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One to chew on
Pro rules. This play actually happened in an American Legion game last week.
Play: R1, balk called, pitcher pitches and batter hits ground ball to F6. Aware that a balk was called, there appears to be a general lack of understanding by the players on the field that the ball is alive and in play. F6, instead of playing on either runner, throws the ball back to the pitcher while R1 trots into 2B. Meanwhile batter runner has run to and touched 1B. However, due to the confusion reigning on the field, the batter runner, after touching 1B, turns and starts trotting back towards the plate. Now, hearing a coach yelling that the ball is live, F1 fires the ball to F3, at the same time a coach has yelled at the batter runner to get back on the first base bag. F3 catches the throw while standing on the bag, but does not apply a tag to the batter runner before he arrives back on the bag.
The questions are, (1) is the batter runner out or safe? Was the "force" to 1B reinstated when he reversed course, or was he merely off his base and therefore must be tagged? And, (2) if he was "forced" to 1B and therefore out, or if he had been tagged for the out, would his putout then invoke the balk penalty to enforce the balk, since he didn't make it to 1B safely?
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