ASA defensive conference

Question
Regarding defensive charged conferences RS#9A.  It states it is not a charged conference if the pitcher is REMOVED.  Does that include a pitching CHANGE (i.e. moving a player from F1 to F6 and F6 into F1)?  I guess where I'm confused is the last sentence (which has to do with extra innings but uses the same wording - the pitcher must be removed) "If the pitcher returns to the pitching position after being removed and one pitch is thrown, the pitcher is disqualified."  I was under the impression that if a pitcher is changed in the 2nd inning, as long as they stay in the line up, they can return to pitch in the 5th.  As I read the rule, it sounds like this is not true.  Or maybe I am reading to much into it.  Now that I sit here and think about it, let me see if this understanding is correct.  If a coach uses his 3 conferences (no pitching change) then comes out the 4th time and makes a pitching change (not a charged conference) the 1st pitcher can still come back to the mound.  If after 3 conferences, the 4th time he comes out and does not make a pitching change, he has violated the charged conference rule and the pitcher is REMOVED and is subject to the last sentence of RS#9A.  With all that said, where am I right or wrong?  Thanks again.

Answer
Hi Don,

It sure helps me to know that you are asking an ASA question; thank you.

When a pitcher is REMOVED after a defensive conference, that conference is not considered as CHARGED.  A pitcher is considered to have been REMOVED from the pitching position, after her coach confers with the defense, whether she goes to another defensive position, say to F6, and F6 comes in as F1, OR leaves the game and is replaced by either a substitute or a re-entering starter.  That pitcher may return to pitch.  However, if that pitcher was removed because the defense had been charged with its fourth defensive conference in a seven-inning game, or because the pitcher was removed because the defense had been charged with its second charged defensive conference in a single inning of an extra-inning game, then that pitcher would not be allowed to return to pitch without penalty.  A removed pitcher can return to pitch over and over again as long as she is not violating any of the substitution rules.

Scott Kelly