Does the run count or not?

Question
Brian: I have a baseball scenerio and I'm not 100% sure of the answer. You have a runner on 3rd base & one on 1st base. You have 1 out in the inning. The runners attempt a delayed double steal. But when the pitch is delivered the batter hits a fly ball 'out' to left field. Neither runner touches the next base & both retreat to their prior bases. The runner at 3rd tags up and comes home. The runner retreating to 1st base trips and falls. The runner from 3rd base scores. The left fielder's relay beats the runner from 1st back to 1st base. It's a double-play..3 outs. The runner from 3rd base scored before the out was made at first.(BARELY). Question - Does the run count and if yes or no, is there a Major League rule to back it up? Thanks in advance. Odis  

Answer
Odis,

The run counts.  The major league rulebook specifically gives this example in the definition of 'Force Play' which I am pasting here:

A FORCE PLAY is a play in which a runner legally loses his right to occupy a base by reason of the batter becoming a runner. Confusion regarding this play is removed by remembering that frequently the "force" situation is removed during the play. Example: Man on first, one out, ball hit sharply to first baseman who touches the bag and batter runner is out. The force is removed at that moment and runner advancing to second must be tagged. If there had been a runner on third or second, and either of these runners scored before the tag out at second, the run counts. Had the first baseman thrown to second and the ball then had been returned to first, the play at second was a force out, making two outs, and the return throw to first ahead of the runner would have made three outs. In that case, no run would score. Example: Not a force out. One out. Runner on first and third. Batter flies out. Two out. Runner on third tags up and scores. Runner on first tries to retouch before throw from fielder reaches first baseman, but does not get back in time and is out. Three outs. If, in umpire's judgment, the runner from third touched home before the ball was held at first base, the run counts.

Your example is specifically given in the 'Not a force out' example.

Hope this helps!

Brian