Coach

[Guest Derrick]

Fly ball to right, runner on second base. Runner tags on the catch legally. Fakes as if he is going then turns and comes back. Throw comes in to second and beats the runner back. Ump calls him safe because once the tag up is made and the runner leaves the bag then the force is off and you have to tag the runner. True or false. 

[jjb]

True. Throwing to second is not a "force". He's not forced anywhere. It's an appeal for not properly tagging up after a fly ball. Since he's already tagged up legally, there is no appeal, and he needs to be tagged. 

[noumpere]

17 minutes ago, Guest Derrick said:

Fly ball to right, runner on second base. Runner tags on the catch legally. Fakes as if he is going then turns and comes back. Throw comes in to second and beats the runner back. Ump calls him safe because once the tag up is made and the runner leaves the bag then the force is off and you have to tag the runner. True or false. 

Except for the part I highlighted, it's true.  There's never any force on this play (or on any similar play where the runner leaves the base before the ball is touched / caught).  IT's an appeal, and you can make the appeal merely by touching the base (while holding the ball), but it's not a force out.

[KenBAZ]

Good call Blue. However this is an appeal play not a force play. It's an obvious appeal that the runner left too soon. If the runner did not leave prior to the catch then he would have to be tagged while off the bag. It seems like this is often misunderstood.

 

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