While the most prestigious professional baseball organization -- Major League Baseball -- is based in North America, baseball is a sport that has gained international popularity, with additional professional leagues operating in Asia, Europe and Australia. One of the rules of baseball is the forced out rule, in which a base runner is called out after a base is tagged by a fielder in possession of the ball.
First Base
The primary force out in baseball occurs at first base. When a batter puts the baseball in play on the ground -- as opposed to hitting the ball in the air and having it caught by a fielder -- players in the field can force the batter out by tagging first base while in possession of the ball. This can happen in one of two ways. In the first scenario, the ball is hit to the first baseman, who fields the ball and touches first base before the batter reaches the bag. In the second scenario, a fielder fields the ball and throws it to the first baseman, who is standing on the bag. If the ball reaches the first baseman--who must catch it cleanly while standing on the bag--before the batter touches first base, the batter is forced out.
Any Base
A forced out can occur at any of the four bases: first base, second base, third base and home plate. A forced out scenario occurs when any base runner is forced to advance to the next base. This happens whenever a base runner, occupying a particular base, has another base runner occupying a base directly behind him or her. For example, if a runner is occupying second base while another runner occupies first base, the runner on second base is forced to advance to third base if the batter puts the ball in play on the ground. Fielders can force a base runner out by tagging the base the runner is attempting to reach. In the example above, fielders can force the base runner on second base out by tagging third base or they can force the runner on first base out by tagging second base.
Scoring
In baseball, an inning is over when the players in the field achieve three outs. If there are two outs in an inning, and the fielding team creates a forced out for the third out on a play in which a runner crossed home plate, the run does not count. This is true even if the runner crossed home plate before the forced out is achieved. For example, if runners are occupying every base with two outs when a ball is put into the field of play, and a forced out is achieved at first base after the runner on third base has already touched home plate, the inning ends without the run scoring.
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