Hard shot to first base which ricochets off the first baseman's leg and goes into foul territory. The fielder retrives the ball and steps on the orange bag before the runner reaches the base (out right, nope).
Should have been an out right there. Rules state that if the fielder must complete the play from foul ground, then fielder may use the orange base. The reason for this is that if you require the fielder to cross over to the white base you are putting her on a direct collision course with the runner.
In fact the runner stopped and went back towards home plate (out right, nope).
Ummm...nope.
A batter-runner is out if she retreats back toward home ONLY if the retreat is part of an effort to avoid a tag. That means that there has to be a defensive player, with possession of the ball, actually attempting to touch her. Otherwise, there is no penalty.
Chaos ensues and the runner changes directions again and runs past first base and misses it. Fielder who is still on the right side, touches the orange base again (out right, nope).
Ummm, nope, again.
When a runner passes base without touching it, by rule she is assumed to have touched it.
When the missed base is first base, this is treated as an appeal play. The fielder with the ball needs to make an unmistakable appeal by either tagging the runner, before she returns to the base, or tagging the base and verbally telling the umpire what she is appealing.
Just touching the base alone is not a valid appeal. The reason: On a play at first base you are going to have a fielder touching the base anyhow. The fielder needs to acknowledge that she knows the base was missed and that the miss is being appealed, rather than just being tagged as part of the usual play at first base.
You're 1 for 3 on rule interpretation so far...so I'll beat on the umpires instead...
In the mean time the umpire has taken a very nice atheltic position and is staring at the base and makes no call and does not move. The runner finally steps on the base and the umpire signals safe.!
Bad mechanics by the umpire.
When the runner misses first base, prior to the base being tagged, the correct mechanic is to signal safe right away, just as you would on any other play where the runner beat the tag. That's because the runner IS safe (any passed base is assumed to have been touched until it is appealed).
The umpire should signal safe when the runner passes the base before the tag, then move out of the way and wait to see what happens. He shouldn't be doing anything that might tip off the defense that the base was missed. Teams are supposed to recognize appeal situations on their own, without help, intended or not, by the umpires. Signalling nothing and intently staring at the base is practically screaming, "The base was missed- make an appeal!".
In the chaos, (three umpire system at this stage of the game), the home plate umpire abstained, the 3B umpire was overheard telling the 1B umpire that the play was incorrect and he told her to 'back off..., it is my call' (that's a quote). Then after the protest, the committee upheld and said no imminent collision, fielder must use white bag.
If I'm the first base umpire, it's going to get ugly if the third base umpire tries telling me that a play at first base is "his call"....
But, seriously, how can three umpires on the field and a protest committee not know this one simple rule- a fielder making the play at first base from foul ground may use the colored bag. Everything else that came after that is immaterial and moot- the runner reversing direction, the runner passing the base, the fielder touching the base, the runner coming back to the bag-
because this runner should have already been out!