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TOPIC: Interesting Play (i.e. Does the run score?) |
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| Dennis (Hosanna)
May 8, 2012
2:09:51 PM
Entry #: 3911728
| Here's the Situation:
With 1 out and runners at first (R1) and third (R3). Batter hits a fly ball to the outfield. R1 advances toward second on the hit, and R3 stays “tagged up” at third. An outfielder catches the fly ball (now 2 outs) as R1 reaches second base. R3 runs for home after the fly ball is touched, and R1 stops and begins to return to first base. The outfielder throws to the first baseman, but the throw pulls the infielder off the base. R3 crosses the scoring line, and then the infielder steps on first base (well before R1 made it back). R1 is ruled out (the third out) for leaving early on a caught fly ball.
Does the run count?
Note: I’ve mentioned this play as a hypothetical in another thread, so you can find the answer there. But this actually happened at our game last night, so I thought I’d start a new thread about it.
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| Dennis (Hosanna)
May 14, 2012
1:19:49 PM
Entry #: 3915156
| The relevant rule (for Softball Canada) is Rule 5, Section 8 "SCORING OF RUNS", which reads:
[start quote]
a. One run shall be scored each time a runner legally touches first, second, third bases and home plate or crosses the safe line (Co-Ed only) before the third out of the inning.
EXCEPTION When the tie breaker is used the runner starting at second base does not have to touch first base in order for a legal run to be scored.
b. A run shall not be scored if the last out of the inning is a result of:
1) The batter-runner being put out before legally touching first base.
2) A runner is forced out (including on an appeal play) due to the batter becoming a batter-runner.
3) The runner fails to keep contact with the base to which he is entitled until a pitch is batted, touches the ground in front of home plate or reaches home plate.
4) A preceding runner being declared out.
c. A runner shall not score a run ahead of the runner preceding him in the batting order if the preceding runner has not been put out.
[end quote]
From this, since the runner in our played crossed the safe line before the out at 1B, the determining factor is whether or not that last out was a force out. It is very common for people to think that it is a force out because it "feels" like one (i.e. it plays out just like a force). But the key here is to understand exactly what a force out is. A paraphrase of the definition of a force out is included in the rule above, but there is also an explicit defintion in Rule 1 Section 31:
[start quote]
FORCE OUT
Is an out which can be made only when a runner loses the right to the base which he is occupying because the batter becomes a batter-runner, and before the batter-runner or a succeeding runner has been put out.
[end quote]
Since the batter-runner was put out on the catch of the fly ball, then by rule, any subsequent outs cannot be force outs. This means that the out for the runner leaving early on the caught fly ball is not a force and is instead a time play. Therefore, any runners that cross the safe line before the successful appeal will be counted.
As I stated, this play is not very common, but when it does, it can lead to serious disagreements. Fortunately in our game, there were no disagreements.
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