Subs
 

USA and NFHS
If a team has no more eligible substitutes available for re entry can one of them be used to replace and injured player?

No, a sub can only ever occupy 1 spot in the lineup. If they have no available subs the team has to go short handed.

How about if the team only has 9 players for a game and a batter gets drilled with a pitched ball and is unable to walk? Can the last batter run for them that particular inning, or do they have to take an out immediately?

I'm sure some rec leagues have rules allowing such things but if you go by straight rule sets, no.

Isn't there a rule that allows a temporary "substitute" for an injured runner to complete the time on base?

Looks like USSSA does, but dont know of any other rule set that has that provision. Dont do much in the way of USSSA so dont keep up on their rules.

I thought that there was a rule in some code ( not sure which one) that in the case of an injury the opposing coach could choose one of the players to enter the game.
Then again I am not even sure if this was in baseball or softball.

LL has that provision

The reason I asked that is because I've seen it happen twice in ASA (USA) games in the past couple years. Once with one of my players, once with the opposing team. Both times it was a hot fastball to the ankle, and both times, the coaches were very generous and openly gave the green light for the last batted out runner to take the injured player's place on base. That's what we did the first time, and the officials allowed it. Second time around, the officials were not so ready to allow such substitution, and we all stood there scratching our heads while the officiating crew stood over my player trying to figure out if they should call her out, how badly was she really hurt, etc. I didn't want mommy and daddy climbing my case, so I told them to just call her out if they had to. After several more minutes of further procrastination (in a timed game), she "toughened up" and hobbled out to the base even though I was telling her to stay in the dugout. If USA doesn't have a provision, they certainly need to adopt one.

Just because some umpire allowed it to happen doesnt mean it was in the rules. And whoever said the rules of the game should be fair? There are all kinds of ways coaches could use that rule to their benefit. Slow girl on base, oh, she suddenly has a hurt ankle and cant run. Of course the last out just happens to be the fastest girl on the team. There is also a rule about if the player leaves the game due to injury and forces the team to go short handed, that player may not return to play.

It is indeed a slippery slope. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that probably 90% of the umpires out there would talk to both sides and allow another runner if the kid truly is unable to continue. The alternative would sound something like this from behind the backstop--- "You mean you are gonna call my baby out after that girl tried to kill her with that ball?"

Where's the popcorn? :D

Purely rec league I can see where umpires may allow it to happen. Competitive league, Im officiating the game under the rule set I was hired to do the game under. I will not make any modifications to that rule set, even if both coaches agree. I have seen it happen, a coach initially agrees to allow an infraction to be made thinking it will have no effect, then they end up losing and suddenly the official is at fault for allowing the rule to be broken.

I don't have a book for either in front of me but both utrip and NF have a provision that allows a replacement runner in the case of injury.

Out

This is fascinating. Thanks for the replies. Interesting that NF and Utrip apparently have a provision for a replacement, but ASA/USA does not.

I gotta ask--have any of you ever been forced to call an injured batter out in this situation? It seems it would be more likely to happen in ASA/USA and USSSA than NFHSA due to the fact that travel teams don't stack their rosters very deep. One of these days, we'll have a famous YouTube video of this scenario? :eek: