Sorry if this is a weird topic but I saw a college play at home plate recently and my mind wandered to the "What if?"
The play was at home plate. The catcher tried to swipe tag the runner and missed. The runner avoiding the tag also missed home plate. The umpire correctly did nothing (no call) since nobody was safe or out yet. In the play I saw, the catcher eventually went after the runner and tagged him for the out.
My question is, what happens if the runner thought he tagged home plate and the catcher thinks he tagged the runner and both don't know what to do on the no call and just stand there or even go back to their dugouts? How far away from home plate would the runner have to go before he's called out?What if the coach(es) run onto the field to argue - the play is technically still live so they can't be on the field? Ejected?
Usually someone is smart enough to yell Tag him! or Tag home plate! but at the younger levels, I could see nobody knowing what to do. When would the play be officially dead if everyone is still standing near home plate?