softball and baseball

Question
You responded to a question on 7/16/2007 from Jim on base awards and gave a follow-up situation where home is awarded on an overthrow when the runner started on 1st. I'm not saying you're wrong, but isn't this contradictory to rule 8.2.5 Situation A in the 2007 NFHS Baseball case book? Or is because they are 2 different sports? I umpire both HS sports in Chicago and find your site very interesting. Thanks

Answer
Hi Jake,

"but isn't this contradictory to rule 8.2.5 Situation A in the 2007 NFHS Baseball case book"
It may be, I've never umpired a game a game of baseball in my life and the rules may indeed be different.

This has to do with the direction of the runner having no basis in awarding bases, it is from the last base touched.  A common error by umpires is if a runner is retreating to a base, that base is "1" and the next base is "2" and that is not correct.

In ASA softball RS (POE) 38 says if a runner is returning to 1st but is between 2nd and 3rd when the ball leaves the fielder's hand and the runner was between 2nd and 1st when the ball went out of play, the award is home.

This is consistent with the softball rule that 2 bases are always awarded from the last base touched at the time of the throw.  Since 2nd was the last base touched at the time of the throw in this case, the award is home.

Now if the runner had touched 2nd and was retreating to 1st and was between 2nd and 1st when the ball left the fielder's hand the award would be 3rd because the last base touched was 1st.  

Just as if this was a force play at 2nd, the runner touches 2nd but the runner is retreating back to 1st, the force is back in effect and they would have to re-touch 2nd because by retreating they legally had not.

On a overthrow when they retreated past 2nd and then the ball left the hand, legally they have not touched 2nd, so 1st is the last base touched, and in softball would be out on appeal if they didn't re-touch on their way to 3rd.

OK (in softball)?

Mark