We’ve all heard it and probably used it – “tie goes to the runner!”

This is an old myth that started on the sandlots of yesteryear.

We all called are own games (no umpires). Some times we “closed” right field (batter is out if he hits the ball there) and played “pitcher’s hands” (the batter was out if he hasn’t reached 1B when the pitcher caught the ball).

We all said “tie goes to the runner” many times. Whether we were on offense or defense – we said it, believed it and lived by it!

These and many other “rules” where made up to account for the fact that we only had 2 or 3 or 4 players per team – never 9 per team. Of course, we never had an umpire, either!

We all knew this wasn’t the way the game was really played – but it allowed us to have a game that we could play – regardless of the number of players available that day.

None of these rules carried into “real world baseball”. When was the last time you heard a fan yell: “pitchers hands – he’s out”?

Yet – I have heard “tie goes to the runner” from coaches and fans as recently as last year in a high school game! Fortunately, I have never heard an umpire say this!

How do we know that “tie goes to the runner” isn’t correct? Because, in baseball, there is no such thing as a tie! No rules or interpretations or guidebooks to the rules mention a “tie”. There is no such thing as a tie! A runner is safe or out. Period.

An umpire must make his decision – did he beat the throw or not – and make his call: out or safe.

That’s it. No ties!

We can’t even give you a rule reference – because there isn’t one that mentions a tie!

OK – this is a close as you can get:

“Safe” is defined as a declaration by the umpire that a runner is entitled to the base for which he is trying (or similar words). [ OBR 2.00; NCAA 2.68; ]

Note that NFHS doesn’t define “safe” but does explain what makes a runner out or safe in NFHS 8.2.8

All the rules define what cause a runner to be safe or out:

“A runner acquires the right to the proper unoccupied base if he touches it before he is out” or similar words. [ OBR 7.01; NCAA 8.3; NFHS 8.2.8 ]

The rules further explain that a runner is out if he is tagged while off the base or, if he is forced to the next base by the act of the batter becoming a runner, the bag is touched by a fielder holding the ball before the runner touches that base. [OBR 7.08.e; NCAA 8.5.j; NFHS 8.4.2.j ]

Nowhere does it say that “…the runner is safe if he should touch the base at the exact same moment that the fielder tags him or touches the base…”

Some folks like to point out that OBR gives appears to give contradictory information on this. They quote OBR 7.01 (above) which says “…BEFORE he is out” (emphasis is mine). They argue that “BEFORE” means that the fielder must touch the base first. So, if they touch at the same time – it’s a tie – and the runner would be safe.

However, using that argument, please refer to OBR 7.08 which defines when a runner is “out”. You should use 7.08 to determine what is defined as “out” as used in 7.01. And, OBR 7.08 uses the word BEFORE – only it benefits the fielder.

OBR 7.08.d says “A runner is out when he fails to retouch his base…BEFORE he, or his base, is tagged by a fielder…”

OBR 7.08.e says “A runner is out when he fails to reach the next base BEFORE a fielder tags him or the base…”

So, assuming that you think the use of BEFORE means a tie is NOT before or after – it’s the same time – you would have to go with the runner having to be there BEFORE, not the fielder. This is because 7.01 cannot be used without the definition of “out” which is done in 7.08.

Or, the best option: treat it the way professional umpires do – there is no such thing as a tie – call him safe or out – period.