BIZARRE Play - Abandonment?

[Ump K]

Had a BIZARRE play happen in a game this weekend that made me wonder what is the correct ruling is if something similar to this play would happen again.


Situation;

R1 & R2, no outs. BR bunts the ball in the air in front of the plate F2 dives for the ball.

PU sees the ball wasn't caught and signals fair ball. F1 throws the ball to F6 at 3B, R2 is safe at 3B.

BR is safe at 1B, however coach thinks it is foul ball and sends BR back to the plate.

F6 throws to F1 who tags BR out between 1B & HP. Case closed no problem for us.


However;

Should've we called BR out when she started back to HP AFTER she was SAFE at 1B?
BR was legally safe at 1B. What if she got into a run-down between 1B & HP. Would she be out if she would retreat to HP?

[AtlUmpSteve]

Was she stepping back to avoid or attempting to delay a tag?

Did she abandon running the bases by entering dead ball territory?

Those would be the applicable rule citations.

[teebob21]

Steve nailed it. As the OP is written, the ball was never returned to F1 in the circle (LBR) nor was it declared dead. No other rules concerning the BR seem to come into play here. When the ball is live, runners can go wherever they please, provided they are not involved in a tag situation (which invokes the basepath rule).

The ball is live and the BR (technically a runner now) is out on the tag. Retreating back to home is no longer INT. Since she already reached 1B, if she had been caught in a rundown, it would be ruled just like any runner in any other rundown headed to any other base.

[youngump]

Originally Posted by teebob21

Steve nailed it. As the OP is written, the ball was never returned to F1 in the circle (LBR) nor was it declared dead. No other rules concerning the BR seem to come into play here. When the ball is live, runners can go wherever they please, provided they are not involved in a tag situation (which invokes the basepath rule).

The ball is live and the BR (technically a runner now) is out on the tag. Retreating back to home is no longer INT. Since she already reached 1B, if she had been caught in a rundown, it would be ruled just like any runner in any other rundown headed to any other base.

I think that the crux of this question is the spot that you and Steve appear to disagree. Steve says: Was she stepping back to avoid or attempting to delay a tag? is an applicable rule. You say that rule doesn't apply because she reached first base. I think that is right. But you also say Steve nailed it. What am I missing?

[CecilOne]

Isn't the stepping back rule based on nowhere to go?
IOW, even in a rundown, the runner can't go back to HP.

[IRISHMAFIA]

I cannot help myself, I have to say something about this.

How can anyone even think of a rundown between home and first base?

[josephrt1]

Originally Posted by youngump

You say that rule doesn't apply because she reached first base. I think that is right. But you also say Steve nailed it.

I think that rule of stepping back would still apply between home and 1st. there is a rule somewhere in the book that if a runner reaches a base she is forced to and then steps back, the force is reinstated. I don't think she can get in a traditional rundown between home and 1st, even if she did already reach first. if the defense is trying to tag her and she steps back between 1st and home, my vote is that the runner is out for INT even in this situation.