rules help needed - 3 of them

[Dakota]

Originally posted by softballpres33
The home team was playing with 8 players. Is this okay also? Can a game be started with only 8 players in ASA?

Yes, it is OK. The team takes an out when #9 is due up to bat.

the last out of the inning before was the automatic out. Does the home team get to put the person before the automatic out on base or do they not get to put a person on 2nd?

The person who goes on base is not actually the "last out" - it is the person who bats before the batter due up. This can be a difference, depending on how the last inning ended. Anyway, if the absent player is the player who should be placed on 2nd, then the team merely places the person who bats before the absent player on. There is no penalty for this.

A ball is hit straight up in the air. The umpire tries to get out of the road of the catcher but actually gets more in the way. The catcher misses the ball but the umpire calls the batter out because he calls interference on himself. I thought the umpire was just part of the field.

This was an incorrect ruling. There are only 2 very secific things that are ruled umpire interference, and this play is not one of them. The correct call should have been FOUL BALL or FAIR BALL (depending on where the ball was touched / stopped).