm glad my comments on that _other_ umpire in the video helped you improve your game 😉 often times the true measure of any such advice (whether umpiring or otherwise) is if it feels good when you implement it... sounds like you did it and it felt good.

[@petekaiser8856]

Umpires out of position comes from bad habits from single ump games all season and then getting one or more other umps for a crew during playoffs. Also, no time for good training when it sucks to be an umpire these days. I don't blame them either, its why I quit.

[@MJHBaseball]

It's too bad you quit. Need good umpires that are there for the game and for the kids and want to do the best they can. Or at a minimum, help train new umpires...we need more training for sure.

[@petekaiser8856]

@@MJHBaseball I miss it so much.

[@keithyoungs9435]

In the play at 3:20 isn't the bat obstructing the tag or is the bat not counted for in that type of play

[@davej3781]

the bat is laying on the ground, thus it is part of the ground. if the offense doesn't like it, well that's where they left it... if the defense doesn't like it, they could've moved it

[@raymondperez1131]

Umps are volunteers,mistakes will happen..

[@RonaldGorman]

You are correct that mistakes will happen, however the majority of umps are paid, somewhere in the neighboorhood of $40-$50/game.

[@raymondperez1131]

@@RonaldGorman yes but even professional Blu makes dumb mistakes,sad but it's part of being human...do I like it?,no,it is what it is..not to mention 2% bias on what team they like...thx 👍

[@jonnybaze7449]

Thank you so much for putting the entire blame where it belongs, the government. It bothers me so much when people say because of a virus or pandemic etc.

[@umpireva5440]

I think umpires should make videos showing ALL the wrong things coaches do.

[@MJHBaseball]

Right! How many times are you umpiring and you're thinking, "What the heck is that coach even thinking?"

[@umpireva5440]

@@MJHBaseball every game👍

[@umpireva5440]

We don't do that because we have some respect for the game. Unlike coaches and parents. I'm quitting after this season after 32 years because of the behavior in the dugouts and stands. Our local High School association is down to 65 umpires, we had 90 8 years ago. Average age 52

[@MJHBaseball]

Maybe instead of out right quitting you get into mentoring or training? Not sure if it's different in Michigan, but at High School games, schools are very strict with spectators and even more so with coaches. They seem to be the most tame games ever. Travel Tournaments, maybe not so much. I'm just getting started. I may have umpired for 5 years or so, but really only had my first year last season when I FINALLY got in person training. Had my best season ever and looking forward to getting even more training in 2023!

[@umpireva5440]

@@MJHBaseball all great points but I'm done. Soooo much has changed for the worse, just don't love umpiring anymore. Turn 60 in April and retiring from work and baseball.

[@davej3781]

first play - plate umpire too far back, and not stepping around to stay on the catcher's play-side hip, so he had no idea whatsoever whether there was a tag or not on the replay overturn, unless they had more angles to view than shown, I don't have enough to overturn. it looks like he maybe tagged the heel, but it's pretty far from conclusive

[@MH-Tesla]

1:06 is conclusive. You even see the glove cause the foot to move due to being tagged. That being said, even in the best position, an umpire will have a hard time seeing this tag in real time.

[@davej3781]

@@MH-Tesla yeah, I saw 1:06, wasn't convinced because other angles don't seem to show the glove contacting the heel at that moment and I don't consider it likely that the light contact of the glove (if it happened) would be enough to move the runner's heel at that moment. That all said, usually my insistence on a high bar to overturn an on-field call is because video can be very deceptive and the on-field umpire likely had the best view... but in this case the on-field umpire didn't have any useful view, so I'll yield and say yeah, he more than likely got him on the heel.

[@davej3781]

3:45 - wtf are you doing there, what do you expect to see other than nothing at all? the bat has a much better view than you do, try being there

[@auzmo]

Last umpire stinks. Worst umpire ive seen on this channel.

[@davej3781]

4:49 - shouldn't be signaling fair/foul from 5 feet off the line... I don't believe you. time spent taking the mask off should've been spent getting steps to the line.

[@MH-Tesla]

I don't know. That ball got there pretty quickly and it was fair by 5 feet. I think you move to the line as soon as possible, but sometimes it gets there before you can.

[@davej3781]

@@MH-Tesla still gotta move, at least get a step and a lean to get your head as close to the line as possible; he was no closer to the line when the fair/foul decision was made than when the ball was hit. sure, this one was pretty obvious even from 5 feet off the line, but it could easily have been much closer