APPEAL PLAYS
QUESTION: In high school, baseball and softball, runner on first base advances to home, misses third base, on a base hit by batter-runner. Is it necessary for defense to tag the base runner prior to reaching dugout? Must ball become dead for an appeal?
ANSWER: Defense has choice of live or dead ball appeal process. During live ball, defense can tag the runner prior to reaching dugout or tag the missed base; batter-runner may also advance during this live ball process. During a dead ball procedure, the coach or any defender (with or without) ball can request a verbal appeal as no action can be taken by batter-runner during this dead ball process. (BB- Rule 8, Sec. 2, Art. 6, c; SB- Rule 2, Sec. 1, Art. 1-3).
QUESTION: Base runner from first base misses second base and advances to third as ball goes into dead ball territory. Is runner allowed to return and touch second then advance to third and beyond due to overthrow and awarded bases?
ANSWER: Runner may NOT return to touch a missed base once he / she has reached a base beyond missed base and ball becomes dead. It is up to defense to then make a dead ball appeal on infraction.
If runner missed second and was between second and third prior to ball going dead, runner would be allowed to return and touch missed base and accept awarded bases due to overthrow. (BB- Rule 8, Sec. 2, Art. 5; SB- Rule 2, Sec. 1, Art. 6, a)