Where do you get the idea of any segment # limitations? Such are not listed anywhere under Award Travel Rules.
Maxium segments DeltaMatic can price out are 8. It can ticket more than 8 (e.g. 10), but it can't price out more than 8. If you want more than 8 segments, you need to get it first ticketed/priced with 8, then get the agent to "revalidate" (w/o repricing) the ticket with more than 8.
A <24 connection is not a stopover, it is a connection.