dropped third strike
 

I was PU in a u16 summer league game. Bases loaded, 2 and 2 on the batter. batter swings on the next pitch and the catcher lets it go to the backstop. The batter/runner starts for first and the catcher goes after the ball. R3 advances home and touches home plate before F2 can fire to 1st base for the 3rd out. the HC wanted to score R3 and I informed him that the third out at 1st base nullified the run and he dis-agreed with me. I stated 'Coach, it is an unannounced force on the batter/runner and no runs can score when the 3rd out is made by the F3.

Comments. :)

Right ruling, wrong reason, twice over actually.

BR retired at 1B is technically not a force play, announced or otherwise. A force play occurs when a runner is forced to advance by the batter becoming a runner, and obviously that can't happen to the batter himself.

And it doesn't matter which fielder records the out at 1B: the rule is that no run can score when the 3rd out is made by the BR before reaching 1B (4.09).

And also, if F2 threw to 3rd and retired R2 instead of going to 1st, the run could not score because the 3rd out was a force play. Rule 4.09(a)(2).

Question: Did the batter-runner have a piano on his back, or what?

maybe it was a short distance from home plate to the backstop?

One of the funniest things I ever heard on the field was a coach telling a player that he didn't mind that he was carrying a piano on his back, just don't stop to play it!