Pitching Change Situation

[cbfoulds]

Rule 3-1-2 requires that when a pitcher "is replaced while his team is on defense...." the substitute must satisfy the pitching requirement of one batter, etc.

Rule 3-1-1 says that, when a substitution is not "announced", the substitute "has entered the game when the ball is live and ... [the substitute] pitcher takes his place on the pitcher's plate."

I can't seem to find anything in the Casebook, although, iirc, there was a case on the FED website a couple years back.

My take on the above [subject to someone finding a published Case], is that your F3 has not "entered the game" as a pitcher, thus he is not a "replacement" for F1, and is not bound by the pitching restrictions.

Still... 15/16 HS players? They ought to know not to do stoopid junk like that.

[bossman72]

under pro rules the umpire would have been correct. NFHS rules requires the ball to become live to make all unannounced subs official. however, under pro rules i probably would have let this one go and/or used preventative officiating to rectify the problem.