Softball

[Guest Freddie]

Runner on 2nd and 3rd. Batter hits line drive to leftfielder who catches the ball for and out. Left fielder was not re-entered after Being hit for.  What is the outcome ?

[Aging_Arbiter]

I'm assuming that it's like baseball, and that "once a player assumes the position of the fielder, and play commences..." that it is considered an unannounced substitution.

[noumpere]

36 minutes ago, Aging_Arbiter said:

I'm assuming that it's like baseball, and that "once a player assumes the position of the fielder, and play commences..." that it is considered an unannounced substitution.

I seem to remember reading where that's an invalid assumption, at least for some softball rules codes.  An "unannounced sub" is some sort of illegal player (but I don't know the exact penalty, or if it varies by code).

[beerguy55]

13 hours ago, Guest Freddie said:

Runner on 2nd and 3rd. Batter hits line drive to leftfielder who catches the ball for and out. Left fielder was not re-entered after Being hit for.  What is the outcome ?

There are some variances among the softball codes, but I don't think much.

First - the other team must appeal before the offending team notices and announces the substitution.  In this case, the offense must appeal before the defense fixes it.

Assuming that happens - Essentially - the player is declared ineligible, must leave the game, and must be subbed - in this case, it's a double whammy - because it's an illegal re-entry, the player who original subbed to bat is now out of the game, the player who was re-entered without announcement is also out of the game.  If the team has no other subs, they forfeit.

 

AND...if the offense appeals before the next pitch, they have the option to nullify the pitch/play - the batter would return with whatever count he had before the pitch he hit for the out.

The appealing team has the choice - so, for example, if the batter got a hit and two RBI's, and then appealed the substitution, they could take the play, and get the player removed from the game.

 

Or, they could wait until a scenario came up where that illegal substitute made an out - they can appeal the illegal substitution any time until the end of the game, before the umps leave the field, or until the other team corrects their mistake.   All other play that occurred with the illegal substitution prior to the appeal is legal and stands.

NOTE:  I have coached in codes where the umpire corrects the mistake at the end of the inning, if they notice it  (the common scenario that can come up is a team subs their pitcher mid-inning and in all the activity actually forgets to formally tell the umpire - I've seen codes where the ump corrects this at end of inning)

 

There are a bunch of different ways this can happen on offense, that could lead to different scenarios around people being called out, or just being subbed, but the common factor is the unannounced sub is removed from the game.