Doing an underclass high school game today. Batter singles, the manager, who is coaching third asks for time for a courtsey runner (It was the catcher who just got the hit). So I say ok and call time. The manager yells into the dougout for player X to run. So he grabs a helmet and runs to first. So I am about to write down the courtsey runner, but first I check the lineup card to make sure X has not been in the game yet. Turns out X had pinch ran a few innings back. So I yell down to the manager that X pinch ran 2 innings ago. Manager says OK and X leaves the field.

Now if I did not notice this untill after a pitch, would X be an illegal sub? At first I thought he would be, but then I was like he was not actually a sub, just a courtsey runner. What is the ruling on this. I'm glad I caught it early, I would have felt bad for having to eject the kid for being an illegal sub. He was just doing what the coach said, he did not know what was going on. And then I would have felt really bad if I found out that an illegal courtsey runner is not an illegal sub.

If X was a courtesy runner for the catcher several innings ago, it is ok for him to do again. If he ran for the pitcher, or has been in the game and out since he was a courtesy runner, this is not a good thing, since he can not run for the catcher now. There should be no "finding out about this after a pitch" since you are recording subs and courtesy runners and soon as he tries to go in, you say "no can do". Technically, I would consider him in the game, when he takes the runner's place, but practically, as I am writing down the courtesy runner's number I note the error and point it out to coach immediately, so no ejection.

I did write it down and that is how I caught the mistake, for X had entered the game and then been removed. But what if I had missed that X had played, my eyes skipped over it or something, it's possible. So after a pitch, the manager of the opposing team tells me X has played. So I check my card and it shows the same. Is that an illegal sub? If you think about it no subsutition was made, so how can there be an illegal sub? I'm sure there is a case book play on this, but I am just too lazy to get up out of my seat to go get the book.

Case book not needed. "A player who violates the courtesy runner rule is considered to be an illegal substitute" (page 67 of the Fed book).