Force play or Tag play?

Question
Middle School softball, bases loaded, less than 2 outs. Sharp ground ball to first base, fielded by first baseman. She steps on first to retire the batter/runner and throws to the plate to cut down the runner from third? I maintain that the play at the plate is now a tag play because the force has been removed. My daughters coach says that the force is still in effect at home.

Answer
Hi Michael,

you are correct and the the coach is absolutely wrong.  You can only have a force play when a runner is forced from a base by the batter becoming a batter runner and before the b-r or a succeeding runner has been put out.  In this case the b-r is out before attaining 1st so you no longer have one.  R1 must be tagged at home as no force is in effect as R1 or R2 or R3 can now legally return to their previous base.

Had F3 gone home and then back to 1st you would have a dp as the force would still be in effect.

Mark