2016 Fed changes

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by RKBUmp

Except they couldn't word it that way after they changed their substitution rule to say the sub was not officially in the game until the ball was declared live by the plate umpire a few years back.

I don't believe that is accurate, although it does appear to be a common misconception.

Not looking in a book, but my memory says that UNREPORTED subs are not in the game until the ball is live and they are playing in that position. The purpose was to stop the absurd rulings that if someone not in the game or playing a different position stopped somewhere on the field (let's say the shortstop threw a warmup pitch, or a courtesy runner stopped to warm up the pitcher) that it was a substitution.

All REPORTED substitutions are in the game when the substitution is accepted by the umpire (in NCAA, and in common practice elsewhere, actually when the sub is reported to all affected parties).