John M

[Guest John M]

Set up- runners on first and third, 2 out. Runner on first stealing, batter drops a bloop into left-center. Runner doesn't see it, rounds 2nd,then thinking it was caught, heads back, ( even though there were 2 out, he must have lost track of the outs ) retouches 2nd and gets caught in a rundown between 1st and 2nd. Batter on first, as a result of his single. Instead of trying to tag runner out, defense just steps on 2nd assuming it is a force. I , as umpire call runner out. Is it correct call and does the run count ( runner did touch home before other runner called out ) ??

[Richvee]

Correct call. The force was reinstated once R1 retreated past 2B towards 1B.. Stepping on 2B by the defense at this point is a force out,and therefore, the run does not score.

[Senor Azul]

Mr. Richvee is, of course, correct and here is the supporting rule citation for OBR (the OP did not specify which rule set his game was using but I believe all codes agree)

5.09(b) (old rule 7.08) Retiring a Runner

Any runner is out when:

(6) He or the next base is tagged before he touches the next base, after he has been forced to advance by reason of the batter becoming a runner. However, if a following runner is put out on a force play, the force is removed and the runner must be tagged to be put out. The force is removed as soon as the runner touches the base to which he is forced to advance, and if he overslides or overruns the base, the runner must be tagged to be put out. However, if the forced runner, after touching the next base, retreats for any reason towards the base he had last occupied, the force play is reinstated, and he can again be put out if the defense tags the base to which he is forced;