What Is Tag Up In Baseball?

If you’re new to baseball, you may be wondering what tag up is. In short, it’s when a baserunner retreats to their original base after a fly ball is hit, in order to avoid being tagged out. Read on to learn more about tag up in baseball, including when and how it’s used.

Introduction

In baseball, “tag up” occurs when a baserunner leaves his base and heads for the next one before the ball is caught by the fielder. If the ball is caught, the runner must return to his original base before heading to the next one. If he fails to do so, he will be called out.

The Rules of Tag Up

Tag up is a play in baseball where a baserunner advances only when the ball is caught after it is hit by the batter. The baserunner must touch the base he or she is occupying when the ball is caught. If the ball is not caught and is instead thrown to a different base, the runner is not required to tag up and can advance freely.

If the Ball Is Caught

If the ball is caught, the runner must return to his base before the batter is out. If the ball is not caught, the runner may continue to advance.

If the Ball Is Not Caught

If the ball is not caught, the runner must go back to the last base he/she tagged. If the ball is not caught and a fielder attempts to throw a runner out, the runner can remain on the current base or advance to the next base, as long as he/she touches the current base before the fielder touches him/her. If a runner advances past the base he/she is forced to , he/she is not out and may continue around the bases.

When to Tag Up

In baseball, a runner is entitled to advance one base on most plays when a ball that has been hit in the air is caught by a fielder. Once the ball is caught, the runner must retouch (or tag up) the base he occupied when the pitch was thrown before attempting to advance to the next base. If he fails to retouch his base (i.e., if he tags up too early), he is out.

The rule requiring a runner to tag up on a caught fly ball is intended to prevent him from getting an unfair advantage by “running on the ball.” If a runner were allowed to start running as soon as the batter hit the ball, he could easily steal an extra base or two. By making him wait until the ball is caught, the defense has a better chance of getting him out.

runners can often be seen tagging up even when there isn’t a play at the plate, such as on routine fly balls to outfielders. In these cases, they are usually just trying to get a head start toward second or third base in case the outfielder makes an error and drops the ball.

The Advantages of Tagging Up

One advantage of tagging up is that it allows the baserunner to advance if the ball is caught. This is especially important if the runner is far from the next base. By tagging up, the runner can make sure that he or she will be able to advance to the next base before the defense can throw him or her out.

Another advantage of tagging up is that it gives the baserunner a head start on advancing to the next base. If a fly ball is hit and the baserunner tags up, he or she can start running to the next base as soon as the ball is caught. This can be important if the defense makes a good play and tries to throw the runner out at second base.

Lastly, tagging up can put pressure on the defense. If there are runners on first and third base and a fly ball is hit, both runners can tag up. This puts pressure on the outfielder to make a good catch, because if he or she misses, both runners will end up scoring.

The Disadvantages of Tagging Up

Tagging up is when a base runner leaves his base early to try and advance to the next base before the ball is caught. The problem with this is that if the ball is caught, the runner is out. Tagging up can be very dangerous and should only be done when the chances of success are very high.

Conclusion

In baseball, “tag up” occurs when a runner tags up and legally returns to their base after the ball is caught in the air. A baserunner can only tag up once the ball is caught, and must touch the base before the ball is thrown back to the infield. If a baserunner fails to tag up, they can be called out.