Does the fielder just have to posess the ball or have actual control of the ball for a force out?

Sitch: Ground Ball to F6, throws to F3, F3 is bobbling ball, but ball stays between glove and hand. Do I have to determine when control was gained to detemine if BR is safe? Or if F3 has ball and it never leaves his posession by popping up in the air or hitting the ground is this enough? What if the ball gets stuck between F3's arm and stomach - he has possession but not necessarily control of the ball?

Must have control of ball prior to getting out. If ball is bobbling around at 1st I would signal and verbally say "control, Safe" if the runner passed the base prior to the 1st base person gaining control.

Per FED 2-10, it is not a catch "...a field catches a batted, pitched, or thrown ball with anything other than her hand(s) or glove/mitt in its proper place."

So, a thrown ball between the arm and chest is not caught.

I have called "bobbling" (sic) more than once when the defender does not have firm possession and the ball is loosely contained but bouncing about between the glove and the bare hand.

"Does the fielder just have to posess the ball or have actual control of the ball for a force out?"

A ball is not in control unless it is possessed. A ball is not possessed unless it is in control.

Bob

My current rule book is in the car, but old one states it this way:

Rule 8-4-2 Any runner is out when:
m. she fails to reach the next base before a fielder either tags the runner out; or holds the ball while touching such base before, after the runner has been forced...

"Holds a ball" is defined in case book plays as being held securely in the glove or hand.