[BretMan]

I had this question come up in a clinic recently and it generated some good discussion. It's an old play that still can throw you for a loop- just as it did one major league umpire in the playoffs a couple of years ago.

During a play, two runners wind up occupying the same base. Okay....I know which runner is liable to be tagged out (depending on if one is forced or not). No need to rehash that part of the rule.

Here is the "what if" scenario that almost always comes up...What if the defense doesn't tag either runner and they both just stand there on the base? Now what?

Of course, the first thing we as umpires would do is wait for something to happen- either a tag attempt or one of the runners advaning or retreating. But, what if...none of that happens. Both runners just stand there and the defense just stands there, with nobody making a play.

It would probably be a rare thing to happen. But someone, somewhere must have thought about it happening because it has been addressed. When the question came up, I remembered that ASA and NFHS have issued rulings on this.

The NFHS ruling says that, after it becomes apparent no play will be made, the umpire is to call time, then call out the appropriate runner. Easy enough.

The ASA case book ruling ofers a play where there are two active runners and they both end up at second base. They say that if no play is attempted, then call time and return the trailing runner to first base.

Here is my own "what if"...for ASA, what if the base(s) behind the trailing runner are all occupied? That is, what if the lead runner is forced? You can't send the trailing runner back then, can you? The ASA case play doesn't really cover that.

In this case, does ASA expect us to send the lead runner forward?