I have posted this quetion before. My UIC swears that if a runner between 1st and 2nd base back pedals toward 1st after breaking toward 2nd to avoid being tagged out by the 2nd baseman, he is out for going in reverse order. I cannot find anything in the ASA book about this, other than running bases in reverse order. Does this rule apply to this situation? If not, is there a rule that prohibits a runner from running back toward the base that he last legaly touched when forced by the batter/runner. I do relize that the batter/runner may not retreat toward home plate to avoid a tag but I just can't find anything about a runner that is forced by the batter/runner. Please help me. I don't want to show up my UIC, but I want to make the correct call if it happens again.

Your UIC is confused, and should (re)read the rule book. There is no penalty for runners retreating between bases. There is an out if the B/R retreats toward home plate.

Ask the UIC what happens in a rundown.

You..1; UIC..0

Bob

The ump was wrong. It's only between home and 1B. Saw it called, though, in a tournament recently. R1 on 2B, R2 on 1B. Ground ball to F6, who looks to tag R1. R1 backpedals, ump calls him out, but lets play continue (another mistake). They throw to 2B for the force on R2, then throw to F5 to try to get R1 out, except that he was already called out. Batter then tries to get to 2B, and they throw there for a triple play. Offense then screamed about the backpedal out call, and the directors corrected the situation as best they could by allowing R2 to stay at 2B and allowing the other two outs.

It wasn't clear exactly what the ump's reasoning was. He claimed that R2 had run the bases in reverse order to confuse the defense. Maybe that was the closest excuse he could think of since he blew the backpedal call.

Good Call Bob,http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/mica/Cartangry.gif
Use the other hand next time...tho you could be left handed.

http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/Gif/papa.gif
glen

I am surprised that a UIC missed this one. Like Bob said, if you called the runner out for retreating back to first base, there would never be a need for a run down.

Scott

I've had umpires argue that the runner is out in the situation for running more than 3 feet from the runner's base path to avoid a tag.

Their "reasoning" was that the runner's base path is a straight line from the position of the runner to the next base, so if they ran 3 feet or more backwards, they were out.

It's amazing what you find some umpires believe.