Safe or out at home?

[T00 boo-coo]

Bases loaded, 2 outs. Hitter bunts to pitcher (don't ask why) she bobbles the ball and makes a late toss to the catcher who also bobbles the ball. Runner slides by home touching the plate with her hand. Umpire clearly calls the play SAFE. The defence picks up the ball and stands on home plate. On appeal he over turns his original safe call. Note only one umpire (High school JV)

[Comp]

If in the umpires judgement the runner did not touch home plate it would be correct mechanics to signal her safe on the initial play, then rule her out on a propper appeal.

[T00 boo-coo]

There appeal was that she did not touch home plate.

[T00 boo-coo]

So have I, but the umpire clearly called the play safe. He should have turned and walked away but standing there gave the impression that the play was still alive.

[Coach11]

My understanding is that the umpire is NOT supposed to make a safe call if runner misses base.
In doing so in this situation he may have given the runner the impression that she had in fact touched home plate.

[Comp]

And if the umpire doesnt make a call, they have now tipped the defense that something is up. By rule, once a runner has passed a base, they are presumed to have touched it until properly appealed.

[SoCalASABlue]

A similar scenario happened to me while I umpired a 10U game this week. Runner on 3B comes home on infield grounder. Catcher receives the ball offline from SS and sweeps her glove but does not tag the runner. Runner steps over but does not touch home plate. Catcher returns the ball to the pitcher in the circle. Parents are screaming in the stands that the runner missed the plate but the manager does not attempt to appeal. Next batter comes up and receives first pitch - no more appeal.

What I was told at the national umpire school this past February was that this type of play requires a normal safe call rather than sell safe call. This may or may not tip off the manager that he/she should appeal the play, but then again according to my UIC the majority of coaches never crack the spine of the rule book anyway.

[Coach11]

I have no issue with the defense being tipped off. If there's no call to be made then none should be. But a runner who misses a base is not safe.
Besides the offense would be tipped off as well by the non-call.

And if the umpire doesnt make a call, they have now tipped the defense that something is up. By rule, once a runner has passed a base, they are presumed to have touched it until properly appealed.

[SoCalASABlue]

Coach11 - you are wrong. Review ASA Rules Supplement 1 APPEALS, specifically paragraph (I) titled Plate and Tag Missed.

[Comp]

Coach, by rule, a runner that misses or passes a base without touching it is considered to have touched the base until properly appealed. Therefore, the runner is safe until the proper appeal is made.