Rules

Jump to: 6U 8U 10U 13U 14U

6U RULES

Game Rules

Game time is 1 hour or 5 innings, whichever comes first.
Game starts at start time. Warm-ups must be done ahead of time.
Home team is listed first on the schedule and occupies third base side.
No strikeouts or walks.
If an offensive player is out, they leave the bases and return to their dugout.
No forfeits. OK to loan players for fielding.
Coaching is allowed on the field during the games; one offensive coach at the mound, the other defensive coach behind the infield.
No umpires required.
No official scores or standings.
Four run rule per inning

Batting Rules

Player must hit to get on base.
Players bat in continuous order.
Late players can be added to the end of the lineup.
Coach decides on a player-player basis if they receive coach pitch or go straight to tee.
Max three coach pitches, then use tee. Coach pitches from a safe distance in front of plate.
Three outs in a half inning or max four run rule.
Facemasks are optional, but recommended as they are required for upper divisions of play.

Fielding Rules

Play stops when the defensive player attempts to throw the ball to the pitcher and the ball reaches the infield.
Pitcher does not need to have control of the ball for the play to stop.
Players must be in their defensive position in the field when the batter swings. In other words the short stop should start play between 2nd and 3rd base, the pitcher should start play where the pitching mound would be etc.

Absolutely no arguing with the umpires!

8U RULES

GENERAL RULES

As 8U games may be played on both 8U fields and larger, the base distance will either be 55’ or 60’.
The pitching distance will be 30’.
11” low compression softballs.
Batting helmets must have masks and chinstraps.
Catchers must wear protective gear (shin guards, chest guard and catcher’s mask)
Home team supplies bases (if they are not present)

Game Rules

Game time is 1 hr 15 minutes, or five innings (whichever comes first). No new inning after 1 hour
Game starts at start time. Warm-ups must be done ahead of time.
Teams can have 10 players on the field (4 outfielders).
No forfeits. OK to loan players for fielding.
No stealing or sliding.
Lead off permitted on pitcher’s release.
Limit of 4 runs per inning every inning.
The fielding team will provide umpires (in 8U, no umpires – the fielding team’s coach makes the call)
No official scores or standings.

Fielding

Outfielders must be stationed on the grass, not the infield.
If an overthrown ball goes out of play, baserunner gets base plus one.
An uncontrolled throw or a bobbled ball is “live” and the baserunner can advance until the defensive player throws the ball back to the pitcher. (Play stops when the ball is inside the pitcher circle with or without pitcher control.)
Baserunner is awarded next base once the play stops if they have reached the half-way point as judged by the coaches.

Batting

Player must hit to get on base.
Players bat in continuous order as designated by lineup.
Late players can be added to the end of the lineup.
Bunting is allowed.
No dropped 3^rd strike (in 8U there are no strike outs)

Pitching

2 inning limit for player-pitchers, plus 1 additional if the game goes more than 4 innings.
No walks. After 4 balls a coach-pitcher will enter the circle and pitch.
No strikeouts. After three strikes (from either player-pitcher and/or coach-pitcher), use a tee.

Position and Substitution Rules

All players bat: no pinch hitters.
By the 4th inning, all players should have played infield and outfield.
Players who cannot protect themselves from sharply hit balls should not be played as pitcher.
There should be an attempt to give all players equal playing time.

Absolutely no arguing with the umpires!

10U RULES

Absolutely no arguing with the umpires.

13U RULES

These local rules are adopted for Inter-league recreational play. The inter-league games further adopt the general Official Rules of Softball published by the ASA for Junior Olympic girl’s fast pitch. In addition, the inter-league has agreed to:

Start time: within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time (based on field availability).
Home team is responsible for notifying the visiting team of postponements or unplayable field conditions. If a game is postponed, rescheduling is the responsibility of the home team.
Home team takes the third base dugout and is responsible for preparing the field before each game and maintains the official scorebook for the game.
Only players, managers, coaches and scorekeepers are permitted to occupy the player benches.

Local Rules for 13-u Division Games

Games may be played with as few as 8 players in a line-up. No out is taken for the 9th spot in the batting order (No ASA Short Hand Rule applied).
Ten players are allowed on defense, six infielders and four outfielders on the grass.
Players may be openly substituted in the defense without limitation. Umpires do not record defensive changes but must receive a line-up from each team that shows the batting line-up and pitching and catching assignments.
All players on the team are in the batting order. Players appear anywhere in the batting order determined at the beginning of the game regardless of whether the player is a starting defensive player or a substitute.
If a player arrives after the game has begun, add her to the bottom of the order (exception: late arriving player whose first turn at bat has not passed). If a player leaves the game early, skip her at bat without penalty. In either case, the umpire and opposing team must be notified prior to the added or missing player’s at bat.
A half inning ends when the defensive team achieves three outs, or if during the first three innings, the offensive team scores four runs.
If the visiting team is losing by 13 or more after their at bat in the fourth inning, or any subsequent inning, the Mercy Rule is invoked. Conversely if the home team is losing by 13 or more runs after completion of their at bat in the fourth inning, or any subsequent inning, the Mercy Rule is invoked.
Game playing time is 1 hour 40 minutes. Once the game playing time has passed the time limit, no new inning may begin. Game play must be complete in 120 minutes – NO EXCEPTIONS! Ties are allowed
Pitching distance is 40 feet.
Pitchers are not inning limited, but the coaches should endeavor to provide the opportunity to those girls who want to pitch and are capable of doing so.
A pitcher must be removed if she unavoidably hits 3 batters in the course of an inning. She may return to pitch in later innings, but if she hits another batter that pitcher must be relived from pitching for the remainder of the game.
If an illegal pitch is committed, a ball is charged to the pitch count; runners do not advance.
Courtesy runners are allowed as substitutions for the next inning’s pitcher and/or catcher. The courtesy runner must be announced prior to the substitution and must be the player in the dugout who is least likely to come to bat that inning (bottom of the batting order at the start of the inning).
Injured players, no longer able to play, will be treated as if they had to leave the game early- no out shall be automatically taken. An injured player may reenter the game upon agreement of the opposing Managers and the umpire(s). An injured batter/runner may be substituted with a Courtesy Runner (see 13u-13).
For the first three innings, a 4-run rule limit is to be applied. In the case where a team is behind, the team is allowed to go beyond the 4-run limit and take the lead by 1 run. After the third inning, there is no run limit.
Bats must have the ASA 2004 certification mark.

Absolutely no arguing with the umpires

14U RULES

Start time: within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time (based on field availability).
Home team is responsible for notifying the visiting team of postponements or unplayable field conditions. If a game is postponed, rescheduling is the responsibility of the home team.
Home team takes the third base dugout and is responsible for preparing the field before each game and maintains the official scorebook for the game.
Only players, managers, coaches and scorekeepers are permitted to occupy the player benches.

Local Rules for 14-u Division Games

Games may be played with as few as 8 players in a line-up. No out is taken for the 9th spot in the batting order (No ASA Short Hand Rule applied).
Nine players are allowed on defense, six infielders and three outfielders on the grass.
Players may be openly substituted in the defense without limitation. Umpires do not record defensive changes but must receive a line-up from each team that shows the batting line-up and pitching and catching assignments.
All players on the team are in the batting order. Players appear anywhere in the batting order determined at the beginning of the game regardless of whether the player is a starting defensive player or a substitute.
If a player arrives after the game has begun, add her to the bottom of the order (exception: late arriving player whose first turn at bat has not passed). If a player leaves the game early, skip her at bat without penalty. In either case, the umpire and opposing team must be notified prior to the added or missing player’s at bat.
A half inning ends when the defensive team achieves three outs, or if during the first three innings, the offensive team scores four runs.
If the visiting team is losing by 13 or more after their at bat in the fourth inning or any subsequent inning the Mercy Rule is invoked. Conversely if the home team is losing by 13 or more runs after completion of their at bat in the fourth inning or any subsequent inning the Mercy Rule is invoked.
Game playing time is 1 hour 40 minutes. Once the game playing time has passed the time limit, no new inning may begin. Game play must be complete in 120 minutes – NO EXCEPTIONS! Ties are allowed.
Pitching distance is 43 feet.
Pitchers are not inning limited, but the coaches should endeavor to provide the opportunity to those girls who want to pitch and are capable of doing so.
A pitcher must be removed if she unavoidably hits 3 batters in the course of an inning. She may return to pitch in later innings, but if she hits another batter that pitcher must be relived from pitching for the remainder of the game.
If an illegal pitch is committed, a ball is charged to the pitch count; runners do not advance.
Courtesy runners are allowed as substitutions for the next inning’s pitcher and/or catcher. The courtesy runner must be announced prior to the substitution and must be the player in the dugout who is least likely to come to bat that inning (bottom of the batting order at the start of the inning).
Injured players, no longer able to play, will be treated as if they had to leave the game early- no out shall be automatically taken. An injured player may reenter the game upon agreement of the opposing Managers and the umpire(s). An injured batter/runner may be substituted with a Courtesy Runner.
Bats must have the ASA 2004 certification mark.