GOT A QUESTION

This play happened last night in Legion ball. Runner on second. Batter grounds to the first baseman. Runner stops as not to run into a tag.As the first baseman runs to make the tag the runner backs up toward home. Now my question. Is the runner out for backing up. I have seen it called before in a college game. Said a base runner going to first could stop but could not go backwards. Ump last night said that was not a rule.

 

In FED and OBR it's ok as long as he stays within 3' either side of the line during the tag attempt and doesn't touch home plate on his retreat. Don't know about NCAA rules.

 

I believe that was me last night. This is the NCAA version, and it did not apply in the situation.

NCAA 8-5-N

n. The individual runs bases in reverse order to confuse opponents or to​

make a travesty of the game;

Here is a FED interp:

Batter-Runner stopping between home and first to avoid a tag.

With a runner on first base, the batter hits a sharp ground ball to F3 who fields it in fair territory in front of the bag. He proceeds down the first base line with the intent of tagging the batter-runner.

The batter-runner stops and retreats back towards home plate. F3 quickly throws the ball to F6 and gets the force out on R1 at second base. F6's throw to F1 covering first base is not in time and the batter-runner is safe at first base.

Should the batter-runner be declared out for stopping and retreating backwards when he was running to a base he was being forced to run to?

Ruling: The batter-runner is not out for stopping and retreating back towards home plate. As long as the batter-runner did not touch or run beyond home plate, or leave the base path to avoid a tag, the action is legal.

 

The runner going backwards between 1B and Home and being immediately out is apparently a softball rule.

Softball guru's can ring in on that one