Softball Rules

Important Things To Know

Any rules not specificed on this page can be found at USSSA Website.

• There can only be up to 4 more total males in the lineup than females.  i.e. 7 males and 3 females or 8 males and 4 females.  If an 8th male or more wants to be added to the lineup, a corresponding female must be added as well. Outs cannot be taken in place of girls when wanting to add 8 or more males to the lineup. Unlimited female hitters however.
• 10 maximum players on the field with 7 males maximum on the field - no maximum of females.
• Minimum of 2 females in the INFIELD. Girl outfielders may play in front of the coed line and do NOT count against any defensive switch limit.
• Teams are responsible for their own bats and gloves as long as they are USSSA approved (bats must have USSSA stamp) or be approved by a club representitive.
• Team must provide their own game balls (44 cor .375 compression males, .400-44 compression females). Teams can also buy balls from staff for $7 per ball.

Game Play

FORFEITS:

• If a team does not present an eligible roster before the 10-minute grace period, the game will be considered a forfeit.
• An eligible roster must have 7 players from their team. Of those 7 players, one player must be a female. 
• Forfeits get recorded as a 10-0 win/loss.

START OF GAME:

• Rock, Paper, Scissors will determine home and away during regular season.
• 10-minute grace periods for shorthanded teams.
• Teams must exchange lineups before start of the game.

TIME:

• Minimum of 4 innings and Max of 7 innings or 60 minutes.
• After the 50 minute mark has passed, we will not start a new inning. Once the current inning has completed, the game will be over.
• Tie games are possible but not favored. OT if time permits.
• The clock starts when the home team takes the field in the top of the 1st inning or at umpire’s starting if team is shorthanded. The 10-minute grace period counts toward the 60 minutes of play.
• Play continues until an umpire calls time.

SCORING:

• There is no mercy rule in regular season.
• A 10-run cap is in place for run differential for all games.

Ball In Play

LIVE BALL:

• Ball to the pitcher in the pitchers area can result in the play being over.
• If the ball is thrown into or makes contact with the net by a defensive player, that ball is considered a live ball. 

OUT OF BOUNDS:

• Overthrows/deflections etc; over the fence or in the dugout or touches a player on defensive team or equipment standing outside the dugout are out of bounds.
• If a ball is considered to be out of bounds, the play is dead and runners will go to the base they running to plus an extra base.
• If offensive team interferes with a live ball, the play is dead and runners can be deemed out or made to return to previous base based on umpire discretion.

Equipment

EQUIPMENT:

• Players are responsible for their own gloves.
• Players must wear some sort of athletic shoes, but METAL CLEATS not allowed.
• It is recommended that infield players wear a mask to protect against hard hit balls. Players who play without a mask are playing at their own risk.

BATS:

• Players are responsible for bringing their own bats as long as they are USSSA approved (bats must have USSSA stamp) or be approved by a club representitive.
• Teams have the right to ask officials to inspect bats.

BALLS:

• Team must provide their own game balls
• MENS use 44 cor .375 compression 
• FEMALES use 44 cor .400-44 compression
• Teams can also buy balls from staff for $7 per ball.

Roster Requirements

TEAM PLAYERS:

• There is no maximum amount of players allowed on a roster.
• There can only be up to 4 more total males in the lineup than females.  i.e. 7 males and 3 females or 8 males and 4 females.  If an 8th male or more wants to be added to the lineup, a corresponding female must be added as well. Outs cannot be taken in place of girls when wanting to add 8 or more males to the lineup. Unlimited female hitters however.
• 10 maximum players on the field with 7 Males maximum on the field - no maximum of females.
• Females can compensate for males, but not vice versa.
• Teams can play with the minimal of 7 players from their roster, but outs will be assumed in place of missing players.
• Minimum of 2 females in the INFIELD.
• Every player present hits in the designated batting lineup. Hitting out of order results in an out for the batter that was out of order and the batters future turn is skipped.
• Players that are late are added to the end of the lineup as long as they arrive before the start of the 4th inning.

TEAM CAPTAIN:

• Each team should have a team captain that is responsible for registering the team.
• The team captain needs to attend the captains meeting at the beginning of each game, and is the ONLY person that can speak to the umpires during the game about calls, fouls, etc. The team captain is expected to address the umpires and staff in a respectful manner.
• The team captain shall serve as the "liaison" between the club and their team, and is expected to attend captains’ meetings, and notify teammates of cancellations, changes, rules, policies, etc.
• Any disputes or contested calls must be addressed with the club officials and team captains.  The dispute or contested call must occur before the next pitch in an at-bat otherwise it is no longer valid and play resumes.

GUEST PLAYERS:

• No more than 3 guest players allowed playing in a game. Guest players do not have to be okayed by opposing team.
• No guest players are permitted if other team is short-handed as well until teams are at equal strength. 
• Guest players must hit at the end of the lineup and play only in the outfield. The only exception is if all 3 guests are females then one can play catcher.

Defense & Fielding

FIELDING:

• Minimum of 2 females in the INFIELD.
• Teams playing with 9 players or less the team must fill all designated "baseball" positions on the field.
• Players in the lineup are not required to play in the field.
• Any guest player must play in the outfield. The exception to this rule is if all 3 guest players are female, then one of the females may play pitcher or catcher to meet the infield requirements. 

CO-ED LINES:

• When females are hitting, ALL male outfielders must be behind the 200' line in the outfield.
• Girl outfielders may play in front of the coed line and do NOT count against any defensive switch limit.
• If the official determines the rule above was broken during the at bat, the female batter will be awarded 1st base.

FIRST BASE:

• 1st baseman must be on or against the white bag and not the safety bag when attempting to field a throw from another infielder for an out.

CATCHERS:

• Catchers must stand set up behind the batter and home plate until ball is hit.
• Catchers cannot block home plate on a play at the plate unless they have possession before the runner gets there.
• Fly ball foul tips to the catcher are outs only when the tipped ball surpasses the batter’s height otherwise it is a foul ball or a strike out depending on the count.

SUBSTITUTIONS:

• All present players bat in the designated lineup.
• At the start of each inning, a team can play any player from the lineup at any defensive position.
• 1 defensive switch per position, per inning (pre-pitch). A defensive switch is only considered when one player swaps for another physical player. Players can move wherever after the ball has left the pitchers hand.

Pitches & Fouls

PITCHING:

• Pitches must be underhand and slow in velocity.
• Pitcher must set the plant foot on the rubber before the windup.
• Pitch can have any spin desirable.
• When pitching, pump fakes are not allowed. If an umpire deems the pitcher used a pump fake, a warning is issued (no pitch) and subsequent offenses awards the batter a ball. 

PITCHES:

• Pitch must be at least 5' in height but no more than 10' in height.
• Batters start with a 1-1 count.
• 2 fouls equal an OUT.
• 3 strikes is a strike out.
• With 2 strikes any foul or strike thereafter results in an out.
• If a male walks with a female batting after, the female must hit unless the walk occurs with 2 outs. The female then has the option to hit or walk. The male batter is awarded 1st base in all cases unless the female chooses to walk in which case the male is awarded 2nd base.
• All batters must touch each base they are advancing to when a walk occurs.

FOUL BALLS:

• If the ball hits the pitching net it is a foul ball on the first time in the at bat. If it happens again in the same at bat the batter is out. If the batter has a 2 strike count and hits the net, it is an out.
• Fly ball foul tips to the catcher are outs only when the tipped ball surpasses the batter’s height otherwise it is a foul ball or a strike out depending on the count.
• The ball must stay in between the 1st and 3rd base, but after the bases it can roll out of the foul line and still be fair.
• If the ball ever touches a player in fair territory, ball is fair. If ball ever touches a player in foul territory then ball is foul. Where ever it is first touched determines if it is fair or foul.
• If a player is standing in fair territory and reaches into foul territory to touch the ball, it's a foul ball.

Offense & Hitting

LINEUP:

• There can only be up to 4 more total males in the lineup than females.  i.e. 7 males and 3 females or 8 males and 4 females.  If an 8th male or more wants to be added to the lineup, a corresponding female must be added as well. Outs cannot be taken in place of girls when wanting to add 8 or more males to the lineup. Unlimited female hitters however.
• Lineups must be written and posted in the dugout and also exchanged if the other team requests.
• Every player present hits in the designated batting lineup. Hitting out of order results in an out for the batter that was out of order and the batters future turn is skipped.

HITTING:

• Bunting is not permissible.
• Batter must stand in batters box when making contact.
• Only USSSA stamped bats are permitted. Use of any altered bats will result in at least the guilty player expulsion from the league.

HOME RUNS:

• Teams can hit 2 more homeruns than their opponent. Any ball over the fence after that is an out.

SAFETY & NON-PLAYERS:

• Bat bags, coolers, personal belongings are to be stored in the teams dugout or out of play. The exceptions are club equipment and club personnel equipment. Violation of this rule can cause gameplay itself to be paused but running clock still in effect.
• For safety and overall gameplay, players not in play, with the exception of club officials/ deemed personnel, are NOT allowed behind or around the home plate area during play. "Home plate area" spans the area around home plate to the backstop all the way to the dugout. Violation of this rule could induce subsequent interference calls based upon umpire discretion.
• For players with children, they must be OK’d by the umpire to be in the dugout.
• No animals in the dugouts or fields unless they are a service animal. 

BASE COACHES:

• Are optional.
• Cannot touch the ball in play or interfere with the defense.
• Cannot physically assist runners.
• Any interference will result in an out for the batter and/or runner.

Running / Scoring

BASE RUNNING:

• Ties DO NOT go to the runner.
• There will be NO SLIDING allowed into 1B when running from home plate.
• All hitters running through 1B must use the safety base or they will be called out. Runners looking to round the base can use the inside base.
• NO leading off when pitcher has ball until ball is hit by bat.
• Runners must stay within 3ft of the baseline/vice versa for fielders. Exceptions are made when rounding bases at full speed.
• Base runners leaving early while a player is hitting will be called out, and play is dead. Batter must re-hit.
• Sliding is allowed as long as NO CONTACT with any fielder. Violation of this rule will result in an out and possibly an ejection or suspension.
• Fielders CANNOT block any base on a play at the base. If an errant throw leads them into the runner's path then they must make every effort possible to get out of the way of the runner after making the catch.
• NO running past another runner (2nd runner will be out).
• Infield fly is in effect (multiple base runners in force out situation means batter is automatically called out) with less than 2 outs.
• If a hitter runs through first base, and turns around back to base, they must show intent to run to second to be considered in play.

TAGGING UP:

• Tagging up is permitted.

PINCH RUNNING:

• Injured players may get a runner from the fence during their at-bat. The runner will count against their pinch-runner inning limit for that specific gender. That runner will only be allowed to advance up to 2nd.
• Pinch runners must be of same gender.
• Limited to one per inning per gender.
• In the event of an in game injury, player may be removed without penalty (as long as game minimum requirements are met), and cannot reenter.

Interference

• Runners' interference is safe to base (catcher making contact with hitter while hitter is making contact with the ball or a fielder impeding the baseline). If referee deems that runner could have another base as a result, another base can be awarded.
• In the event a runner and fielder collide in the base path or on the base, the runner is automatically safe (unless the fielder has the ball in clear possession which results in an out) and could be awarded the next base if deemed necessary by referees.
• Overthrows over the fence are out of bounds and give a runner an extra base and dead ball. (1 extra base past the one they are heading towards).

Playoffs

• All playoff games are subject to mercy rule. 15 run lead after 3, 12 after 4, 10 after 5.
• NO guest players are allowed for playoffs unless team is shorthanded.
• Teams may not pick up players who are on the roster of another team in the same league. 
• Home and Away and field assignments will be determined by higher seeds. Captains must be at the field 10 minutes prior to game time to go through the process.
• An eligible roster player is someone who played and was counted as present on the signed roster sheet at least 3 times during the season to be eligible for playoffs or seek Club Representitive approval.
• In extra innings, the last batter of the previous inning will start on 2B.
• This runner cannot be pinch ran for and the inning still starts with no outs.
• If last "batter" was an automatic out to end the previous inning, then no runner starts on 2B.