Tag plays and collisions at home plate

You are probably aware of the new MLB rule that attempts to ban collisions at home plate.  There has been a lot of discussion about the pros and cons of the rule and whether it will actually work.  I see validity on both sides but all things considered, I like the rule.

My worry, however, is that catchers of all ages will get a false sense of security because of the new rule.  Some may see the rule as a reason not to be concerned about collisions and therefore fail to correctly prepare for them.

Just because a law/rule is created doesn’t mean that everyone is going to obey it.  If you are catcher, the old adage applies – prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Today’s video is a longer one but an important one as well.  If you are a catcher or work with catchers, be sure to work on these basic mechanics of tag plays and collisions at home plate.  Their careers may depend on it.

Notes: 

• No matter how well a catcher prepares for a collision, the risk of injury is present.  The mechanics shown in the video are the ideal.  Bad throws, bad hops, general timing issues, and a boat load of other things can all prevent a catcher from preparing in an ideal way.  Catchers just have to do the best they can.
• I had a few issues uploading this video to YouTube so let me know if you have any trouble watching it.

 

Next post:  Let them know in advance