Green Base at 1st base

[Papa Joe]

In the 3rd game between LSU and Tennessee, bottom 4th, the batter swung and missed for strike 3. The catcher dropped the ball and the batter ran to 1st base.  The catcher threw the ball to the 1st baseman who was standing on the GREEN BAG that the runner is supposed to touch. I assume the 1st baseman did this because the ball had rolled a few feet from the catcher in FOUL territory. The throw to 1st was easier. The runner was called out.. I had heard that the GREEN  bag was only for the runner and no other purpose. Therefore the throw to 1st did NOT BEAT the runner. What is correct. Thank you. Still trying to learn the rules.

[The Man in Blue]

Double-bags, or safety bases, are used differently in virtually every code (baseball and softball) that uses them.  The one consistent thing — the basic concept of the bag — is that when a play is being made, the fielder uses one and the runner uses the other.

On an uncaught third strike (“dropped third strike”) the fielder can set up on either side (dependent on where the throw is coming from) and the runner uses the other.

On other types of plays, you would need to consult the actual rulebook for your specific code to determine who can use what bag and when.  

 

IMO, the simplest, most basic, and singularly correct answer is that the colored portion of the bag does not exist for the defense on anything other than an uncaught third strike.  Many codes don’t do that though.

[noumpere]

Here's the NCAA rule:

 

2) When an initial play is being made on the batter-runner at first base,
the defense must use the white section of the double base and the
batter-runner must use the colored base except in the case of a dropped
third strike� After a dropped third strike, if the fielder is drawn to the
side of the colored base, the runner would go the white base and the
fielder to the colored base� On a dropped third strike, the fielder and
batter-runner may touch either the white or colored base�

[Papa Joe]

 Thank you for clarifying this event.p