[greymule]

If you have judged that BR is only to be protected to first, and he does make the attempt of second, and is caught in a rundown and tagged out going back to first, is he still to be afforded protection back to first?

In ASA softball, he would be sent back to 1B, even if he's out by a ridiculous margin at 2B. In Fed baseball, he would get 2B automatically on the initial trip.

But in OBR, this situation and its variations are problematic to me. If we don't think Abel originally had a chance for 2B, and therefore we protect him only back to 1B on the initial trip, then his break for 2B starts a new play. Consequently, we also have to call Abel out if after the ball gets away he runs a couple of steps toward 2B but then sees that he won't make it, and tries to return to 1B but is tagged. His protection back to 1B ended when he made a move toward 2B.

It the "interruption of the flow of the play" that is really at issue, I think.