Tag Up
Also known as: tagging, retouching, sacrifice fly advance
Tagging up means a baserunner returns to and touches their current base as a fly ball is caught, then takes off toward the next base — the legal method of advancing on a caught fly.
When a fly ball is hit, baserunners must wait at their base (touching it) until the ball is caught. The moment the outfielder touches the ball, they may advance. Elite taggers watch the outfielder's eyes and body language while keeping a foot on the base, then explode the instant the ball contacts the glove. On sacrifice flies from the outfield, runners at third should almost always tag up. On shallow flies, the depth of the outfielder, the runner's speed, and the arm strength of the outfielder all factor into whether tagging up gains an extra base.
Example
He tagged from third on a medium-deep fly to centre and scored easily — his read of the outfielder's positioning told him the throw would be too late.
Related terms
- Baserunning ReadA baserunning read is the split-second decision a runner makes based on what the ball does after contact — whether to advance, hold, or retreat.
- SlideA slide is the technique a baserunner uses to reach a base below a tag, to stop momentum from overrunning the base, or to avoid a collision.
- Secondary LeadThe secondary lead is the movement a baserunner takes as the pitch crosses the plate — a walking step or shuffle that adds momentum toward the next base the moment contact is made.
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