Flex bats - what's the ruling?

[Comp]

Thanks for looking it up. Only had it happen once and that was a long long time ago.

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[marriard]

Had an odd scenario arise last night in an 8th grade game.

Opposing team was using DP / Flex; DP was bating second in order. Earlier in the game, they had the Flex run for the DP, then DP re-entered. No problem so far.

Summarizing Situation:

• Coming into run for the DP is a substitution. The flex has entered for the DP, lineup goes down to 9 players. The Flex is now in the game in the DP's lineup spot.
• The DP now reenters; the flex returns to the Flex; lineup back to 10.

Next time around the order, after the 9th batter, the Flex bats and gets on base. Batter 1 then grounds out and Flex goes to second.

At this point, our coach notices lineup is off. Since we did not notice the Flex batting prior to the next pitch being thrown, it legitimizes the Flex. But since Flex was not in the hitting lineup, it becomes an unreported substitution that is now legal (right?). Batter 1 completed her at-bat, making batter 2 next up. However, batter 2 is DP, and has already used re-entry. Since the Flex has now been substituted into the game, and can only go in for the DP (who should now have no more re-entries left), how is this resolved? We now have 2 players occupying the same spot in the batting order in the game!

Well this is a mess. Let's see if we can step through it and come up with something that resembles the correct course of action. I can 100% see the umpires getting this wrong - it just isn't something you are going to see and there is a lot of moving parts and doing this onfield is going to take a bit of working out.

Using NFHS Rules since this is school ball from the OP.

This looks covered in NFHS Rule 3.3.6.g/3.5.2.: an illegal substitute; the penalty is that the Player (the Flex) is restricted to the bench and since they are on base, they are called out. However, as the FLEX player didn't attempt to enter for the DP, the DP is still legitimately in the game and hasn't been burned.
Note: Pitching to the batter after the Flex batted DID NOT LEGITIMATIZE THE FLEX AS A SUB as it is not an unreported substitution (which is important), however it did legitimize whatever happened during the Flex's at bat (so if another runner advanced or scored that still stands)

Now, next... is the DP up to bat as the second player in the lineup? Well I am not sure here. The batter who just got out is actually batting out of order in the 2 slot instead of the 1 slot (since the FLEX technically batted in their line up slot), so can you appeal that at-bat as well, and have her called her out and then the next legitimate at bat should be the batter in the 3rd, skipping the DP. I am not sure to be honest.

As @Strike2 says above, this is an ILLEGAL PLAYER in USSSA; which is an ejection of the player and coach and also an out (Rule 5.7.D, Penalty 5.7.B). Different penalty to NFHS, but otherwise effectively the same

 

[slagothar]

Thanks for all the replies! I knew I could count on my friends here to get to the bottom of this (and learn!).