Adding a 10th player in a suspended game

Question
QUESTION: We recently played the second round of our league championship series and the opposing team only had 9 players show. They told us that there was no chance of them getting a 10 player that night. Our league uses a best out of three game series. We won the first game, but we were not playing at a field with lights so the 2nd game ended in the 4th inning with us ahead by 2 runs when the ump called suspended the game for darkness. We are scheduled to continue the game next week, but the other team wants to add a 10th player to finish that game. We told them that they had to finish that game with 9, but they could play 10 players in the third game should they win the second game. What is the official rule on adding a 10th player when play resumes from a suspended game play? I cannot find this rule anywhere. Thanks, Dave

ANSWER: Hi David,

I assume this is SP. In the continuation of the 2nd game they must play with 10 if they have them.  Because they were playing under the shorthanded rule (playing 9) where they were taking an out in the 10th spot under 4-1-b if playing shorthanded and a a sub arrives the sub must be inserted immediately into the vacant spot.

So this is nothing more than if they had a player on their roster show up in the 4th inning and you had lights, they would immediately be put into the game.  However should they have 11 they cannot use them.  You cannot add an EP after the game has begun.4-4-a This is what you might have been thinking and confused it with the shorthanded rule.

Let me know if you have any concerns on this.

Mark


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Mark,

Thanks for your quick response! We are playing slow pitch ASA, but I cannot find a copy of the rules anywhere. Searched the ASA site and it only list the ASA Code and Rule Changes. Clicked on them both, but I get blank pages. Can you tell me an easier way to find rule 4-1-b as you referenced above?

Thanks,

David

Answer
Hi David,

ASA does not publish an authorized version of it's rule book online.  If you are an ASA sanctioned team your manager should have a rule book as they are sent out with sanctioning.  I missed an # in my original answer... sorry...it is 4-1-D-2b Shorthanded rule.  4-4-a is still correct.  The answer is still correct as they must add the player if they have one but I came up short on the complete rule #.

4-1-d-2b  "If playing shorthanded and a substitute arrives, the substitute must be inserted immediately into the vacant spot". (in this case 10th)

Mark