Confused runner and umpires
 

I did a game today where we had a girl beat out a close play at first. She doesn't realize she's safe and walks back to first and then 2 steps past first on way to dugout. Girls start screaming on both sides, pitcher comes running at the runner and tags her.

This play brought up a bunch of what if's in my mind.

If LBR is in effect, i.e., if pitcher had ball in circle, is there a LBR violation as soon as the runner walked past 1B.

If LBR is not in effect, is the runner liable to be tagged out when she goes past 1B toward the dugout. My partner who was BU called her out on the tag. He is a baseball guy who fills in when we need help for softball. I told him after the game that I didn't believe runner was liable to be put out on tag w/o an attempt to go to 2B and that if LBR was not in effect I would simply call abandonment if she got to the dugout but let her turn around and come back to the base at any time short of abandonment w/o liability to be put out.

Thoughts?

If a runner leaves her base during a live ball, she is certainly liable to be put out. Sounds like, though I wasn't there, that this is what you have a case of.

What I am wondering here, is why was the runner confused about her safe/out status? Was there a clear call complete with signal and verbal?

Scott,

Runner didn't leave her base. She never touched it during her return from beating out the throw. Looked like she was returning but walked right past first on her way to the dugout.

I would attribute runners action to lack of game smarts typical of many on the team. This is a program in its 3rd year that is fielding a team that most JV teams would easily beat. I don't believe they have won a game yet.

I can see part of the problem. Last year's coach knew nothing about the game. This year's is another story. Today she embarrased a girl who had made 2 errors in an inning by nastily yanking her off the field in substituting for her in mid-inning.