Ok, I was talking with some others at a recent high school game in which was a blowout and the losing team had a girl on 3rd base in the 5th inning, score was 19-1. I jokingly said she should steal 2nd, to see the reaction of the winning team. The other laughed and some said she would be out and some said she wouldnt be. I know this obviously is no strategy to win, but something to maybe give the losing team a little fun, or to inject a little humor in a game where there was none for them. My question is this.... ,If somebody ever tried to steal in reverse, like 3rd to 2nd or 2nd to 1st base, is it legal to do, provide the bases were unoccupied? Or would the runner be called out. I have never seen it done, nor have I ever heard of it done. Im just interested in the actual rule or outcome regarding this. I knwos oem will frown and say it is stupid and shouldnt ever happen, but Im curious to what the call should be.
Stealing Bases Backwards
- Thread starter RobD
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- May 17, 2012
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In most rule sets you have language that prevents making a mockery or travesty of the game. An umpire may not like someone stealing backwards although it would make me smile.
My dd would be pissed if someone on her team did something assinine like that
With the game out of hand and that close to officially over... while Im sure it wouldnt ever happen, I would consider it lighthearted fun in a dismal day for the losing team. Nothing assinine about it in a case like that. I would have a laugh at it, if it did happen tho. Just interested if there is an actual rule for something like this, that is all.
Last weekend we were playing in a tournament and I am coaching 1B. Our base runner on 1B gets the steal sign. She takes off on the pitch and steals 2B standing up. I am now watching the 3B coach give signs to the next batter when the base runner comes jogging back to 1B.
Me: "What are you doing back here?"
Her: "I thought it was a foul ball"
Me: "The batter didn't even swing at the pitch"
Her: "Oh, my bad...."
She stole second AGAIN on the next pitch. Between innings I asked the scorekeeper how he scored it in the book, wondering if she would get credit for 3 stolen bases.....he scored it as catchers indifference! LOL
Me: "What are you doing back here?"
Her: "I thought it was a foul ball"
Me: "The batter didn't even swing at the pitch"
Her: "Oh, my bad...."
She stole second AGAIN on the next pitch. Between innings I asked the scorekeeper how he scored it in the book, wondering if she would get credit for 3 stolen bases.....he scored it as catchers indifference! LOL
Stealing a base "backwards" would be a rare case where the rule about "running the bases in reverse order to confuse the defense or make a travesty of the game" would actually apply. This runner would be out.
In the earliest days of baseball, this was a common tactic. With a runner on third, a runner on first would slowly steal second base, hoping to draw a throw and give the other runner a chance to score. And if that didn't work...he would slowly steal back to first on the next pitch, trying to confuse the defense.
This was the genesis of the "running bases backwards/travesty of the game" rule. Around 1910 rules were adopted to prevent this. The same rule- along with the archaic "travesty" wording- survives in the softball world today, having first been borrowed verbatim from baseball in the 1930's.
Of course, there are many times when a runner may legally run the bases backwards. For instance, when caught in a rundown or when retreating to tag up on a fly ball or retouch a missed base. The other play mentioned here, where the runner thinks it's a foul ball and goes back, wouldn't be illegal since the batter wasn't purposely trying to confuse the defense. The runner was the one who was confused!
In the earliest days of baseball, this was a common tactic. With a runner on third, a runner on first would slowly steal second base, hoping to draw a throw and give the other runner a chance to score. And if that didn't work...he would slowly steal back to first on the next pitch, trying to confuse the defense.
This was the genesis of the "running bases backwards/travesty of the game" rule. Around 1910 rules were adopted to prevent this. The same rule- along with the archaic "travesty" wording- survives in the softball world today, having first been borrowed verbatim from baseball in the 1930's.
Of course, there are many times when a runner may legally run the bases backwards. For instance, when caught in a rundown or when retreating to tag up on a fly ball or retouch a missed base. The other play mentioned here, where the runner thinks it's a foul ball and goes back, wouldn't be illegal since the batter wasn't purposely trying to confuse the defense. The runner was the one who was confused!
At 8 u fun and cute. In HS it's asinine and yes the rules do
Deal with purposefully running the bases in reverse order.
If being done to make a mockery of the game it's an out. No one would suggest a football player run the wrong way on
Purpose as a fun gag in a blow out. Or a hs baseball player either
- May 30, 2011
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Was F1 in possession of ball in circle when runner left 2B and returned to 1B. Could be out on Look Back Rule violation.
Not sure as I was not watching F1 and the timing of when the base runner left 2B to return to 1B, but no one complained and she was not called out.
