Tie goes to the runner is a popular interpretation of

baseball rules The rules of baseball differ slightly from league to league, but in general share the same basic game play. Rules There are several major rules, which differ only slightly. The "Official Baseball Rules" govern all professional play in the Unite ...

. The claim is that a forced

runner Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is ...

, usually the

batter-runner In baseball, base running is the act of running from base to base, performed by members of the team at bat. Base running is a tactical part of the game with the goal of eventually reaching home base (home plate) to score a run. Batters strive to ...

, who arrives on base the same time as the ball is

safe A safe (also called a strongbox or coffer) is a secure lockable box used for securing valuable objects against theft or fire. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face being removable or hinged to form a door. The body and ...

. However,

umpire An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per'', ...

s generally reject the concept that baseball provides for a tie in this way, and instead rule on the basis that either the player or the ball has reached the base first. The wording of rule 5.09(a)(10), formerly 6.05(j), of the ''

Official Baseball Rules The rules of baseball differ slightly from league to league, but in general share the same basic game play. Rules There are several major rules, which differ only slightly. The "Official Baseball Rules" govern all professional play in the Unite ...

'' is that a batter is out when "After a third strike or after he hits a fair ball, he or first base is tagged before he touches first base". Therefore, if the runner or first base is not tagged before he touches first base, he is safe. In response to a question from a Little League umpire,

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

Tim McClelland Timothy Reid McClelland (born December 12, 1951) is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1983 to 1999 and throughout both leagues from 2000 until his retirement prior to the 2015 season. He c ...

has written that the concept of a tie at a base does not exist, and that a runner either beats the ball or does not. In 2009, umpire Mark Dewdeny, a contributor for

Bleacher Report Bleacher Report (often abbreviated as B/R) is a website that focuses on sport and sports culture. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, with offices in New York City and London. Bleacher Report was acquired by Turner Broadcasting System in Aug ...

, citing McClelland, also rejected the idea of a tie, and further commented that even if a "physicist couldn't make an argument one way or the other" from watching an

instant replay Instant replay or action replay is a video reproduction of something that recently occurred which was both shot and broadcast live. The video, having already been shown live, is replayed in order for viewers to see again and analyze what had j ...

, the runner would still be out.

References

Baseball plays Baseball rules Baseball terminology {{Baseball-stub