Tag up after a foul ball

[Guest Rod]

Runner on 3rd base with a big lead.  Pitch delivered…foul ball.  Next pitch delivered…base hit and runner on 3rd scores.  Runner on 3rd did not go back and tag the bag after previous pitch/foul ball.  Can this be appealed for an out rather than a run scored?

[SH0102]

26 minutes ago, Guest Rod said:

Runner on 3rd base with a big lead.  Pitch delivered…foul ball.  Next pitch delivered…base hit and runner on 3rd scores.  Runner on 3rd did not go back and tag the bag after previous pitch/foul ball.  Can this be appealed for an out rather than a run scored?

No.  For two reasons…even if it was appealable (it’s not), once a pitch is delivered, they lose their right to appeal an infraction that occurred prior to that pitch.

second, there is no penalty for not returning to base.  Technically an umpire should not have put the ball into Play until he did, but there is no rule basis for getting an out for that

[noumpere]

1 hour ago, Guest Rod said:

Runner on 3rd base with a big lead.  Pitch delivered…foul ball.  Next pitch delivered…base hit and runner on 3rd scores.  Runner on 3rd did not go back and tag the bag after previous pitch/foul ball.  Can this be appealed for an out rather than a run scored?

The purpose of the rule is so that (a) the offense doesn't take an 89' lead and then advances easily when the ball is put in play and (b) the defense doesn't get an easy out when the umpire puts the ball in play when the runner is 45' from the base.

 

As long as both teams are happy with the runner's location (near the base), then the play is legal.  I suspect that's what happensed in your play.

[Mudisfun]

To top it off, this was a foul ball, not a caught ball which would necessitate the runner retouching. In that case, the ball would never be dead and the runner would actually be in jeopardy of being called out on appeal if he took off and was not retired.

As others said, as long as he is in the vicinity of the base, most people are not going to pick on this one. 

[Senor Azul]

As far as I can tell OBR is the only code that has an interpretation allowing a base runner to return to the vicinity of his original base after a dead ball. Here are the actual rules and the OBR interpretation found in the 2016 BRD (section 466, p. 311):

2019 NFHS rule 8 SECTION 2 TOUCHING, OCCUPYING AND RETURNING TO A BASE

ART. 2 . . . A returning runner shall retouch the bases in reverse order. If the ball is dead because of an uncaught foul, it is not necessary for a returning runner to retouch intervening bases. The umpire will not make the ball live until the runner returns to the appropriate base.

2019-2020 NCAA rule 6 Immediate Dead Ball—Runners Return

SECTION 2. The ball becomes dead and base runners return when:

a. A foul is hit that is not caught. Runners return and the umpire shall not put the ball in play until all runners have retouched their bases;

2019 OBR rule 5.06 Running the Bases

(b) Advancing Bases

(1) In advancing, a runner shall touch first, second, third and home base in order. If forced to return, he shall retouch all bases in reverse order, unless the ball is dead under any provision of Rule 5.06(c). In such cases, the runner may go directly to his original base.

(c) Dead Balls

The ball becomes dead and runners advance one base, or return to their bases, without liability to be put out, when:

(5) A foul ball is not caught, in which case runners return to their bases. The umpire-in-chief shall not put the ball in play until all runners have retouched their bases;

OBR Official Interpretation:  Wendelstedt:  (1) The ball becomes dead after a foul. All runners must return to the VICINITY of their original bases. If runners attempt to take advantage of the “vicinity” allowance, the umpire should require that they retouch their original bases before the ball is put back into play.

 

So you see, Rod, there is no penalty for not returning to retouch your base provided by the rules. In fact, the burden is on the umpire not to make the ball live again until all runners have returned to their time-of-pitch base.

[Jimurray]

17 minutes ago, Senor Azul said:

As far as I can tell OBR is the only code that has an interpretation allowing a base runner to return to the vicinity of his original base after a dead ball. Here are the actual rules and the OBR interpretation found in the 2016 BRD (section 466, p. 311):

2019 NFHS rule 8 SECTION 2 TOUCHING, OCCUPYING AND RETURNING TO A BASE

ART. 2 . . . A returning runner shall retouch the bases in reverse order. If the ball is dead because of an uncaught foul, it is not necessary for a returning runner to retouch intervening bases. The umpire will not make the ball live until the runner returns to the appropriate base.

2019-2020 NCAA rule 6 Immediate Dead Ball—Runners Return

SECTION 2. The ball becomes dead and base runners return when:

a. A foul is hit that is not caught. Runners return and the umpire shall not put the ball in play until all runners have retouched their bases;

2019 OBR rule 5.06 Running the Bases

(b) Advancing Bases

(1) In advancing, a runner shall touch first, second, third and home base in order. If forced to return, he shall retouch all bases in reverse order, unless the ball is dead under any provision of Rule 5.06(c). In such cases, the runner may go directly to his original base.

(c) Dead Balls

The ball becomes dead and runners advance one base, or return to their bases, without liability to be put out, when:

(5) A foul ball is not caught, in which case runners return to their bases. The umpire-in-chief shall not put the ball in play until all runners have retouched their bases;

OBR Official Interpretation:  Wendelstedt:  (1) The ball becomes dead after a foul. All runners must return to the VICINITY of their original bases. If runners attempt to take advantage of the “vicinity” allowance, the umpire should require that they retouch their original bases before the ball is put back into play.

 

So you see, Rod, there is no penalty for not returning to retouch your base provided by the rules. In fact, the burden is on the umpire not to make the ball live again until all runners have returned to their time-of-pitch base.

But what do we have to prevent the 89' lead after a fair fly is caught and time has been called to an appeal on a previous runner as might happen in this sit, 

which luckily no one has had to deal with and hopefully in the future won't have to. Or even when any time is called other then a foul ball. luckily no one has pressed that issue.