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Questions on baseball rules -- force out question; see below?
OK there is one out, with runners on second and third. The batter hits a deep fly ball that looks like it is going to drop. The outfielder makes a great diving catch. The runner at third tags, but the runner at second takes off. The outfielder throw the ball to second for the force out and third out of the innings, meanwhile the runner on third has already tagged-up and scored. Providing the runner on third tags and makes it home before the force out at second, does his run score, or is it eliminated by a force out at second base and the third out?
This is whats called a "timing play". The runner at second base can not be a "force out". He was not forced to vacate the base on the hit. The out that was made on the runner at second base was a "live ball appeal". The rules give the runner the right to advance on a tag-up after the ball is first touched on a caught fly ball (should note here this could also have been caught in foul territory). If the runner leaves early he may be called out by either a live ball, or dead ball appeal. Since there was no force situation on the third out, all runs scored before the third out (the timing part) would count.