[chumdawg]

Five-o, how does an umpire make a decision on a play like that, where it's very close between a trap and a clean catch? Does he try to go by sound? What if it's too loud to hear the second sound? Does he sort of wait and see what the players do, with the idea that if the catcher trapped the ball or if he thought it was at all close that he may have, then he tags the guy just to be sure?

Regardless how he makes a determination, if he determines that the ball was trapped, what motion should he make to signal a third strike but not an out?

I'm thinking of the situation where a player beats the tag at home but misses the plate. In that case the umpire calls neither safe nor out, correct? Is this at all similar?

Lastly, from the head-on replay it appears to me that the ball changes direction. From the side-angle replay it looks like a clean catch. But all I seem to be seeing anymore on ESPN is the side-angle replay.