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[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by ukumpire

Just don't make the mistake that we had with a Rookie Umpire this season when a tag on a player was made with the 'Empty' Glove' and the Ball was in Control with the Bare Hand.

He called the runner out on the Tag.
I got called over and told the umpire that this was the incorrect call.

At post match he asked why if the D can tag the base with an empty hand and the ball in the other hand, you cannot do the same with a 'Tag Runner'

Hmm, "It's the Rule" but in a funny way it kinda makes sense what he was asking.

I would think the rules are clear and distinctively different in requirements. Tagging a runner clearly says tag the runner with the ball; we do consider tagging the runner with the glove holding the ball to meet that requirement.

However, the rules of tagging a base are equally clear, that the fielder needs only to make contact with the base while having possession of the ball. At no point does this require the contact to be with the ball or glove; just any part of the body contact the base. We have had (semi) interesting posts asking if a ponytail or shoelace would suffice as a point of contact; and, in fact, they would.

Since the requirements are clearly different, why would asking why they aren't the same make sense?