Commitment line? Double home plate?

[Traenok]

Our co-ed church league is struggling with plays at the plate.

Almost every team in this league has catchers that, well, can't play any other position due to lack of skill, lack of athleticism or whatever.

So to offset this - we are looking at going with a commitment line/double home plate.

Anyone have any links to their league rules where they use this? Any suggestions?

This league is made up of a clean sweep of ages/abilities/gender.

Men women teens of all abilities etc...

Any help is appreciated!

Jay

 

[softballdude88]

I dont have a list of the rules, but I know the commitment line is probably the safest way of handling it

 

[wagon487]

we play with both in senior, it's safe and easy to understand

 

[philphan89]

i played in co-ed where they had a home plate set up 5 feet away from the actual homeplate. homeplate would be force out if you wanted to try and go home

 

[Jangle.Leg]

Played in a coed tournament last year with this system, worked great. Prevented unwanted collisions and players arguing calls.

 

[Sodapopinski]

Commitment line? Is that like a promise ring?

 

[softballdude88]

Commitment line? Is that like a promise ring?

pretty much the same concept!

 

[thesteve]

My church league does a commitment line and double plate. Basically the commitment line is a line halfway down the 3B line that is perpendicular to the 3B line. If a runner passes that line they must go home. The second (scoring) plate is probably 8 feet or so behind defensive home plate as viewed from the 1B line.

The way our rules are structured are to try to ensure zero collisions at home plate. Therefore runners that go beyond the commitment line can only be put out by tagging the defensive home plate before the runner tags the scoring home plate. We actually had this come up in a recent season where our catcher tagged the runner before they crossed home and was ruled safe. The umpire told us that only touching the defensive home plate would result in an out.

 

[Joe Daddy]

Try this. Page 13

http://www.sportsplexusa.com/Content/pdf/SanteeSoftballRuleBook_updated-11-8-10.pdf

 

[krunchyfrogg]

http://jerseyclubsports.com/sports/softball/

COMMIT RULE:
After you cross the Commit line (appx. ½ way from 3rd base to home plate) you must continue home. It is always a force out at home plate. This only applies for home plate. You must always use the “safety home plate” or you will be out (unless it is an out of park home run). If there is a fly ball in the outfield you must not cross the commit line or you have committed home.

This was from a coed rec league I played in last fall. The second home plate worked out just fine, and I can definitely see how it prevents injuries.

 

[2TransAms]

I'm afraid of commitment.

Actually I've played with this in co-ed, and it won't help anything if your catcher can't hang on to the ball but it'll stop them from getting plowed on a close play.

 

[rshackleford]

Every league/tourney I've ever played in slowpitch uses a line at home plate. Runner must cross the line before the catcher touches home plate with the ball. No tagging allowed and the runner is out if they touch home plate. We also use a second line about 20' before home plate, if the runner crosses this line they MUST go home. I'm fine with it, you get used to it easy enough.

 

[thesteve]

I'm afraid of commitment.

Actually I've played with this in co-ed, and it won't help anything if your catcher can't hang on to the ball but it'll stop them from getting plowed on a close play.

I think it makes it a little easier because the catcher can just focus on catching and not blocking/catching/tagging/getting plowed/etc.

But yeah, at the end of the day, if your catcher can't catch you're still screwed.

 

[Traenok]

Awesome stuff. Thanks board members.

 

[bb666b77]

My church league does a commitment line and double plate. Basically the commitment line is a line halfway down the 3B line that is perpendicular to the 3B line. If a runner passes that line they must go home. The second (scoring) plate is probably 8 feet or so behind defensive home plate as viewed from the 1B line.

The way our rules are structured are to try to ensure zero collisions at home plate. Therefore runners that go beyond the commitment line can only be put out by tagging the defensive home plate before the runner tags the scoring home plate. We actually had this come up in a recent season where our catcher tagged the runner before they crossed home and was ruled safe. The umpire told us that only touching the defensive home plate would result in an out.

yep basically the way senior rules are.it is also best way to prevent some a-hole plowing a girl at the plate,as most catchers in coed are girls....

 

[NCASAUmp]

PM me. I can go over the setup and rules for you.

 

[dave2130]

seems like a good idea

 

[Sodapopinski]

pretty much the same concept!

Thank you for helping me understand.

 

[Jhall24]

Is a commitment line, like the line they use in tee ball or coach pitch????

 

[pimawarrior]

I think it makes it a little easier because the catcher can just focus on catching and not blocking/catching/tagging/getting plowed/etc.

But yeah, at the end of the day, if your catcher can't catch you're still screwed.

Sounds like a good idea but like it has been said before, IF YOUR CATCHER CAN"T CATCH YOUR STILL SCREWED! BUt I like the idea of avoiding contact at home plate.

 

[BigBL87]

I honestly wouldn't mind seeing our rec leagues here do this. Too many idiots that play around here that don't know that you can't plow the catcher, and as someone who can't slide well it would be safer for me as well.

 

[BigBL87]

Is a commitment line, like the line they use in tee ball or coach pitch????

IIRC, it's a line 2/3 or 3/4 of the way to home plate down the 3B line. If you pass that line as a runner, you commit to going home and it becomes a force out. It's nice for inexperienced players and "older" players to help avoid injuries from plays at home.

 

[thesteve]

Sounds like a good idea but like it has been said before, IF YOUR CATCHER CAN"T CATCH YOUR STILL SCREWED! BUt I like the idea of avoiding contact at home plate.

Yeah. I don't play catcher, but if I did I would be pissed as hell if some guy came barreling down the line with the intent to "knock the ball out of my glove" on a play at the plate during a rec. league game. It's not like I can tell my pitcher to go up and in on him during his next AB.

 

[seniorss]

We play it in Senior ball and it works great. You can get all the information you need in the ASA rule book.

 

[CarlsbadDrew]

I like the commitment line in coed. Even though teams usually put their least talented female back there... there's always 1-2 ahole dudes who wanna chuck the ball home as hard as they can in a meaningless coed game. I appreciate being 8 feet away from where these usually errant throws are heading so I don't catch one in the dome.

 

[49er]

This sounds like a good safety procedure for co-ed and rec ball, but I hope they never try to do this in tournament play. If a ball is thrown off-line by two or three feet and high, it is a lot harder to make the catch and tag the runner than to just catch the ball. Also, what is the rule if a guy passes the commitment line on a fly ball that is caught? I assume he is allowed to go back and tag. Not to mention, rundowns are part of the game. If you're catcher isn't athletic, it should hurt you in a rundown.

 

[thesteve]

Also, what is the rule if a guy passes the commitment line on a fly ball that is caught? I assume he is allowed to go back and tag. Not to mention, rundowns are part of the game. If you're catcher isn't athletic, it should hurt you in a rundown.

I think in my league, if you go past the commitment line you have to tag and attempt to score. I could be wrong about that though. In three years I don't think I've ever seen it come up.

 

[BigBL87]

This sounds like a good safety procedure for co-ed and rec ball, but I hope they never try to do this in tournament play. If a ball is thrown off-line by two or three feet and high, it is a lot harder to make the catch and tag the runner than to just catch the ball. Also, what is the rule if a guy passes the commitment line on a fly ball that is caught? I assume he is allowed to go back and tag. Not to mention, rundowns are part of the game. If you're catcher isn't athletic, it should hurt you in a rundown.

I doubt you'll ever see it in tourney play. It's focused more on making the game safer when certain groups are involved.

 

[hydro1]

Every league/tourney I've ever played in slowpitch uses a line at home plate. Runner must cross the line before the catcher touches home plate with the ball. No tagging allowed and the runner is out if they touch home plate. We also use a second line about 20' before home plate, if the runner crosses this line they MUST go home. I'm fine with it, you get used to it easy enough.

X2 in mens we have plays at the plate but we put some one thats 230 + at home so good luck running into that

 

[ehudmh]

I like the commitment line in coed. Even though teams usually put their least talented female back there... there's always 1-2 ahole dudes who wanna chuck the ball home as hard as they can in a meaningless coed game. I appreciate being 8 feet away from where these usually errant throws are heading so I don't catch one in the dome.

We always just have our pitcher cover home on plays that might be coming home, and tell the catcher to back up the pitcher (basically, get out of the way and stop the ball if it gets past the pitcher.) But I think the best part as a baserunner is mentioned above...no worries about getting clobbered in the back of the head trying to score. I wish the co-ed league I play in would adopt this rule.