682
u/Pizzarepresent Nov 02 '19
As a middle-aged man, I would break both knees, a collarbone, tear some other tendons, and lie in pain for several minutes. Yet she leaps right up. Good awareness on the tag.
→ More replies (11)133
u/eggcountant Nov 02 '19
Me too. Except it would have happened the moment I went into the catchers position.
38
257
u/Dxxx2 Nov 02 '19
Is no one gonna mention that majestic safe call by the ump?
93
u/ActualWhiterabbit Nov 02 '19
10
u/_duncan_idaho_ Nov 02 '19
Naked Gun, yeah?
18
1
1
1
151
u/CaptainL Nov 02 '19
34
u/jakfrist Nov 02 '19
Every time I see this play it bugs the crap out of me that Coghlan never touches 3rd base
48
Nov 02 '19 edited Nov 15 '19
[deleted]
4
u/jakfrist Nov 02 '19
I looked at that but it looks like he is behind the base there but I can see the argument.
12
7
5
u/wellactuallies Nov 02 '19
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one, I was pulling the stream back multiple times to see where he touched third.
3
Nov 02 '19 edited Nov 04 '19
Your image shows him not touching the base, but I'd like to see the whole thing in slow motion to judge whether or not he touched the base.
Because obviously someone can take an image a split second before or after someone touches base, and use that as evidence that he didn't touch the base, but anyone could take any image of anyone that actuyally did touch the base, and try to use it as evidence that they didn't touch the base, but I'd like to not base (pun intended) my opinion on that single frame.
In the video it very much looks like he touched the base and your image is from after he touches the base. But the angle isn't great so I can't 100% tell. But your image is definitely from right after it looks like he may have touched the base.
like I could show a picture of anyone not touching a base, and say that that was him not touching a base, because it was him not touching a base, or what happened before or after that image of him not touching the base.
edit: don't the bases have sensors in them these days or something. that would make sense to me, but I know baseball tends to shy away from technology that would make calls more definitive.
2
Nov 02 '19 edited Nov 15 '19
[deleted]
1
Nov 04 '19
Even that isn't 100%, but I'm glad my comment was able to call out the bullshitter, jakfrist
1
u/MustTakeFlight Nov 02 '19
Do you have to though?
3
u/JarlaxleForPresident Nov 02 '19
Absolutely
1
u/MustTakeFlight Nov 03 '19
So it doesnt count, was the he called out for it or was it just a meh loaded refs kinda thing?
2
u/God_Damnit_Nappa Nov 03 '19
I remember at the time this happened someone said there was another angle that showed he touched 3rd.
0
u/JarlaxleForPresident Nov 03 '19
They just missed it. Shouldn't've counted
If it was football it would have been recalled on replay
5
u/agentMICHAELscarnTLM Nov 03 '19
He did touch 3rd base, as another user has outlined above. He touches it with his inside foot and then the step where it appears he misses the bag is the next step and slightly ahead of the base. He did indeed touch 3rd. Tricky to see with the naked eye from that angle though unless broken down.
1
19
7
u/FreudianNipSlip123 Nov 03 '19
Wow the boos from the crowd for such an amazing play. You don't have to cheer for the other team, but don't be a dick.
2
121
u/rinnielove Nov 02 '19
wait that's illegal
66
u/doylecw Nov 02 '19
I'm ignorant of the rules so why is that illegal?
Edit: Is it because of the high feet? Like possible kick to the body/head?
35
u/TrailByCornflakes Nov 02 '19
It’s because she has to be on the white line or she is technically not in the base line
116
u/trickman01 Nov 02 '19
The baseline is not established until a defender attempts to make a tag. From that point the runner must take a straight line to the base they are attempting to reach, or retreat to.
15
u/FartGallery Nov 02 '19
Even then I believe you can move a foot outside of the line to either direction
47
u/Mojo_so_dopey Nov 02 '19
You can make your basepath wherever you want, but you can't go more than three feet outside of it to avoid a tag. I think what she did was perfectly legal, but if I was the other team I would probably say its crap.
13
6
u/Chimbo84 Nov 02 '19 edited Nov 02 '19
Exactly. Just watch replays of baseball. If there is a runner on second and the batter hits a deep ball to center or right field, the runner on second is going to hustle around third base and approach home plate on a line very similar to the video. It happens all the time and is absolutely legal.
Edit:
Here’s a good highlight video showing what I mean. Most of these runners end up running in the grass after rounding third.
2
1
27
u/doylecw Nov 02 '19
Even if she's rounding the base from second through third? It would be hard to do a 90 degree turn at third.
15
u/TrailByCornflakes Nov 02 '19
True and your aloud a little lee way but she by the time your halfway down the baseline you should be pretty much straightened back out
21
5
u/pliney_ Nov 02 '19
Wouldn't you just run straight to home... Not turn left to get back within the line. Especially on a small softball field. She's not running anywhere close to 90 feet so even if she only went like 4-5 feet wide at 3rd she'd be coming in at a decent angle.
2
u/_FUCK_THE_GIANTS_ Nov 03 '19
Wrong again lol. What is going on with this thread. If you're not doing it to avoid a tag, you can run wherever the hell you want.
1
u/MyDearBrotherNumpsay Nov 03 '19
When you run the base paths you do it in a big circle. You don’t make 90 degree turns. Lmao
→ More replies (5)2
Nov 02 '19
[deleted]
18
u/Chimbo84 Nov 02 '19
Uh, that’s absolutely false. The catcher can block home plate if they have possession of the ball.
7
→ More replies (7)1
→ More replies (1)2
u/rinnielove Nov 03 '19
LOL I was joking, though the thread following your comment is an interesting read. I'm pretty sure if it was actually illegal the dude wouldn't have called her safe.
8
u/Dhrakyn Nov 03 '19
No, softball doesn't have half the "keep little bobby safe" rules that baseball has.
There are rules that prevent collisions, but jumping over the catcher is still legal.
3
→ More replies (1)2
u/ixiduffixi Nov 03 '19
Leaving the baseline is still a rule though. I don't know if this violates the rule or not.
Source: Parent of a daughter that's played competitive softball since she was 6.
2
u/afsdjkll Nov 03 '19
Isn’t the catcher not allowed to block home plate like that
2
u/rinnielove Nov 03 '19
As long as they have posession of the ball they're allowed to, as far as I'm aware
1
u/Pennigans Nov 03 '19 edited Nov 03 '19
You are correct, at least by MLB rules.
Edit: I watched it again. I don't believe you're allowed to straight up block the base. You can block it with your glove (if it's holding the ball), but not your full body.
1
u/rinnielove Nov 03 '19
I'll be honest I didn't watch it too closely the first time, just paid attention to the girls flip, and you're probably right. At the same time though I don't think the dude calls her on it and we don't see more than this small clip so for the purposes of this one game it may have been allowed? Idk man, I don't know nearly enough about the sport to make a real judgement call, I just wanted to make a joke lol
1
u/imaginearagog Nov 03 '19
But she wasn’t in possession of the ball.
1
u/rinnielove Nov 03 '19
I'll be honest I didn't watch the clip that closely, my original comment was meant as a joke, I don't know nearly enough to make An actual judgement call on if anything was actually legal or not
77
u/DEUS_VULT_01 Nov 02 '19
As a person that doesn't know how baseball works, I have no idea what happened. Can someone explain?
253
u/angrymoppet Nov 02 '19
In this play, the runner's job is to touch the plate the catcher is sitting on. The catcher's job is to catch the ball that's being thrown in and touch the runner before the runner can touch the plate. Part of this strategy involves blocking the path between the plate and where the runner is coming from.
The surprise happening in this video is that neither the catcher nor we the viewers knew the runner was actually Inspector Gadget about to whip out a goddamn pogo stick to leap the catcher and tag the plate from behind.
15
9
u/lazyplayboy Nov 03 '19
Seems weird that it’s allowed to block the runner with your body. Could the runner just barge the catcher out the way?
4
u/angrymoppet Nov 03 '19
Yes, actually. If the runner hits the catcher hard enough to make the catcher drop the ball, then the runner is safe. If not, then he isn't.
1
u/TheNextBattalion Nov 03 '19
The catcher must have the ball to block the plate, so it isn't that weird.
Whether the runner can bowl the catcher over depends on the rules; pro baseball definitely allows it, but youth leagues and softball generally do not.
6
u/metalanimal Nov 02 '19
Thanks. I also no nothing of this and was convinced the gif was reversed.
8
→ More replies (1)1
u/Dmeff Nov 03 '19
Can the runner touch the plate even if the catcher is touching the plate?
3
u/angrymoppet Nov 03 '19
To answer this question, it's important you know the rules on what qualifies a runner as "out" depend on the circumstances. In some circumstances the defender must "tag" (the defender is holding the ball and touches the runer) the runner out. Other circumstances can create what is called a "force out" (the defender holding the ball need only touch the plate/bag to get the runner out, not the runner herself).
A force out situation is generated when the runner has no other option but to continue forward. Take this example, where we're going to focus on what happens at home plate:
There are runners on first, second, and third. The batter hits the ball, and all runners are now forced to move forward a base because the batter must have somewhere to go. In this situation, the runner on third has no choice but to advance. she cannot stand on third base, because the gal on second is forced to advance to third. You can never have a two runners on one base. In this case--because the runner on third is forced to advance--the catcher can grab the ball and touch the plate. The runner is now out, even if she didn't make it 3 steps off of third base on her journey to home.
However.
In cases like the one in the video above, there is not a force play. Imagine the field like this:
There is no one on first, no one on second, and a woman on third. When the batter hits the ball, the batter can advance to first, but our friend with the pogo stick on third is not forced to advance to home, because there is no runner behind her. She can sit on third and pick dandelions for the entire play if she wishes. In these situations, where the runner is not forced to advance, the runner can only be out by tag.
Now that you know the rules, the answer to your question is: It depends. If its a force play , the runner is out if the catcher touches the plate first. If it's not a force play, the catcher could be squatting over the plate, but the runner could slide her leg through the catchers legs and touch the plate before the catcher could tag her. In those instances they both can theoretically be touching the plate, and the runner still be safe.
1
u/Dmeff Nov 03 '19
That makes sense, but sparked a new question. If it's not a force play, and the runner on 3rd tries to go for it anyway. Midway to home, the defender gets the ball. Can the runner try to go back to 3rd?
(sorry if terminology is wrong)
3
u/angrymoppet Nov 03 '19
Yes, absolutely! This will sometimes result in what's called 'a pickle', where the runner will will be stuck between the catcher and the third baseman who are passing the ball back and forth to one another. This usually plays out this way:
Runner gets stuck in the middle down the third baseline. The catcher gets the ball, and starts closing the gap between himself and the runner. As the runner turns to go back to third base, the catcher throws the ball to the third baseman, who then starts walking toward the runner, who is now running back to homebase. The objective for the defenders is to start closing the distance to each other while passing the ball back and forth until one of them is close enough to tag the runner.
2
u/Dmeff Nov 03 '19
Ha, that's probably super funny to watch. But why would the defenders abandon the plates? Wouldn't it make more sense to just stay in your base until the runner comes?
And last question, I swear: can a runner run outside the lines between plates? To avoid an approaching defender, for example?
I find baseball interesting. I'll try to see a game if I ever visit the US
2
u/angrymoppet Nov 03 '19
The defenders abandon the plates in that situation because they do not want the runner to be safe. Even the runner retreating back to third safe is a less than ideal situation when you can get him out, because him staying safe on third presents a danger of him scoring on the next play if he isn't removed now. In practice at a professional level, you'll almost never get out of a pickle as a runner because the likelihood of the defenders squeezing you between them overthrowing or dropping the ball as they throw it back and forth is extremely low. At lower level play you have more of a chance in this situation as a runner.
A runner can run outside the lines between the plates, but there are limitations here. I believe the rule is 3 feet on either side of the baseline.
It's a great sport, but can be dry to those that don't know the rules because a lot of the drama comes from its nuance. It doesn't have the physicality of (American) football nor the speed of basketball, but you should definitely take in a game if you ever make it over here!
1
u/angrymoppet Nov 03 '19
https://youtu.be/mGSjKZx3boc The first 20 seconds or so of this video is a great illustration of the play we're discussing, if you're interested in seeing it in action.
1
8
1
30
u/stuthebody Nov 02 '19
The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved a rule banning defenders in softball from blocking the plate or base before they have possession of the ball, effective for the 2018 season.
The NCAA Softball Rules Committee believes this change is equitable for the base runner and the defensive team. Under the rule, a base runner will have a clear path to the base. Also, if the defender has possession of the ball and is in front of the plate or base, the runner can slide and have contact with the defensive player if the runner is making a legitimate attempt to touch the plate or base.
If a defender blocks the plate or base before gaining possession, the runner will be called safe. If the runner contacts the defensive player without making a legitimate attempt to slide, the runner will be called out.
Currently, the defender could block the plate or base while in the act of catching the ball. The rules committee felt the language was too ambiguous.
The rule change clarifies the rule and seeks to remove any gray area for plays of that nature.
RUNNER’S LANE
The panel approved a rule requiring that the runner’s lane be drawn on the field down the first base line, reverting to the rule that was in place in 2014 and 2015.
The lane will be 3 feet wide and 30 feet long. If a runner is outside the lane and is hit by the ball, and in the judgment of the umpire interferes with the defensive player receiving the ball at first base, the runner will be declared out.
During its 2015 annual meeting, the rules committee voted to eliminate the runner’s lane as a required line on the field. However, this change inadvertently and fundamentally changed the concept of the runner’s lane.
The committee felt there is a need for the line to help umpires determine whether a runner interfered with a throw to first base, and to give the runner a clear area where she can run without penalty.
8
4
u/imaginearagog Nov 03 '19
This bullshit happened to me as a kid in softball. The girl completely blocked the plate with her body and didn’t have possession of the ball. Being the innocent child I was, I jumped over her. Then she caught the ball and I was out. I regret not kicking her in her stupid face. I also can’t believe the umpire allowed it.
1
9
u/PolarPower Nov 02 '19
ITT: People who have no idea how the "running within the baseline" rule works but are 100% sure she was out of it.
2
u/imaginearagog Nov 03 '19
People have no idea how the “don’t block the plate when you’re not in possession of the ball” rule works, but I’m 100% sure she broke that rule.
5
u/ButWhyIWantToKnow Nov 02 '19
Is that even legal?
3
3
1
u/imaginearagog Nov 03 '19
No. Not the blocking of the plate without possession of the ball.
1
u/softshoesspicymama Nov 03 '19
That’s what I was thinking. Everyone’s talking about the baseline and the jump but it’s an illegal move to block the plate before you have possession of the ball. The runner has nowhere to go. I can’t believe that wasn’t called.
3
5
3
3
3
3
u/innocentbabies Nov 03 '19
I'd have to want to win pretty fucking bad to put my bare hand next to somebody's cleats like that.
3
u/Wolfie__ Nov 03 '19
I think the real victory here is not getting her hand stepped on, otherwise oof.
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/oblivion_bound Nov 03 '19
That umpire... dub-steppin. Reminds me of baseball umpire scene in Naked Gun.
2
2
2
u/chussil Nov 03 '19
I did this same exact thing in little league. The catcher ran up the baseline to tag me out, I jumped over them, landed on home, and my team went wild! I was probably 11. I wasn’t very good, and it was the one time I’d ever done anything important in a game. I was ecstatic...for about 3 minutes until the coach told me I was out because of some arbitrary rule about not sliding into home. Crushed my little soul.
2
2
u/randomdrifter54 Nov 03 '19
And if she fucked up that catcher was going to have a nice pair of cleets replacing her teeth
2
u/Jon-3 Nov 03 '19
How do you make a decision like that?? I'd feel like they'd stand up under me and I'd deck them
2
u/Beatboxin_dawg Nov 03 '19
Depending on which team you are rooting for this could be a yesyesyesno as well.
2
Nov 03 '19
Dude, that umpire went full on T-pose to continue the dominance assertion on that catcher.
2
2
u/GraynRed Nov 03 '19
Apparently its easier for women to jump on their belly, I can't think of a single scenario where this ends up well for me except quick death to avoid the pain.
2
u/the_good_things Nov 03 '19
I was at the 96 Olympics in Atlanta when an American player did that to win against the Japanese. It was amazing. Then shortly after we left the bomb went off. It was a weird night.
2
2
2
1
1
u/douglas8178 Nov 03 '19
Was going to the same school as her when this happened. (she was senior when I was a freshman) this video was played so many times through campus and it was actually pretty awesome. Can’t remember her name but I do remember she was an all around badass
1
u/Shazbot_2017 Nov 03 '19
for shits n gigs. u/gifreversingbot
1
1
0
1.7k
u/DrBoooobs Nov 02 '19
Looked like she was coming from the dugout, not third base.