Play from Tigers Royals Game
 

I know that happened in a baseball game, and this is a softball forum. The question is how would you call this play if it happened in a softball game.


Fly ball to the outfield, R1, on first base, is stealing on the play. Batted ball is caught, so R1 has to return to 1st base. The runner slides into second, realizes he needs to return to first on the tag up. He attempted to pivot and as he does it his foot steps towards 3rd base. He then pushes off that foot, which is on the third base side of second, and goes back to first. He does not retouch second base between the time his foot touches down and when he gets to first.

Is this an out for not retouching or not?

Remember, even if the umpire did judge the runner has passed 2nd and did not retouch on the way back to tag it is an appeal play and must be properly appealed. You have 2 separate infractions, each requiring an appeal. Once past a base the runner is assumed to have touched the base until properly appealed. If the defense throws back to first for the live ball appeal of the runner leaving before the catch, that is obviously an appeal for the offense of leaving the base before the catch. If the runner beats the throw back, the defense must now make a separate appeal for not retouching 2nd on the way back to 1st.

From your description, it doesn't sound like the runner passed second base. It sounds as if he ended up straddling it. I believe in order to be considered as having passed a base, the runner must completely overtake it.

IMJ, if the trail foot lost contact with the base while the lead foot stepped toward 3B, the runner passed the base and needs to retouch if s/he retreats to 1B.