Fed rule 4-2-4f (game forfeited when):
is unable to provide at least nine players to start the game or cannot provide eight players to finish the game: or
NOTE 1: An out will be called each time that spot in the batting order comes to bat. If the offensive player must be substituted for after reaching base, the most recent batter not on base is allowed to run for that player. NOTE 2: A team playing with fewer than nine players may not return to nine players.
They provide the exception of allowing a player already in the game to run for a player on base if he must leave while on base. While that is legal, it still doesn't mean that they are not down to only 8 players. They are. Since they have gone to only 8 players, they are not allowed to increase again to 9 players, and the vacant batting slot becomes an out everytime it occurs.
BUT, let's suppose that the spot is due to bat and the vacancy is missed----no out is called.
What happens if additional play proceeds without the out being called?
Can the out later be called to "correct" the issue?
Should it be done? What if there were 2 outs when the vacancy was due to bat, but three following batters were allowed to bat and all scored before the defense brings to your attention that you didn't declare the out for the vacancy, and that the inning should have been over 3 batters ago?
What do you do?
Freix