Courtesy Runner

[Guest Todd]

Can a player that has been a Courtesy runner for the Catcher hit for the Catcher and the Catcher renter the game?

[kylehutson]

Assuming you're talking NFHS (high school) rules...

Yes, but once he does, he can no longer be a courtesy runner. A courtesy runner cannot have participated in the game in any other capacity.

[isired]

Can a player that has been a Courtesy runner for the Catcher hit for the Catcher and the Catcher renter the game?

In my experience, use of courtesy runners are often defined differently depending on the rule set and even local rules. But a courtesy runner is really never considered a substitution, so has no effect on any subsequent substitutions.

So removing the courtesy runner from the equation, "can a player hit for the catcher and the catcher re-enter the game?" is going to depend on the rule set. Fed (HS) allows re-entry of starters, so if your catcher was a starter, he would be allowed to re-enter the game one time at any point after being substituted for (hit, field, pinch runner, etc.).

[isired]

Assuming you're talking NFHS (high school) rules...
Yes, but once he does, he can no longer be a courtesy runner. A courtesy runner cannot have participated in the game in any other capacity.

This is only true if there are available bench players, correct? Or am I confusing true NFHS with the modified version we see in tournaments?

Either way I took his post as questioning the validity of the catcher re-entering, not what the courtesy runner can or can not do after running.

[LMSANS]

16 hours ago, isired said:

 

This is only true if there are available bench players, correct? Or am I confusing true NFHS with the modified version we see in tournaments?

Either way I took his post as questioning the validity of the catcher re-entering, not what the courtesy runner can or can not do after running.

Kyles's answer is straight NFHS speed-up rules. Speed-up rules are available for state association adoption. Tournaments that use NFHS modify as needed

[Senor Azul]

From the 2019 NFHS rules

SUGGESTED SPEED-UP RULES

By state association adoption any, all, or any part of the suggested speed-up rules may be used.

COURTESY RUNNERS

4. Players who have participated in the game in any other capacity are ineligible to serve as courtesy runners.

5. A player may not run as a courtesy runner for the pitcher or the catcher and then be used as a substitute for another player in that half inning. If an injury, illness or ejection occurs and no other runners are available, the courtesy runner may be used as a substitute.

[beerguy55]

19 hours ago, Senor Azul said:

From the 2019 NFHS rules

SUGGESTED SPEED-UP RULES

By state association adoption any, all, or any part of the suggested speed-up rules may be used.

Editor's Note - NFHS Speed-Up Rules, as documented for courtesy runners, in no way meet the objective of speeding up the game.  Quite the opposite in fact, but this was the only way we could disguise a way of getting more players into a game, without calling it the "Convince Parents of Benchwarmers That Their Kid Actually Played Rule". 

[Mudisfun]

We do not utilize the speed up rules for HS baseball in the California Southern Section. So if you put in a runner, this is a legal substitution. The starter will have their normal re-entry right and the sub, once pulled is done for the day.

So basically... no CR in HS baseball where I live.