tie goes to the runner?

[Warren Willson]

Originally posted by Skip Sturgeon
If a play at base is too close to call, does a tie go to the runner? This seems to be the case in our league(6-8yr.olds) , but I can't imagine it is a written rule. We had several "coaches"(Dads) debate this the other night.Who's right?

No-one. "There are no 'ties' in baseball" is a common response.

Experienced officials usually prefer to use the term "benefit of the doubt".

Most umpires I know in adult leagues will give the benefit of any doubt to the fielder when a runner is attempting to advance or retreat on the base paths.

Most umpires I know in adult leagues will give the benefit of any doubt to the runner on a tag up or pick off attempt.

Those two alledged "tie-breaking" judgements may appear arbitrary, but they are actually judgement decisions carefully informed by the reality of each situation in the light of the official rules and their professional interpretations.

As for debating the pro's and con's of who gets the benefit of a perceived tie in a game for 6-8 year olds, I'm afraid I simply can't imagine the relevance. Maybe someone else can enlighten us both.

Hope this helps

Cheers