Batter runner backtracking toward home to avoid tag

[JMGotts]

Say on a bunt play F3 fields the ball and attempts a tag on the batter runner. The batter runner backs up toward home to avoid the tag and a run scores behind him. There are no outs. Is there a rule (by definition) stating a batter runner cannot run backwards?

I’ve heard of a rule against this but can’t find it anywhere. Ithink they called it abandonment because you can only go forward to first as home plate can’t be reclaimed.

[JMGotts]

Amazingly, I came across this. No need to answer now I guess!

 

[Jimurray]

7 minutes ago, JMGotts said:

Amazingly, I came across this. No need to answer now I guess!

 

You do need two answers. When would the runner be out? When he touched or passed HP on the way back.

Can you be called for obstructing a runner retreating to the plate? No, unless there was intent.

[beerguy55]

9 hours ago, JMGotts said:

I’ve heard of a rule against this but can’t find it anywhere.

In most (all) codes of softball the batter/runner is prohibited from retreating towards home to avoid being tagged out.  It is treated like INT - immediately dead ball, batter/runner out, runners return TOP.*

In baseball the runner is allowed to retreat as far as the plate.

* if were to speculate, softball is different likely because of the 60 foot base paths and the higher occurrence of sac bunts to advance runners.  Of course, it's always possible that a rule maker simply decided "it was stupid" and made it illegal.

[johnnyg08]

There is no rule against retreat as the OP describes above in baseball. 

Here's a nice example of the F3 not knowing the rule. 

 

[JMGotts]

Actually, the rule is pointed out in the video I posted. As long as he doesn’t retreat and touch home plate, he’s still a batter runner until tagged or forced out.

[Jimurray]

1 hour ago, JMGotts said:

Actually, the rule is pointed out in the video I posted. As long as he doesn’t retreat and touch home plate, he’s still a batter runner until tagged or forced out.

It is a rule in NCAA. It's an interp in OBR and NFHS.

[Senor Azul]

Mr. JMGotts, the text shown in the video you posted is taken from the Major League Baseball Umpire Manual (MLBUM). It is one example of 14  obstruction and interference plays. The exact same play can be found in the  2021 Minor League Baseball Umpire Manual (MiLBUM):

Play 1:  Runner on first base; batter-runner gets into a rundown between home and first. Can obstruction be called going back to home?

Ruling 1:  No, unless the obstruction is intentional.

NOTE:  In situations where the batter-runner gets into a rundown between first and home, if the batter-runner retreats and reaches home plate, he shall be declared out.

For FED, there is a current case play that tells us the same thing:

8.1.1 Situation A

The NCAA actually covers this in its rule 7-11p Note 3.

[JMGotts]

I get what you all are saying and again, my question has nothing to do with obstruction. It was simply regarding running in reverse toward home plate and if a rule applied. This interpreted rule is a standard across all leagues of baseball. Run downs (reverse running) are allowed between home and first, the runner is live until tagged or forced at first or happens to contact home plate. If you look at that second video post, the interpretation was incorrect.

Thanks for all your input!

[The Man in Blue]

Devil's advocate . . . 

Home is not a base, so does he leave his basepath once he retreats more than three feet from his position at the direction change?  Although he is no longer moving toward first base, unlike a rundown between bases where a change of direction is still toward a base, he doesn't have a viable "other place to go."  

[Jimurray]

4 minutes ago, The Man in Blue said:

Devil's advocate . . . 

Home is not a base, so does he leave his basepath once he retreats more than three feet from his position at the direction change?  Although he is no longer moving toward first base, unlike a rundown between bases where a change of direction is still toward a base, he doesn't have a viable "other place to go."  

It's a base but it's untouchable:

"A BASE is one of four points which must be touched by a runner in order to score a run; more usually applied to the canvas bags and the rubber plate which mark the base points."

[MadMax]

22 hours ago, JMGotts said:

I think they called it abandonment

Aiiighhhh!!!! 😱 The dreaded A-word!!! 

5 hours ago, JMGotts said:

or happens to contact home plate.

… or breaks the plane of the plate. That’s enough to incur the rule.