What do you do when you have players leave due to injury and it leaves the lineup out of order for CO-ED play. (Ie alternating Male/Female in the lineup)

Typical Co-Ed lineup.

1. Male
2. Female
3. Male
4. Female
5. Male
6. Female
7. Male
8. Female
9. Male
10. Female
11. Male
12. Female

In the 4th inning, the number 7 (a male) and 10 (a female) positions go out due to injury.

What do you do? If they do not have more players to sub in we simply have a forfeit, right?

I would have a forfeit here, as you can't continue a game with 2 less players when you started.

Local and league rules
 

Check the league/local rules as well before you forfeit one like this...there may be special rules to cover a situation like this.

In at least two of our local leagues we would simply take an out when we would skip a player with no forfeit til you get down to 7.

In our coed league, since a male and a female left the lineup there would be nothing as you can drop down to 10 players without a penalty. if you dropped down to 9 players the 10th player would be an out in the spot that player batted in.

Thanks for the inputs.

bkbjones, I will definetly follow your advice and double check our Rec Rules.

milkmandog, on the surface, your premise is compelling. But the problem that creates is having 2 males and 2 females batting consecutively...a big no-no in Co-Ed. You would have to reshuffle the lineup, an even bigger no-no in ASA Softball.

I'm sure I can sort this out with my Rec Rules, but thought I would share the dilema with you all as to avoid confusion should it arise in your games.

Thanks again.

Why, forefeit?
 

Actually by rule you can't continue with 2 less players than REQUIRED to start with. The Extra Players are not required to start a CO-ED game. I would not forfeit it until they got down to 8 players.

Re: Why, forefeit?
 

Speaking ASA

You would lose the obvious protest. A team cannot finish with less than the number of batters which was listed in the line-up at the beginning of the game minus 1. If the team starts with 12, they must finish with 11 or 12. They may NOT start with 11. If they start with 10, they must finish with 9 or 10.

Local rules may circumvent this rule, but we obviously have no idea what the local rules may be as they were not disclosed to us.

Rule 4.1.D.2

There are no local rules that pertain to this, so it's left up to ASA rules, which means we have a forfeit, right?

correct

Most leagues I've been in (playing or umpiring), this is not a forfeit, but it IS two automatic outs - one when number 7 bats, another when number 10 bats.

But if the local rules don't address it, I agree with Mike - forfeit.

On a side note....I only have to wear this stupid ROOKIE tag 2 more months! :P hehe...


Thanks to all of you guys and gals for the wealth of knowledge you've shared with me over the past several months. No question you all have made my rookie year easier to bare, and made me a better umpire to boot.

It is greatly appreciated!!!