Tag up Question
 

This played happened to me in a varsity game last night
Runner on 3rd base fly ball to left field, fielder catches ball and runner from third tags up as she is halfway to plate opposing coach yell she left early blue,as the runner slides into plate(touches home and retouches) offensive coach yells come back to 3rd, my question is does the run count or she stays at 3rd(I left her at 3rd base)Thx

She cant unscore herself - run scores.

Are you saying the runner scored, and then went back to retouch 3B, and that in your judgment she DID properly tag up?

If so, she scored, and the re-touch is a nothing.

If I'm reading this correctly, the runner acknowledged through the direction of her coach, that she left early. In returning to 3rd, she properly retouched the plate and returned to 3rd without the defense making a live ball appeal.

I don't see anything wrong with this, leave the runner on 3rd.

NEI(Not Enough Information)

Ok, A slightly related though tangential question:

What if the same sitch except she clearly did not leave early. The Defensive coach was yelling she left early and she returned to 3rd before she ever got home? Would that be obstruction on the coach's part? If, in your humble opinion, the rat was doing it to confuse the runner.

Never thought of it before...never seen it happen.

Joe In Missouri
Strep throat....too much time on my hands.

Ha! That there is funny I dont care who ya are. :D

Ok - the runner did leave early. She has touched home plate. Can she go back and retouch third? When does she lose her right to return and retouch if she left early? Is her right return to tag up over when she touches home? When she enters the dugout? (assuming the ball is still live)

Leaving early is an appeal that you can't rule on until asked by the defensive team. If the OC is telling the runner to return to third, even though she really didn't leave early, what action as the umpire do you take?

My two cents is that the runner can return to third if she thinks she left early even after touching home (she would have to retouch home on her way back). Since you can't rule on the leaving early appeal until asked by the defense why would you not leave her at third if she voluntarily returned?

Because in the scenario, as I understand it, she didnt leave early, she scored. There is no rule facilitating the removing of a legal score.. so its senseless to allow her to stand on 3rd when she is done.

I might just leave her there myself, and that is funny.. but just for the sake of a rules discussion - I dont see how you can unscore it unless there could be a valid appeal (ASA 5-5).

This is much the same as continuing any number of plays that get continued after an umpires initial call (heard or unheard) "just in case".

"fielder catches ball and runner from third tags up"

This statement from from the post is pretty clear that she tagged up and then went home. Run scores, remove her from third and put her in the dugout.

As stated you can not unscore her.

So you are saying that what the runner (and offensive team) thinks does not matter. If the runner tags up properly (does not leave early), she scores even if she returns to third on her own. You can not rule on whether the runner did or did not leave early until the defense appeals, so the runner only has her own and her coaches input to rely on. Rule citations, please.

What if the defense plays on the runner mistakenly returning to third and does not retire her (which you are stating that they can not). Another runner advances during the play (let's say we started with runners on first and third). The runner is now standing back on third and you take her off and count the run. The DC now argues that the other runner should be out because the runner returning to third violated (high school) 8-6-18 which states that a runner who has scored may not interfere with the defense and that continuing to run the bases and drawing a throw may be considered a form of interference.

You have not addressed what you should do in this case if the runner does leave early and when a runner at third loses the right to return to third to properly tag up.

The umpire did not "unscore" her. The runner or her coach thought she had left early and the runner returned to third to remove the ability of the defense to put her out on appeal. What rule prevents a runner from returning to third base in this case?

This must be the only play in all of softball where the opinion of the coach and the players is more important than what the umpire actually saw.

Cue Rod Serling: YouTube - Twilight Zone intro.

Rethink this one, Marvin. What rule takes the run off the board, if the runner has legally scored, and no appeal can make her out? Does her running meaninglessly back to third have a rule that takes the run off the board?

If so, please cite that rule. If not, take the scored runner off third base.

Uh, yeah... thats what I'm saying.. hell its darn near sig line worthy.

What if she runs counter clockwise around the bases and retouces each one? Does she get to bat again? After all, her coach said something!:p