Missed plate after home run
 

Bama/Ole Miss game on TV-Batter misses home plate after hitting an apparent homer. Plate umpire hands the catcher a new ball moments after the batter missed home. The catcher tags the batter, and the plate umpire calls the batter out.

My question is this: How long does the batter have to return home before being liable to be put out. She had not reached the dugout.

Thanks in advance

As soon as she missed the plate she was subject to appeal.

After reviewing the dead ball appeal procedures my initial comment above is incorrect. Runner must be given opportunity to correct running error prior to the umpire honoring appeal. But, the length of time to complete thier base running when they miss home plate is at the judgement of the umpire.

Is the answer the same for USA/NFHS? It seems like this is a situation where the runner has a chance to complete baserunning duties (including fixing errors) before an appeal can be granted.

The rule does say the runner must be given the opportunity to complete their base running responsibilities prior to honoring the appeal, but it does not say the runner has until they enter the dugout. The umpire gave the runner plenty of time to correct their error, they were celebrating with their teammates walking toward the dugout. I would guess the umpire considered that sufficient time to have fixed the missed base and honored the appeal.

Not sure if you're trying to give a different description of the actual play that inspired the OP, but I agree that is a valid time to honor the appeal. I just don't agree that the moment she missed the plate is it.

Been a long time since I went through the dead ball appeal process, does not come up that often especially with base awards and dead balls.

I was incorrect in my original comment about as soon as the runner missed home, by rule she must be given the opportunity to correct the error, but that becomes umpire judgement as to how much time she has to correct it.

Well apparently in NCAA there is an approved ruling on this stating the ball must be made live before an appeal can be made and the runner has until they enter the dugout to return and touch home plate. I dont have access to the approved rulings, just saw it posted in another forum.

USA does have a case play where the runner misses the plate but is pushed back by a team member to touch it. I believe it's the only example where you can have an "assisting the runner" out during a dead ball.

I'm guessing, though, in the case of a 2-run homer, where it's the previous runner who pushes the hitter back to the plate (as opposed to a coach or non-involved player), there wouldn't be a problem there...

Here is the NCAA Approved Ruling on a similar situation that Richard mentioned above. I found it doing a Google search (not doing a cut/paste from the NCAA Central Hub), but the latest version is verbatim except for the rule reference of 12.22.5.5:

As I read that:
1. The defense cannot legally perform a dead-ball appeal until the "ball is put back in play", so in this play, the dead ball appeal was prematurely allowed since the next batter wasn't summoned to the batter's box.
2. The runner is allowed to return and touch home, even after she sets up the conga line to do the post-game ritual. If that's the case in the AR, then I believe this particular runner can also return to touch home until the point where she enters the dugout and gives up her ability to return onto the field to fix her mistake.

So I think the home run should have stood in this play. There was some discussion that a Bama coach or one of her teammates pushed the runner back to go touch the plate, which is another story. Absent that, however, I don't see why the runner should be disallowed to touch home if she remains on the field.

Dead Ball Appeal Situation
May 2, 2017
Situation: The batter hits an out-of-the-park home run but does not touch home plate. How
does the defense make an appeal without the ball?
Ruling: The runner can return and touch home plate as long as she has not entered the dugout.
By rule, a runner may not return to touch a missed base if she has touched the final base of her
award (see Rule 12.22.4.5) so the only base she can return to on an out-of-the-park home run is
home plate. If she has gone into the dugout she has left the field of play and cannot return to
touch the plate (Rule 12.22.5.1).
This is a dead ball appeal. The appeal cannot be made until the ball is put back in play (Rule
7.1.2.2.3). Handing the ball to the catcher and her throwing it to the pitcher does not “put the
ball back in play”. By rule, with the ball out of play, the defense cannot appeal a missed base
until the ball is put back in play, the defense is in position, the next batter summoned to the
batter’s box and the umpire indicates “Play Ball” (Rule 6.10.4).
A dead ball remains dead until an umpire indicates resumption of play (Rule 1.14).

So in other words, in NCAA if the ball goes out of play there is no such thing as a dead ball appeal for any infraction. The ball has to be put back into live play before any appeal can be made.

And furthermore to extrapolate the logic one does not have to run out a walk off HR?

The coach in the white long sleeve shirt saw her miss the plate and was trying to get her attention to go back and touch it.
Before the home run hitter could enter the dugout she grabbed her and guided her back towards the plate.
Would that qualify for an out?

The NCAA rule for runner assistance violations only occur during a live ball. See rule 12.8.3.