RULE 4 THE FORGOTTEN RULE

DIGGING INTO RULE 4 PRESENTED BY: Kevin Wallace – District #2 Greg Pohl – UIC

RULE 4 Players – Coaches -- Substitutes WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE IN THIS PRESENTATION: A WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF THE MAKE-UP OF RULE 4 Working knowledge - What is contained in this rule – 10 sections – player movement and responsibilities Disqualification vs Ejection What do we have to know in order to present this rule: Basic Line-up card make up and philosophy – re-entry concept – Starting player and substitue Develop an approach or method. Use of tools such as Case Plays, living line-up, quizes, etc.

TEACHING DP/FLEX

REVIEW FOR UMPIRES FLEX MUST PLAY DEFENSE DP MUST PLAY OFFENSE BOTH CANNOT BE IN THE GAME OFFENSIVELY AT THE SAME TIME MOVING FROM 10 TO 9, OR 9 TO 10 IS A SUBSTITUTION AND GOVERNED BY THE SUBSTITUTION RULE

COMMON TOOL LINE UP CARD

THE LINEUP CARD THE DP IS THE OFFENSIVE PLAYER AND MUST REMAIN IN SAME BATTING POSITION FOR THE ENTIRE GAME THE NAME OF PLAYER FOR WHOM THE DP IS BATTING (FLEX) WILL BE PLACED IN 10TH POSITION IN THE LINEUP 7

SUBSTITUTING FOR THE DP BAKER - PINCH-RUNS FOR COOPER COOPER HAS LEFT THE GAME AND MAY RE-ENTER ONCE WRITE BAKER IN THE CORRECT LINEUP POSITION AND ENTER THE PLAYER’S NUMBER BAKER IS NOW THE DP CIRCLE BAKER’S NUMBER Baker 4 8

THE FLEX MAY PLAY OFFENSE IF THE FLEX BATS OR RUNS FOR THE DP, THE DP HAS LEFT THE GAME (THIS IS A SUBSTITUTION – 10 Players to 9) X’ing OUT COOPER’S NUMBER INDICATES THEY HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE GAME. THE FLEX (BROWN) IS NOW PLAYING OFFENSE IN THE 7TH POSITION Any player may re-enter once. THE LINEUP IS NOW DOWN TO 9 9

THE DP RE-ENTERS X THE DP (COOPER) RE-ENTERS TO PLAY OFFENSE (BAT OR RUN) CIRCLING THE “X” INDICATES YOU ARE RE-ENTERING COOPER INTO THE 7TH POSITION. THE FLEX (BROWN) RETURNS TO #10 POSITION PLAYING DEFENSE ONLY (THIS IS A RE-ENTRY – 9 Players to 10) THE FLEX HAS NEVER LEFT THE GAME 10

THE DP MAY PLAY DEFENSE X COOPER PLAYS SECOND BASE AND STILL BATS 7TH ABLE (#17) IS NOW “HITTING ONLY – HO” HO F4 ABLE NO LONGER PLAYS DEFENSE BUT STILL BATS 2ND ABLE HAS NOT LEFT THE GAME 11

THE DP MAY PLAY DEFENSE FOR THE FLEX COOPER GOES IN TO PITCH X’ing OUT BROWNS’S NUMBER INDICATES THEY HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE GAME. HO X BROWN HAS LEFT THE GAME F4 X THE LINEUP IS NOW DOWN TO 9 (THIS IS A SUBSTITUTION – 10 Players to 9) BROWN MAY RE-ENTER ONCE 12

SAMPLE LINEUP CARD ALL SAMPLES WILL USE THIS CARD AND PROGRESS THROUGH A SERIES OF SUBSTITUTIONS 13

Lineup Card Management

SAMPLE EXERCISE #1 “COOPER" (DP) BATS AND GETS ON BASE SAFELY THE OFFENSIVE COACH ASKS FOR TIME TO MAKE A CHANGE “BROWN WILL RUN FOR COOPER" 15

SAMPLE EXERCISE #1 NOTE – COOPER HAS LEFT THE GAME Team XYZ Softball BROWN (FLEX) RUNNING FOR COOPER (DP) NOTE – COOPER HAS LEFT THE GAME Home Visitor Manager John Doe No. Pos Player Subs 1 19 6 Harris 2 17 4 Able 3 20 8 Thomas 4 24 7 Jones 5 15 3 Alexander 6 22 2 Moore x 7 25 DP Cooper 8 7 5 Morris 9 3 9 Rodgers 10 18 1 Brown (FLEX) 11 12 13 14 Substitutes No. Howell 10 Baker 4 Smith 6 Green 55 Defensive Conferences Home 1 2 3 4 Visitors 1 2 3 4 Pos. Courtesy Runner No. P C 16

SAMPLE EXERCISE #2 TWO INNINGS LATER, BROWN SINGLES TO LEFT THE OFFENSIVE COACH ASKS FOR TIME TO MAKE A CHANGE "SMITH RUNNING FOR BROWN AND BROWN WILL STILL BE PITCHING” *THE TEAM IS BACK TO 10 PLAYERS! 17

SAMPLE EXERCISE #2 BACK TO TEN PLAYERS! 6 Team Home Visitor Manager No. Pos 1 19 2 17 4 3 20 8 24 7 5 15 22 25 DP 9 10 18 11 12 13 14 Home Visitors Pos. P C Substitutes XYZ Softball John Doe Player Harris Able Thomas Jones Alexander Moore Cooper Rodgers Brown (FLEX) Morris Howell Baker Smith Green Defensive Conferences Courtesy Runner 55 Subs x SMITH (SUB) RUNNING FOR BROWN (FLEX) SMITH - PINCH-RUNS FOR BROWN WRITE SMITH’S NUMBER IN THE CORRECT LINEUP POSITION SMITH IS NOW THE DP CIRCLE SMITH’S NUMBER (BELOW) BROWN REMAINS IN GAME – PITCHING. THE “X” INDICATING COOPER HAD LEFT THE GAME REMAINS. WRITING “6” IN THE SEVENTH POSITION INDICATES SMITH IS PLAYING OFFENSE AND BROWN HAS RETURNED TO THE “FLEX” POSITION. - COOPER MAY STILL RE-ENTER BACK TO TEN PLAYERS! 18

SAMPLE EXERCISE #2 NOTE – SMITH ENTERS THE GAME FOR THE FIRST TIME AND IS THE NEW DP BROWN (FLEX) HAS NOT LEFT THE GAME – BACK TO DEFENSE ONLY THE LINEUP IS NOW BACK TO 10 PLAYERS 19

SAMPLE EXERCISE #3 IN THE 4TH INNING, THE OFFENSIVE COACH ASKS FOR TIME TO MAKE ANOTHER CHANGE “COOPER TO RE-ENTER AND BAT FOR SMITH” 20

SAMPLE EXERCISE #3 COOPER (DP) RE-ENTERS FOR SMITH CIRCLE THE #6 INDICATING “SMITH” HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE BATTING ORDER. THE LINE UP CARD IS NOW BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL START. 6 Team Home Visitor Manager No. Pos 1 19 2 17 4 3 20 8 24 7 5 15 22 25 DP 9 10 18 11 12 13 14 Home Visitors Pos. P C Substitutes XYZ Softball John Doe Player Harris Able Thomas Jones Alexander Moore Cooper Rodgers Brown (FLEX) Morris Howell Baker Smith Green Defensive Conferences Courtesy Runner 55 Subs x 21

SAMPLE EXERCISE #3 NOTE – COOPER HAS USED THEIR RE-ENTRY SMITH HAS LEFT THE GAME AND MAY RE-ENTRY ONCE *MUST BE IN SAME SPOT! 22

SAMPLE EXERCISE #4 IN THE NEXT HALF INNING, THE DEFENSIVE COACH ASKS FOR TIME TO MAKE ANOTHER CHANGE “COOPER (DP) WILL PLAY DEFENSE IN CENTER FIELD FOR THOMAS” 23

SAMPLE EXERCISE #4 COOPER (DP) TO PLAY DEFENSE IN CENTER FIELD FOR THOMAS THOMAS IS NOW “HITTING ONLY – HO” COOPER CONTINUES TO HIT IN THE #7 SPOT OF THE LINE UP. 6 Team Home Visitor Manager No. Pos 1 19 2 17 4 3 20 8 24 7 5 15 22 25 DP 9 10 18 11 12 13 14 Home Visitors Pos. P C Substitutes XYZ Softball John Doe Player Harris Able Thomas Jones Alexander Moore Cooper Rodgers Brown (FLEX) Morris Howell Baker Smith Green Defensive Conferences Courtesy Runner 55 Subs x HO 24

SAMPLE EXERCISE #4 NOTE – COOPER, THE DP IS NOW PLAYING OFFENSE AND DEFENSE THOMAS STILL BATS IN THE 3RD POSITION IN THE LINEUP, IS HITTING ONLY (HO) AND HAS NOT LEFT THE GAME 25

SAMPLE EXERCISE #5 AN INNING LATER, THE DEFENSIVE COACH ASKS FOR TIME TO MAKE ANOTHER CHANGE “COOPER WILL MOVE TO RIGHT FIELD AND PLAY DEFENSE FOR RODGERS; THOMAS WILL GO BACK TO CENTER FIELD.” 26

SAMPLE EXERCISE #5 THOMAS GOES BACK TO CENTER FIELD 6 Team Home Visitor Manager No. Pos 1 19 2 17 4 3 20 8 24 7 5 15 22 25 DP 9 10 18 11 12 13 14 Home Visitors Pos. P C Substitutes XYZ Softball John Doe Player Harris Able Thomas Jones Alexander Moore Cooper Rodgers Brown (FLEX) Morris Howell Baker Smith Green Defensive Conferences Courtesy Runner 55 Subs x COOPER (DP) TO PLAY DEFENSE IN RIGHT FIELD FOR RODGERS COOPER STILL BATS IN THE 7TH POSITION RODGERS IS NOW “HITTING ONLY – HO” HO THOMAS GOES BACK TO CENTER FIELD 27

SAMPLE EXERCISE #5 NOTE – COOPER (DP) IS STILL PLAYING OFFENSE AND DEFENSE 28

REPORTING SUBSTITUTES MANAGER, COACH OR TEAM REPRESENTATIVE MUST NOTIFY PLATE UMPIRE. PLATE UMPIRE NOTIFIES THE SCORER AND OPPOSING TEAM. RECORD INFORMATION ON THE LINE-UP CARD. HOW TO MANAGE YOUR LINE-UP CARD: ADD SUB’S NUMBER IN THE CURRENT PLAYER’S SPOT CIRCLE SUB’S NUMBER IN THE SUB SECTION OF THE LINEUP CARD

LINE UP CARD MANAGEMENT GOOD LINE-UP MANAGEMENT KEEPS YOU OUT OF TROUBLE PROPER PREVENTIVE UMPIRING KEEPS THE COACH OUT OF TROUBLE

RULE 4 THANKS FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION QUESTIONS