[AtlUmpSteve]

My opinion, the importance of each is pretty much beside the point.

The courtesy runner rule existed in its' current state when an unreported sub resulted in a disqualification of that player. When the unreported sub rules were changed to basically excuse and absolve the coaches' mistake (one occasionally even done intentionally to illegal re-use players not reported in a different place), no one addressed the courtesy runner rule; so until corrected, it is an island of inconsistency.