Left turn after touching first base

[fredhjr]

NFHS--I am BU. Nobody on, no outs. B1 hits ball to F5, who throws the ball into the dirt at 1st. F3 is off the bag and fields the throw as B1 crosses 1st safely, turns left and starts back toward 1st. Defensive coach is yelling at F3 to tag the runner, which she dutifully does. Coach yells at me She's out! I respectfully respond that she isn't. Coach asks for time and tells me because the runner is out because she turned left after crossing 1st safely. I explain to him that she made no attempt to go to 2nd (None. No feint, jerk of the head, juke, nothing.) After explaining this for the second time to the coach, I told him B1 remain on 1st. His parting comment--"You got that one wrong!" I have tried to find this situation in the rule book with no luck. The "Look-Back Rule" section does cover similar situations but the Look Back was not in play here. Comments?

[RKBUmp]

You wont find a rule about turning left because there is none. The runner either attempted to advance to 2nd or they didn't. You said she made no move toward 2nd, there is your answer.

[CecilOne]

I think "look back" 4.d applies and is helped by 4.c.
Those rules exist and have existed since before Art 1; so they apply, I think.

[RKBUmp]

Those rules apply to the lookback rule when it is in effect. Based on the description of the play it would seem f3 had the ball so the lookback would have no bearing on the play in question. It is simply a question of did the runner attempt to advance toward 2nd or not? The answer was no, so the runner is not liable to be tagged out. There is no rule saying the batter/runner must turn one way or the other.

[EsqUmp]

This is the appeal that really isn't an appeal. This is when a BR overruns first base and attempts to advance toward 2nd base.

[josephrt1]

Originally Posted by fredhjr

NFHS-- I have tried to find this situation in the rule book with no luck. The "Look-Back Rule" section does cover similar situations but the Look Back was not in play here. Comments?

I know you asked about NFHS which i am not very familiar with. In USA book there is a rule 8.8.I that I think covers this. THE RUNNER IS NOT OUT When a batter runner overruns 1st base after touching it and returns directly to the base.

Your runner overran 1st and returned directly. The USA book does not limit turning right or left in this case. (In the Look-back rule there are some limitations attached to the turning direction.) There is a little more (very little more) in the USA appeals section of the Rule Supplements.

Actually I just looked this up in my old 2015 Fed book and it is there also. Page 71. 8.8 Article 9.

[Manny A]

This is pretty much universal in all rule sets for both softball and baseball. After overrunning first base, the BR only puts herself/himself in jeopardy for a tag out as he/she returns to the bag if he/she made a noticeable attempt to advance to second. There is no requirement anywhere that says the BR must turn clockwise in order to return to first base. That's just one of the many myths of the game that coaches and parents tend to perpetuate through sheer ignorance of the rules.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by Manny A

This is pretty much universal in all rule sets for both softball and baseball. After overrunning first base, the BR only puts herself/himself in jeopardy for a tag out as he/she returns to the bag if he/she made a noticeable attempt to advance to second. There is no requirement anywhere that says the BR must turn clockwise in order to return to first base. That's just one of the many myths of the game that coaches and parents tend to perpetuate through sheer ignorance of the rules.

It's because young kids are taught to always turn right so they avoid any question and the coach doesn't have to worry. Then they grow up thinking turning right (clockwise) is a rule.

[fredhjr]

Although I never played organized baseball, as a kid in sandlot I do remember being told (by the other kids, of course) that if you turn left you can be tagged out. As CecilOne mentioned, it seems to be embedded in some players as well as coaches.