Player leaving the field!!

[FutureUmp]

I am trying to get my ASA certification next year so I was watching some softball games, and I saw the strangest thing happen. The defense turns a double play forcing a runner out at home and first. Their are runners on second and third. The defense leaves the field of play thinking they have three outs. The runners run to the dugout on the third base side, and their coach tells them to run to home then to third, and continue their original base. The defense is completely off of the field. The runners do this. I think this is touching bases in illegal order, but that is an appeal play. Does the defense still have the right to appeal? Can they reenter the field of play? If the runners had run past third and continued to home could they be safe even if the defense appealed that the runner at second missed third? In this secon situation they still overrun the base. It is important to remember they do not pass a each other in either of the two circumstances. The plate umpire awarded the to runs scored, but the game was protested. What is the right call?

 

[Ajaywill]

If either of the runners entered the dugout, that is the third out of the inning for abandoning their base.

If neither runner entered the dugout, they were free to continue running the bases, the runner at third only needs to run and touch home, the runner at second needs to touch third and home....as long as the trail runner does not pass the preceeding runner, it's all good. The runners are free to take whatever path they want to complete their baserunning duties.


Oh...and the rule about running bases in reverse, or illegal order, as you put it, only applies if the runners are doing it to "make a travesty of the game".

MTR will be along shortly to add that nowhere in the ASA book does it say what order the bases have to be touched in.....

 

[MTR]

MTR will be along shortly to add that nowhere in the ASA book does it say what order the bases have to be touched in.....

Now you are just showing off!