DP and Pitcher (Girls Fastpitch)

Question
I recently coached against a team that had their line-up set up pretty typical with a DP (3-hole) and the Flex (10 hole) was the Pitcher.  Imediately at the Home Plate Meeting, when Home Plate Ump asked if any changes needed to be made, the Coach made a substitution and said the DP was now entering to pitch.  I asked the coach later why he did it that way and he said one of his pitchers Hits and the other doesnt, so by doing that when he was pitching the one who hits, she can enter and leave the game as many times as she wants being the DP and doesnt waste a Substitution if he has to bring the other pitcher into the game because she was already the Flex and the DP would be able to still hit.

Is this true?  If so, does this mean you would be able to reenter the Flex & DP for each other more then once?  Also, if that is the case, in games where the other pitcher pitches and the pitcher who hits plays a Position such as 1B, couldn't you list that same pitcher as DP and then imediately enter her to play 1B at the start of the game and the listed 1B would still hit, therefore basically being the DP?

Answer
Hi Jeff,

If you want to play the DP/Flex you must do so at the start of the game, and that's what (s)he's doing, starting w/10.  

Now the DP can play defense for the Flex, however this is considered a substitution for the Flex and takes the game down to 9.  The Flex can re-enter once, since the Flex normally doesn't bat (they can but that's a different part of the rule) the DP can go back to playing offense only and continue to bat 3rd if (s)he wants to change pitchers.  This is not considered a substitution for the DP and they obviously have not left the game.

Later if they put the DP back into pitch and the Flex leaves the game that particular Flex player is done. (the Flex position stills lives and they can put another player into that slot if they want to) However they can put the DP back into pitch, move the Flex to a different defensive position as shown below.... w/out the Flex leaving the game if they want to save them to pitch later.

The DP can play defense for any other player w/out it being considered a substitution.  So if they want yes they can have both the DP and the Flex playing defense (wherever they want, DP pitching, Flex pitching, Dp or Flex playing somewhere else)at the same time and the player the DP in now playing defense for continues to bat and is not considered to have left the game.  The original 9 are still batting But both 3 and 10 are playing defense.

OK?

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