Catcher for 19 year......have heard of the rule, but never seen it applied. From what I read here, it was a judgement call on the timing of the move by Q. Those are tough to argue.

 

Unwritten rules.....don't let the ball hit the ump, don't make the ump go after loose balls and don't remove your mask or turn around when you disagree with a call.

 

Had the ump been hit a few times in this game......could have been a protection issue with him.....just curious.....wasn't there.

Sorry this reply is a little late. I do the PA announcing for Scott so I had a perfect view of this one. After the catcher gave his signs, he very clearly moved out behind the lefthanded batter's box, well before the pitcher made any move to the plate. It was the right call. I think the reason the Highlands coach was upset, was because this was the one time Scott had not drawn a catcher's box when they lined the field. His point must have been that the ump had no point of reference for what was in or out of the box. However, he was very clearly no longer behind the plate. It was a judgement call, but one I could see coming.

This rule is just like the batters box. A - it is almost never called. B - if you are going to call it, and you are an ump worth your salt, you measure 36" from the point where home plate angles (a bat is, coincidentally, very handy in making this measurement) forward and backward and draw a little line there for the batter. If he is out of the box after that display, he deserves to be called out.

 

If you think there might be a violation of the "catcher's box," you do the same thing and make the C very aware you are doing it. If he then jumps out way too early, he deserves to have it called on him.

 

There is virtually no advantage gained by this call, so it is a technical violation you have to really be looking for to even have it come up.