Help on "tag"

[SC Ump]

Originally Posted by Dholloway1962

...Why do we hesitate ...

We hesitate because the catcher had control of the ball immediately before the tag and if we see she does not have the ball in her possession immediately after the tag, then we know she must have drop it during the tag.

That, in my opinion, is a bit different than a catcher completing the tag, while still in control of the ball, and then tripping over a bat, mask or retired runner after we have seen that she did indeed maintain control of the ball during act of tagging the runner.