[NCASAUmp]

Hey, Canary!

I appreciate your honesty here, and I'll answer your question.

The term "tag-up" refers to the runner, not the fielder, touching the base at the appropriate time. On a caught fly ball, all runners must touch the base they started from after the fly ball is first touched. If they leave before the ball is first touched and do not re-touch the base, they are subject to appeal.

You're looking at Rules Supplement #1, which is where you need to be. Look up a little higher and read B (Live) and C (Dead). If the runner is properly appealed by doing a live ball or dead ball appeal, the runner is out.

Appealing a runner leaving a base too soon is a timing play, which means that the umpires need to pay attention to WHEN the appeal is made if it becomes the third out. If the appeal is made BEFORE a runner (or runners) crosses home plate, the run(s) will not count. If the appeal is made AFTER a runner (or runners) crosses home plate, the run(s) WILL count.

This is different from, say, an appeal made on a runner for missing a base they were forced to advance to, resulting in the third out. Instead, that is a force play. When the third out is the result of a force out, no runs may score.

Does that clear things up any?