[Colo Blue]

Under USSSA rules you are permitted three charged defensive conferences in a regular inning game. On the fourth conference a penalty is imposed. The penalty is removal of the current pitcher for the remainder of the game. If the coach announced the pitching change prior to going to the circle, he would have been permitted to change his pitcher and then bring her back later. In the OP it sounds as if the umpire imposed the penalty, but then erred by allowing the pitcher to return.