Batting out of Order
 

My group had a meeting last night and of course, a discussion turned into a nightmare. Due to the lack of an official rules interpreter, my group has an umpire chosen to pick a rule and explain it. We are speaking of the ASA rule for mostly slow pitch although, we do some fast pitch.

The rule in the ASA book is Rule 7 Section 2-D, 2 states,

"After the incorrect batter has completed a turn at bat and BEFORE a legal or illegal pitch to the following batter or before the pitcher and all infeilders have clearly vacated their normal fielding positions and have left fair territory:
EFFECT:
a. The player who should have batted is out.
b. Any advance of runneres and any run scored shall be nullified. All outs made stand.
c. The next batter is the player whose name follows that of the player called out for failing to bat.
EXCEPTION: If the incorrect batter is called out as a result of thier time at bat, and is scheduled to be the proper batter, skip that player and the next person in the line-up will be the batter.

Scenario #1:
So if Batter in position 4 in the line-up (hereforth known as B4) is the proper batter and batter in position 5 (B5) bats, bases loaded, no outs, he hits a single. The defense appeals, outcome, all runners return to their bases, B4 is out, and B5 bats with one out. This was our thinking based on the exception that states, "If the incorrect batter is called out as a result of thier time at bat, and is scheduled to be the proper batter, skip that player and the next person in the line-up will be the batter." B5 was not called out but singled therefore, he is the next batter and should bat.

Scenario #2:
B5 bats for B4 again, bases loaded, no outs, he hits a sacrifice fly out and scores the runner from third. The defense appeals, outcome, runner from third returns to third and no run scores, B4 is out for not batting when he should, B5 is out?, (because as the rule states in part b of the effect, All outs made stand, and B6 is now the correct batter with two outs.

Needless to say this caused great disagreement with our group as it may here. We were all pretty much in agreement with scenario #1. Scenario #2 brought great disagreement. Some believe that B5 is skipped and no out is recorded, placing B6 at bat with one out. If that is so, what then is recorded in the book for B5? Fruthermore, if we continue this scenario to the appeal never being made by the defense, what is recorded in the book for the player/s that may have been missed by the batting out of order?

Thank God batting out of order rarely happens!

Your input is always greatly appreciated.

In ASA, as you suggest, that is two outs, if appealed. B4 out on BOO, B5 is out on the fly ball. In not appealed, all play stands, and the book should simply reflect that B4 was skipped.

In NFHS, Scenario #2 is treated the same as #1 in this instance; the only outs that are kept are one made on the play other than the incorrect batter, which there were none.

In NCAA, all scenarios are the same as #1; you keep no outs, all of the play is nullified and everyone returned to their position at the time of the last pitch to the incorrect batter, no matter what happened on the play. The only out is the batter who should have batted. In many cases, it may be better for the defense to ignore the BOO, as the result may be better.

And, they wonder why umpires might get a ruling wrong on a "basic" rule?