MLB Umpires Association, adamant that crews are simply upholding rule, address home-plate collision rule in statement

The Major League Baseball Umpires Association released a statement about the home plate collision rule.

The rule has been a topic around the game after multiple video reviews have resulted in overturned home plate calls in recent games.

It is the catcher's responsibility not to position himself so as to block home plate without the ball, according to the statement.

The rule change was put in place after a home plate collision resulted in a serious leg injury for the player. The home plate collision rule that players are complaining about was adopted by the players association and the owners.

The league sent a memo to teams earlier this month about the rule that the umpires are following. There were illustrations and reminders in the memo about how and where a catcher can and can't set up.

It's simple: don't block home plate without possession of the baseball or change the rule.

In the top of the first, there was a controversy on the field. The catcher caught a throw from the other side. The video review said the runner did not get a lane. The first place Guardians were beaten by the tigers in the third quarter.

It cost the game, according to Hedges. It's a play that has been called a number of times recently, but never before. You're out for 150 years if you play at home that way. We are calling it a rule that is difficult to define.

This season, video review has overturned eight calls at home, the most since the first year teams could challenge the calls. The league gave clarification after teams asked for it.

The league memo said that catchers have been taking advantage of runners by moving into the running lane without possession of the ball. The rule was designed to prevent players from being injured in a way that invites runners to collide. Unless the catcher is in possession of the ball or in the act of fielding the ball, the pathway of runners won't be blocked.

Umpires claim that it's not their job to call the blocking rule live but to allow video review in New York.

The statement went beyond the home plate rule.

Umpires in Major League Baseball are not held accountable. umpires are expected to be perfect from the beginning and to get better from there.

Our mistakes are subject to intense public scrutiny and we are also held accountable by our employer. We try to learn from any mistakes we make, even though we don't always know if our calls are correct.