Leaving the lineup

[chapmaja]

I had this situation Monday night slow pitch game, USA rules with local modification (allow team to start with 8 players).

Co-Rec league, 1:15 time limit. During the game we have a 30 minute weather delay due to thunder and lightening. We have extended beyond the time limit when the home teams time at bat comes up so this will be the last at bat for the team in the game and they will not play defense after. The home team only has 10 players (5 male, 5 female)

B1 (male) comes up and gets a hit. He later comes around and scores. After he has completed his batting and base running duties, he has to leave for work. He has left the dugout when another batter male batter comes up to the plate. This batter feels the first pitch is below 6 feet. He decides to persistently inform me that the pitch was illegal (in my opinion it was right at 6 feet as I am just under 6 feet and I had to look up while tracking the ball). He has made his point but continues complaining, while standing out of the batters box. I inform him we are playing ball, please step into the box. He continues to complain. I pretty much tell him we are doing, so he drops the "what are you going to do, throw me out?" Yep, he is ejected. At this point he starts dropping F-bombs at me to secure his place outside the stadium for the finish.

The game finishes in a tie. Since we were beyond the time limit, and we were the last game of the night, I have to give both managers the option to continue the game.

The visiting manager wants to keep playing, the home team manager does not.

After the handshake line, the visiting team manager indicates that the game should be a forfeit because the team was down to 8 players. (5 females and 3 males). He never uses the word protest, so I take the comments under advisement and sign the scoresheet, before leaving.

In all of this one question remains.

When has a player actually left the game. Obviously the ejected player leaves when he is tossed, but what about a player who completes his turn at bat, then leaves while the team is at bat. Obviously if his turn at bat comes back up, he would have left the game, but when he leaves the dugout area has he left the game, or would he not have left the game until the next half inning when he was supposed to go to play defense in the field and could not.