slowpitch softball

Question
QUESTION: Womens slowpitch tourny. ASA rules, a team has 12 gals down in book to bat, this is ok per their league rules. Starting from the first inning, they have a gal playing defense but they do NOT have her down batting in the lineup. They go through 3 innings before someone notices this gal has not batted yet. What is the ruling on this? And please give rule number and section. Would this make offending team forfeit the game? Thanks

ANSWER: Hi Jan,

even though this local rule deviates somewhat w/ ASA rules we can still use it the same as ASA EP rules only in this case you have 2 EPs similar to co-ed.

The only thing you have here is BOO (batting out of order) nothing more.  Let's say B2 on the lineup is the one who didn't bat.  Simply saying in the 3rd inning "hey blue... #1, B2 has never batted" doesn't mean anything.  A BOO is always an appeal by the defense. you have to catch it.  I'm wondering why the 1st time she should have batted your book didn't catch it.

Anyway the only way you get a penalty is when you appeal it.  B1 bats, then B3, you can now appeal B3 BOO and if B3 hasn't finished the turn at bat, B2 simply takes their place w/ the count.  If B3 finished their turn at bat and you throw a pitch to B4 everything that happened in now legal.  You can go the whole game like that if the defense doesn't catch it at the time of the BOO.  The umpire and the official scorer cannot say anything.

If you catch it after B3 completed their turn at bat and before a pitch to B4, now you can get penalties depending on what happened during the turn at bat.  ASA 7-2-a-f is what you want.

There is no way to get a forfeit on this.

Mark

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

QUESTION: So even though they had 13 gals playing defense, 10 at a time. One gal played defense and Never batted, and they never had her name in batting order. How can 13 gals (like 3 ep's now) just be batting out of order pentalty? They cannot bat 13?
    It was ruled as an unreported substition, and since "no one" knew who she was to have gone in for, she was just removed from game and assumed that the correct person was just re-entered (stayed in game). It was caught when number 1 batter was done with her legal turn at bat in third or fourth inning. So no batting out of order was ruled, she, the 13'th defense, was just removed from game, with no penalty. Does unreported substitution work/apply in this situation? and if so what is penatlt and rule that applies? Thank you


Answer
Hi Jan,

It would be an unreported sub and depending on who and when it was brought to the umpire's attention would determine the penalty, if any.  If she was not at bat and they were on offense there would be no penalty and she could remain in the game by being reported.  If she had been reported after making a play on defense or after batting (before the next pitch to a batter) there could be a penalty.  The penalties for an US are nothing to pretty minor.

Confusing situation I know.

Mark