Courtesy Runner Rule

[DownTownTonyBrown]

Originally posted by DownTownTonyBrown
...led to confusion - not within the same half inning or within any of the other half innings throughout the game.

The confusion is just as I stated above.

Obviously, all rules are applicable throughout the entire game. It is the "half-inning" vs. "anytime during the game" stuff that creates the confusion.

If the rule was like I have printed above in italics (and apparently as some have interpretted the rule), the same courtesy runner could run for the catcher in the 1st inning and then run again for the pitcher in the 3rd inning. This would be allowed because they are different half innings.

If the rule is interpretted without the "half-inning" stuff and that the same CR cannot run for both the catcher and the pitcher at anytime during the game, we get a different interpretation/applicability. Two separate courtesy runners are required for the two separate players.

The rulebook has two requirements and they don't agree.

1) The same courtesy runner may not run for both the pitcher and the catcher in the same half inning.

--and--

2) The same courtesy runner may not run for both the pitcher and the catcher any time during the game."

These statements are not the same and they really don't reinforce each other. So they truly are not redundant statements either. This is confusing. Which half of the rule statement do I enforce? We have chosen to enforce the second statement.

But how is a coach or umpire reading the rulebook in isolation to know? FED Casebook 8.9.1C spells it out and basically says the "half-inning" stuff is not pertinent and for my purposes, should not be in the rule. To be concise and direct, the rule should read like #2 above.