Opponents Lineup Card Incorrect

[amyz4305]

High School Softball game- playing by NFHS rules.

The opponent is using a DP/FLEX they are both listed on the lineup card, the FLEX is normally always listed in the 10 spot on the lineup card. In this situation they were listed in the 9 spot meaning someone was missing from their lineup on the card. So the #4 hitter enters the box and our scorekeeper says this girl is not listed to hit next. A pitch is thrown and I go talk to the umpire, say I don't have this girl listed as hitting next. He checks his card and agrees she is not listed anywhere on the lineup card. Their coach agrees, says oops I forgot to write her in, I wrote her in my book but forgot her on the card.

The umpire called her out and said she would be added in the 4th spot the next time around.

What's everyone's opinion on what the correct call should be??

 

[Comp]

High School Softball game- playing by NFHS rules.

The opponent is using a DP/FLEX they are both listed on the lineup card, the FLEX is normally always listed in the 10 spot on the lineup card. In this situation they were listed in the 9 spot meaning someone was missing from their lineup on the card. So the #4 hitter enters the box and our scorekeeper says this girl is not listed to hit next. A pitch is thrown and I go talk to the umpire, say I don't have this girl listed as hitting next. He checks his card and agrees she is not listed anywhere on the lineup card. Their coach agrees, says oops I forgot to write her in, I wrote her in my book but forgot her on the card.

The umpire called her out and said she would be added in the 4th spot the next time around.

What's everyone's opinion on what the correct call should be??

If the dp/flex is being used the flex MUST be listed in the 10th spot. The umpire should have caught this in the pregame. Fix the lineup warn the coach and play on.

 

[Ajaywill]

The lineup card had been accepted by the home plate umpire with nine players in the lineup, so that team is NOT using the DP/FLEX option for this game. I will address the pre-game here shortly. If the player who stepped into the box as the #4 batter is not listed on the batting lineup, the correct call would be an unreported substitute, warning to coach if first occurrance, player is now in the game, play on. If the player who stepped into the box as the #4 batter is listed elsewhere on the batting lineup, the correct call would be batting out of order, in this case, the correct batter would be brought to the plate to complete the at-bat and assume the count at that point. Once the lineups have been accepted with only nine players in the order, the rules do not allow the addition of the DP/FLEX option.

As Comp mentioned, this should have been caught in the pregame. The umpire, when he takes the lineup from the coach, should say something like "Team A, you are batting a straight 9 in the lineup today, correct?" Hopefully the coach is listening and will catch his mistake at that time and fix the lineup. The coach should also be given tho opportunity to review the lineup after the umpire checks it prior to it becoming official. Hopefully, the umpire would notice only 9 players listed, but the #9 player listed as the FLEX should have generated a question or two....

 

[Comp]

Ajay, while I agree if the umpire had done his job, but it certainly sounds like he didnt. And based on the description of what his ruling was, he wasnt right there either, calling the out, then adding her into the lineup the next time around? Based on the all around screw up by coach and umpire, why not fix the lineup card?

 

[BaldNBeautiful]

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (June 29, 2010) — One of three new rules changes by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Softball Rules Committee outlines penalties for coaches who submit incorrect lineup cards. The changes, which were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors, will take effect with the 2010-11 school year.

Mary Struckhoff, NFHS assistant director and liaison to the Softball Rules Committee, said the penalty was added to Rule 3-1-3 in an attempt to diminish some of the in-game confusion about lineup cards with wrong player/jersey number combinations. The new penalty states that a coach who submits an inaccurate card to the umpire will be issued a team warning upon the first name or number correction to the lineup card. A second change will result in the coach being restricted to the dugout for the remainder of the game.

The committee referenced other team sports where accuracy in the roster and playing order are paramount. Softball is now included among those, and there will be a penalty for the confusion and delays that inaccuracies cause.

“Our coaches should be responsible for submitting accurate information,” Struckhoff said.

The new penalty does not affect the illegal substitution or batting-out-of-order rules.

 

[BaldNBeautiful]

It appears that both the PU and the Coach made mistakes here, but evidently the team in the field did NOT.
If the batter is going tobat in the fourth spot next time, then she has to be a sub. The lineup card was submitted and accepted, the other team got THEIR lineup in correctly.
As for my quote above from the NFHS website, it is really unprofessional for a coach (especially in school ball) to submit a lineup card without the players' names. There is really no excuse for mistakes for first name only, last name only, nick-names, confusion on DP/flex, etc. Take a little time to do it right, then have your asst. coach check behind you!

 

[Crabby_Bob]

[snip]

The committee referenced other team sports where accuracy in the roster and playing order are paramount. Softball is now included among those, and there will be a penalty for the confusion and delays that inaccuracies cause.

“Our coaches should be responsible for submitting accurate information,” Struckhoff said.

It should be clear that they did not consult with the YSISF.

 

[Ajaywill]

Ajay, while I agree if the umpire had done his job, but it certainly sounds like he didnt. And based on the description of what his ruling was, he wasnt right there either, calling the out, then adding her into the lineup the next time around? Based on the all around screw up by coach and umpire, why not fix the lineup card?

I'm ruling based on 3-3-6, If the DP/FLEX option is to be used, it has to be made known prior to the start of the game. That is done by indicating it on the lineup card. This lineup card only had nine players listed in the batting order and was accepted by the plate umpire (and yes, a proper pregame review of the lineup would have prevented this whole mess). If the lineup only lists nine players, then that team is only batting nine players for that game. The coach cannot add the DP/FLEX option once the game has started.

"Fixing" the lineup is referring to changing a number or a name or adding a substitute...what this coach wanted to do was "Change" the lineup by adding a batter into the lineup that was not originally listed.