When the hitter hits the ball high and long for a fly out.
Why does the runner not run to the next base?
In: 2
Because to advance to the next base, you have to tag the current base *after* the catch (at which point you often don’t have time to advance). It’s called [tagging up](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tag_up), and if you don’t do it, you’re out if a fielder with the ball touches your original base before you do.
That said, runners often *do* advance on long fly balls (particularly from 2nd to 3rd on a long fly to right field), so the premise of your question’s just not true a lot of the time.
If the ball is caught, the runner has to touch the base he started on before the pitch was thrown. If the ball is thrown back before he gets there he can also be called out.
Example: long high flyball and the runner goes from first to third; the ball is caught. If the ball reaches first base before the runner gets back, it’s now 2 outs instead of 1.
Staying close to base allows you to tag the base and then try to run to the next one before the ball gets there. Or at least stay and not be called out.
Runners don’t often tag and advance bases other than home. Home plate is furthest away from the outfield, this means that a fielder throwing to home has to make a longer throw. That longer throw might be the difference between the runner getting there in time or not.
If a runner tries to tag at first and run to second, the distance from the outfield to second base is shorter, so even a weak throw has a good chance to get the runner out. The distance from 2nd base to home plate is 127′, so you save quite a bit of distance on the throw. Runners will sometimes tag from second to third, but only if the fly ball is in right field, which is further away from third base.
You can only tag up after the ball has been caught, otherwise they can throw the ball to your former base and you’re out.
If you’re wondering about the times when a runner goes half way and then waits, it’s almost always between first and second and they’re waiting halfway because a catch means go back to first, but if it does drop (for whatever reason) he has to get to second or he could get thrown out on the force.
because they don’t want to risk an outfielder catching the ball, and then they have to run back to their base to “tag up”. if they don’t make it back in time, you just gave the opposing team a double play when it could have just been a single out.
Flyballs are relatively very easy to catch before they hit the ground.
When a fielder catches the ball before it hits the ground, the baserunners need to return to their bases before they can try running again.
So, when a batter hits a long fly, the baserunners (or their base coaches) hesitate and try to determine if any fielders are going to be able to catch it before it hits the ground.
I read through the comments so I believe you understand about tagging up and advancing after the catch. To put it simply, if they are not fairly certain that the ball will fill in for a hit, they will go back to their base and tag up. Then it is a judgement call by the player or coach whether they would succeed in advancing a base after
The catch. This depends of course on things like how fast the runner is, where the ball was hit and the angle/position of the fielder, the arm strength/accuracy of the the fielder, how many outs there are etc. Some runners are so fast they almost always easily advance. Some fielders have such strong and accurate arms that few attempt to advance.
A runner on second will almost always advance to third on a deep fly to right field. Unless the RF has a cannon and the runner is slow as hell.
It’s against the rules. The ball isn’t in play until it hits the ground or someone catches it.
However, if you tag up (touch the base you’re supposed to be on) after the ball is caught you can try and make it to the next base or home plate. All you have to do is beat the fielders. If you score that’s called a sacrifice fly.
Runners hang out between bases because you want as much of a head start as you can in case the ball hits the ground but not too far away that you can be thrown out if it’s a fly ball that is caught.
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