Tagging Up

[Guest derq48]

When playing first, if a runner doesn't tag up and the fly ball is caught and they run back to first base do you have to tag them or is it a force out?

[Jimurray]

2 minutes ago, Guest derq48 said:

When playing first, if a runner doesn't tag up and the fly ball is caught and they run back to first base do you have to tag them or is it a force out?

It's not a force out but if you have the ball you can touch the base before the runner gets there while holding the ball or tag the runner off the base. Both are ways a live ball appeal can take place. 

[Aging_Arbiter]

A runner is never "forced" to run the bases backwards (i.e. tag up), however, he may be "required" to do so, or be called out on appeal as mentioned above.

[beerguy55]

In short...being able to touch a base to put a runner out (as you can in your scenario) does not make it a "force out".

A force only occurs at 2nd, 3rd and home, and only when a runner is required to advance as a result of the batter becoming a runner...ie...batter puts ball in play, runner on first is forced to second, which forces runner on second to third, which forces runner on third to home.

[ricka56]

On 10/5/2017 at 7:31 PM, Guest derq48 said:

When playing first, if a runner doesn't tag up and the fly ball is caught and they run back to first base do you have to tag them or is it a force out?

I think the previous responses might be a bit too "inside baseball" for the OP. 

"do you have to tag them or is it a force out?" Either tagging the runner or tagging the base with ball secured before the runner touches that base is an out. It looks like a force out, but technically it is something else. But still an out.