3rd-4th Softball RULES
Age Limits:– 9-10 year olds may play. Any player turning 11 before Sept 1 must play at the next level.
- Softballs: The home team provides 1 new softball per game and it will be an 11 inch softball.
- Rules: Follow Little League rules.
- Distances: The field will have 60-foot base paths and a 35-foot mound (Feb. 2015).
- Hitting/Pitching: No walks. Girls will pitch up to 4 balls. Then hitting team coach, who is positioned on the moundthroughout the game, pitches to the batter. The count starts at where it left off. So if you have two strikes you get one strike left. A foul ball on third strike is not an out (2016). Pitcher must stay and field position in pitching circle (Feb. 2015) See rule #10 for pitching circle.
- Equipment : Bats must be softball bats. Shoes – no metal spikes allowed.
- Hitters: The entire roster bats every game
- Batting helmets: Must be worn at all times by any offensive player while on the field of play. PROTECTIVE MASK: New Rule (2016) All pitchers, 1stand 3rdbase positions must wear a mask on defense.
- Strikeouts:The dropped third strike will still be a strike out no matter what.
- Suspended play: There shall be a line with a 5-foot radius from the pitching rubber drawn around the rubber to form a 10-foot circle. Once the ball gets to the pitcher inside the circle the play shall be suspended and all runners at least half way to the next base shall have the right to advance to that base and only that base. Any runner not halfway to the next base shall have to go back to the last base they touched and shall return freely without risk.
- Overthrows:Any ball that travels 10 or more feet into foul territory will be considered an overthrow, and runner may advance 1 base only. Infield overthrows are treated the same as foul ball overthrows.
- Bunting: – is not allowed.
- Thrown bats – A thrown bat is one that is wildly propelled more than 6 feet. Violations will be automatic outs and play stopped immediately, with no runners advancing.
- Leading off: Runners may not leave the base until the ball is struck. Leaving early is an automatic out.
- Stealing: Is not allowed. No Advancing on Wild Pitches (2018).
- Sliding:All runners must avoid contact with fielders.
- Number of fielders: There may be up to 10 defensive players on the field. There shall be a maximum of 6 infielders at one time. The 4 outfielders must stay in the outfield grass. Any agreed upon additional players must be played in the outfield. 3/2010
- Defensive substitutions: There will be free defensive substitutions.
- Pitchers:get 8 warm up pitches per inning
- Pitchers:Cannot pitch more than 3 innings (or 9 outs) unless the game goes to extra innings and then he/she can pitch 1 extra inning.
- Wild pitchers: A pitcher shall be removed from the game after hitting 3 batters at anytime during the game.
- Players: A team must have at least 8 to play a game. Less than 8 is a forfeit.
- Catchers: All catchers’ equipment is required.
- Scoring limits: 6 runs maximumper inning, including the last inning.
- Length of game: Games begin at 6:15 p.m.and no new innings started after 8:00 pm. The home plate umpire is the official timekeeper.
- Rainouts – Home coach will call game off by 5 p.m.
- Coaches: Are not allowed to touch base runners. Violations will cause the runner to be out.
- Umpires: Home team provides home plate umpire while visitors provide base umpire. Umpires are not to coach players during play.
- Ground rules: Prior to the game the home team will describe the fields ground rules to the visiting coach and umpires. Additional rules must be agreed upon prior to the game.
- Scorekeepers: Each team should have their own scorekeeper and scores should be compared every inning.
- Ejection from the game:– The Waushara County baseball program will enforce rules of fair play and sportsmanship. Failure to follow these rules by anyonein attendance could cause a forfeit of the game. Any parent ejected from the game will cause his/her child to be ejected as well. That parent must leave the area immediately. The player may play in the next game. Any Coach ejected will leave the field immediately and will be suspended for the next game as well. The Coach may not be in the area of the field when ejected or suspended. Players ejected will leave the area when ejected and is also suspended for the next game. The suspended player must sit on the bench in the next game he attends in order to fulfill his suspension. Failing to appear at the next game will not complete the player’s suspension.