Rotation Mechanic for 3-umpire System

In a three-umpire system, umpires generally have a more confined and defined area of responsibility and thus have some working luxuries not available in a system with fewer umpires. One of the exceptions to having confined areas is when the opportunity for a full rotation arises. U1 must hustle toward the plate area as the plate umpire moves toward third

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3 Crew Mechanics Quick Checklist

Thanks to Dan Cowan for this article. Its intent to help umpires who bounce back and forth between 2 Crew games and 3 crew games. Plate Umpire • Checked swing Request help from the open umpire. • Fly ball coverage area All fly balls when no base umpire covers. Left fielder to left field dead ball line when rotated. Right

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Selecting a Starting Position, 3-Umpire System

  Selecting a starting position is more than reading the CCA Manual and adhering to its mechanics.  The Manual indicates general areas and distances from which base umpires may choose their starting position.  This article will discuss guidelines so base umpires in the 3-umpire system will select the best starting positon for the most likely scenarios. Starting on the line

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Freedom for U3

This important mechanic was introduced in 2009 and expands on the philosophy “Never Waste an Umpire.” It is a specific mechanic for a specific situation: Runner on 2b only, or runners on 2b and 3b Ball is hit to the outfield and no umpire chases When R2 is at least halfway home and the ball is still in the outfield:

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Covering fly balls in a 3-umpire system

Covering Concepts Covering fly balls is an important responsibility for base umpires in both the 2-umpire and 3-umpire systems. It can be a challenging mechanic for all umpires, especially for umpires who have not done it a lot. It takes good pre-pitch preparation and knowing where the outfielders are positioned to make good decisions on covering fly balls. Here are

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Real Plays, Legitimate Deviations

The CCA manual is a very thorough document, but like any umpire manual, it cannot cover every possible play that might happen on a softball field. Strange plays and unusual situations will occur; the college softball umpire must be a thinking umpire, ready to adjust to anything that might happen on the field. Per page 45 in the 2013 CCA

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