Another You make the call

Here's another 1st base situation that happened to me this week. We use the double first base, have for 2 years even tho it's not required. When they first started using them, we were told at the officials clinic that, on the initial play, the defense 'must' use the white portion and the br 'must' use the orange. Overthrows and dropped 3rd strikes allowed some variations but a ground ball hit to the infield which produced an initial play at first were governed by the above. Batter hits a ball to ss who throws high to first, 1stbaseman steps back and jumps to catch ball, comes down on the orange, runner collides with 1B. Called out. Ball did beat her, I argued that she couldn't use the orange part on initial play. Turns out the rule says she may on an errant throw. Offense penalized for bad throw from defense. If we had been using a 'single' bag, 1b would've landed a foot behind the bag. I'm thinking about not using the 'safety' bag anymore. That call took 2 runs off the board. I don't understand the reasoning behind the rule. It made sense to say who must use which part on the initial play. Maybe I'm just venting but it seems to me that the original way kept the field level for both, now the defense has 30" of bag to play as well as making the umps have to decide what is a 'errant' throw.

 

Other than saying "HTBT," my first questions was "Was there a safety base?" If so, assuming a play from the infield, defense has to use the white bag.

Regardless, if pulled in front of the runner by a bad throw, then they better get possession of the ball before they impede the runner. If the first baseman had possession before the collision and was touching the white bag: OUT. If she did not, then I've got obstruction on the first baseman and the runner will get first.

 

I personally believe a double first base should not be utilized at the competitive level.

It creates an opportunity for bad habits to form in a first baseman who's home field utilizes it and creates way too much confusion as to which base may be used in which situations.

NFHS rules the runner and the fielder may use either base under many different circumstances. This makes for a difficult rule to teach and enforce, unless the play is routine.

Teach the players the correct way to field the ball and run the bases. Umpires need to enforce the rules correctly as well.