Force Out Or No Force Out?

[RobD]

I have a question that was being discussed at work this morning, which I believe happened in one guys sooftball game last night.

Bases are loaded with 1 out. The ball is hit to the third baseman who steps on third base, then throws to home and proceeds to walk off the field after the double play to end the inning. There was a discussion after the play. Since the runner headed to third was out and no longer on the base, would the runner going home need to be tagged for the out or would it still be a force out even though third is empty and the runner going home could of gone back to third?

Rob

 

[honus14]

The putout on R2 (the runner who started at second base) removed the force on R3 (the runner from third). You phrased it correctly; since R3 could now go back to third, she wasn't "forced to advance" any more. R3 needed to be tagged. If they had thrown to second instead, there still would have been a force on R1.

 

[ASAPAump]

The putout on R2 (the runner who started at second base) removed the force on R3 (the runner from third). You phrased it correctly; since R3 could now go back to third, she wasn't "forced to advance" any more. R3 needed to be tagged. If they had thrown to second instead, there still would have been a force on R1.

honus is correct. Just wanted to clarify softball's naming system for runners. R1 is always the lead runner, in this case the runner on 3B. R2 is on 2B, and R3 is on 1B. I have heard this differs from baseball.

 

[Hoover's Dad]

Its like when your teaching your girls to holler tag after the 1B steps on first and then throw to 2nd trying to turn a double play.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

The putout on R2 (the runner who started at second base) removed the force on R3 (the runner from third). You phrased it correctly; since R3 could now go back to third, she wasn't "forced to advance" any more. R3 needed to be tagged. If they had thrown to second instead, there still would have been a force on R1.

Agreed.

Same thing happened to me last year. Bases were loaded with 1 out. Ball was hit to 1B who stepped on first and then threw home to try to double off the runner coming from 3B. Catcher caught the ball with his foot on the plate, without tagging the runner, and proceeded to walk off the field thinking he had made the third out.

Runner was called out a home but I successfully argued that as soon as the play was made at 1B, it became a tag play at home.

 

[honus14]

honus is correct. Just wanted to clarify softball's naming system for runners. R1 is always the lead runner, in this case the runner on 3B. R2 is on 2B, and R3 is on 1B. I have heard this differs from baseball.

Yeah, I've always found the baseball way easier to understand, but the softball way has its advantages too. Sorry for mixing them up here.