Base running

[DonnieB8]

This happened in one of my games recently. 
copied from my friends post:

I was the 3rd base coach in a game recently and we had a weird play.  I think the umpire called it correctly, others aren't so sure.  I can't find a specific rule that covers this though.

Runner on 2nd base, less than 2 outs.  Runner starts to steal 3rd base and the batter hits a fly ball to centre field that could have been caught.  I yell for the runner to stop and go back to 2nd.  The runner touches 3rd base and makes two clear steps back towards 2nd base.  The ball is not caught by the fielder.  

When the runner saw that the ball was not caught, he turns directly towards home plate and starts to run.  I tell him to come back to touch 3rd because I think he needs to touch 3rd base again before he goes home.  The runner looks at me and says "I don't have to" and runs straight home.  The runner is called out on appeal.

What rules cover this?

[jimurrayalterego]

12 hours ago, DonnieB8 said:

This happened in one of my games recently. 
copied from my friends post:

I was the 3rd base coach in a game recently and we had a weird play.  I think the umpire called it correctly, others aren't so sure.  I can't find a specific rule that covers this though.

Runner on 2nd base, less than 2 outs.  Runner starts to steal 3rd base and the batter hits a fly ball to centre field that could have been caught.  I yell for the runner to stop and go back to 2nd.  The runner touches 3rd base and makes two clear steps back towards 2nd base.  The ball is not caught by the fielder.  

When the runner saw that the ball was not caught, he turns directly towards home plate and starts to run.  I tell him to come back to touch 3rd because I think he needs to touch 3rd base again before he goes home.  The runner looks at me and says "I don't have to" and runs straight home.  The runner is called out on appeal.

What rules cover this?

"5.09(c) Appeal Plays Any runner shall be called out, on appeal, when:

(1) After a fly ball is caught, he fails to retouch his original base before he or his original base is tagged;

Rule 5.09(c)(1) Comment: “Retouch,” in this rule, means to tag up and start from a contact with the base after the ball is caught. A runner is not permitted to take a flying start from a position in back of his base. Such runner shall be called out on appeal.

(2) With the ball in play, while advancing or returning to a base, he fails to touch each base in order before he, or a missed base, is tagged;"

And from the MLBUM:

Passingbase.pdf

[Jay R.]

The "last time by" the base is the touch that matters. See relevant rules and interpretations in this video from Close Call Sports:

 

[MadMax]

23 hours ago, DonnieB8 said:

I tell him to come back to touch 3rd because I think he needs to touch 3rd base again before he goes home.  The runner looks at me and says "I don't have to" and runs straight home.  The runner is called out on appeal.

What rules cover this?

Rules citations aside, let’s go with your gut intuition – you felt that (your) Runner did something improper (by not re-touching 3B on Last Time By (LTB)). You said as much. Now, the defense might have been tipped off by you directing your Runner to retouch, but they were compelled to appeal. Obviously, an umpire witnessed how your Runner improperly ran the bases (and didn’t touch 3B LTB), otherwise he would have signaled “Safe” on the appeal; we are trained to not call Out a Runner who we did not see do a violation or improper action. 

So you’ve got yourself (your Runner’s coach), the other team, and at least 1 umpire who felt he did something improper. I think your Runner’s in the minority. 

23 hours ago, DonnieB8 said:

others aren't so sure.

Who are these others?*
 

*- the real effect hits home when you say this in Jerry Seinfeld’s intonation. 

[beerguy55]

On 9/22/2026 at 8:59 PM, DonnieB8 said:

When the runner saw that the ball was not caught, he turns directly towards home plate and starts to run.  I tell him to come back to touch 3rd because I think he needs to touch 3rd base again before he goes home.  The runner looks at me and says "I don't have to" and runs straight home.  The runner is called out on appeal.

So following the runner's "logic"...if he had run all the way back to second base, stopping one step short of touching it, would he be able to proceed directly to home over the mound because he had already touched third base?

 

As a coach, my message to this coach is simple: your player is an idiot.

Besides that, he explicitly ignored his coach's instructions.

1. I'd bench him the remainder of the game for the latter

2. At next practice he'd be doing a few extra laps around the warning track for the former.

 

When you do what the coach says, you're in the clear if the coach is wrong - it's fundamentally operating with cover.  If you don't do what the coach says, FAFO.

[MadMax]

55 minutes ago, beerguy55 said:

2. At next practice he'd be doing a few extra laps around the warning track for the former.

Warning track?! I’d have him run… the bases!! Properly. Touching each and every one, in order. Do 1 lap of the bases for each teammate on the roster, who he shortchanged / underserved by being a dumbass. 

Do ya got a 25-man roster?