Courtesy runner rule

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Jul 13, 2020
3
1
In bracket play, it is the top of the 7th inning and the catcher gets a hit and is on first. The coach replaces the catcher with a courtesy runner, last batted out not the pitcher. The courtesy runner makes it all the way to 3rd with two outs. The runners place in the batting order comes up. The coach calls for another runner, so that the current runner can bat. The other coach argues that you can not do that. The umps agreed and called the runner out, since we were down a run that ended the game. After the umps have left, the coach calls the tournament director and confirms that it was the wrong call according to them and we can come back to finish the game. It was too late at that point it was dark and the other team had left. I thought I had seen it all, but have never ended a tournament like that before.
 
Apr 1, 2017
539
93
The tournaments we typically play are also "last batted out". However, we did play one this summer that used "furthest away from batting". Most extreme example would be if batter before the catcher hit a home run, and then would be courtesy runner.
 
Aug 29, 2011
2,583
83
NorCal
Tournaments can have their own rules. I've seen a ton of different courtesy runner rules in pool play but nearly every tournament I think we played in over the years courtesy runner in bracket play had to be a sub on the bench who had not entered the game and same runner could not CR for 2 different players.

That said even in pool play if your CR was on base when her turn in the lineup came up, she was out as a base runner and took her turn at bat unless that was the 3rd out.
 
May 29, 2015
3,834
113
Broken record TMIB ... KNOW YOUR CODE. But not only that, you have to know what you are playing in (pool/bracket) and what THAT tournament is doing.

Each code has specific courtesy runner requirements. Some codes have more than one and they change every year. Case in point, your example was applied correctly by the umpires IF you were playing USA pool play rules. USA changed to allow you to use just about anybody you want to be a courtesy runner, but if she comes up to bat while on base she is OUT. This is different in USA bracket play where you can only use eligible courtesy runners. Unless your tournament decides to do something different.

On a tangent ... why would you wait to call the TD that night? I am probably wrong, but to me that protest should be like an on-field appeal. You lost your window when everybody left. If I got that call, I'm sorry. You have my condolences and know better next time.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,869
Messages
680,018
Members
21,584
Latest member
mkhill45
Top