Official Slow Pitch Softball Rules

Team

  1. Team rosters shall include a minimum of 16 players, including at least 4 of each gender.
  2. The maximum number of players on the field is 10, with at least 3 of each gender.
  3. The minimum number of players on the field is 7.
  4. All players present for a game may be placed in the batting order.
  5. All players must be registered with the League to play with the team. Unregistered substitutes are not permitted. Any team found to be playing with an unregistered player will forfeit the game. See: Late Registration below.
  6. When a team has fewer than the required number of players of a specified gender available, players of one gender may not be substituted for members of another gender. For example, if a team has 10 total players available at game time, but only 2 are female, the team must play short with 9 players.
  7. Fielding teams are required to play catcher and pitcher.
  8. Late Registration: a team may add players to the roster through the 4th scheduled match provided the team captain approves with the league fee pro-rated for the remainder of the season. All players must be formally registered with the League and paid in full prior to playing.

Officials

  1. Each game shall be officiated by a League-assigned referee.
  2. Referees are responsible for:
    1. Keeping game time.
    2. Enforcing all game rules.
    3. Tracking all counts and outs.
  3. The referee may remove a player from the match if that player engages in unsportsmanlike conduct.
  4. Each team is responsible for recording the score and reporting the score to the activities coordinator after the game.

Field

  1. Games may be played on any slow pitch softball field, fast pitch softball field, little league baseball field or general purpose field with a distance from home plate to the outfield fence of at least 180 feet.
  2. The distance between bases shall be 60'
  3. Games played on a field with an outfield of less than 250' shall use a reduced flight ball.
  4. First base shall include a safety base placed to the right; overruns must be made on the safety base.

Equipment

  1. All equipment except for gloves will be provided by the League.
  2. Only single-wall aluminum bats with the ASA 2004 certification that appear on the
    ASA approved bat list
    are permitted. Please check that the bat has a "Sw" symbol next to it on the list. Wood bats, baseball bats, composite bats, multi-wall bats and multi-part bats (e.g. half composite/half aluminum) are strictly prohibited. Runs scored using an illegal bat shall be null and the player called out.
  3. On fields measuring 250 feet or more, the ball shall be a 12 inch standard softball when pitched to men or an 11 inch standard softball when pitched to women. On smaller fields, the ball shall be a 12 or 11 inch reduced flight softball.
  4. Players must wear their League-provided t-shirts of the appropriate color for their team.
  5. Steel cleats are prohibited.

Game Clock

  1. Each game shall be completed in no more than 7 innings or 75 minutes, whichever comes first.
  2. No new inning may begin after 60 minutes; any inning being played after 60 minutes shall be the last inning of the game.
  3. Any inning in progress shall end immediately, and both teams shall vacate the field when:
    1. The clock has passed 60 minutes with the home team leading in the bottom of the inning (home team wins), or;
    2. The clock has passed 70 minutes; the score shall revert to the score at the previous full inning, with the team leading at the end of the previous full inning declared the winner.
  4. In the event of a tied score after the final inning, the game shall be recorded as a tie.

 

Game Start

  1. A coin toss shall determine the home team, who shall choose whether to bat first or field first.

Pitching

  1. All pitches must be with an underhanded motion.
  2. All pitches must arc between 6 feet and 10 feet; otherwise the pitch shall be considered a 'ball'.
  3. The strike zone shall be marked with a rubber strike mat placed in front of home plate. Contact with any part of the strike mat shall be considered a strike; otherwise it is a ball.

Batting

  1. Each team must exchange batting orders prior to the start of the game.
  2. All players present must be included in the batting lineup.
  3. No two players of the same gender may bat in a row for the entire order, including between the end and beginning of the order. For example, the team may bat two men followed by one woman followed by two men, but may not bat three men in a row without also taking an out prior to the third man batting.
    1. Exception: A team may bat more than two players of the same gender in the order but must designate an automatic out before the third batter.
    2. Exception: If a team has at least three of each gender in the batting order, but the ratio of men and women is such that the more than two players of a given gender must bat in succession, the team may designate a player of the minority gender to bat twice in the order. However, that player may bat no more than twice in the order.
  4. On fields with an outfield of less than 250 feet, each team shall be limited to a maximum of 2 over-the-fence home runs per game. Subsequent home runs shall be called an out.

Running

  1. Stealing bases and leading off bases is illegal. A player who was leading the base prior to the hit shall be called out.
  2. Pinch running is permitted at 1st, 2nd and 3rd base provided the pinch runner is of the same gender. Pinch running at bat is not permitted.

Walking

  1. When a batter has been awarded 4 balls called, the batter shall walk:
    1. To 1st base, if the batter is female or if the batter is male and followed in the batting order by another male.
    2. To 2nd base, if the batter is male and is followed in the batting order by a female.
  2. A female who is batting behind a walked male batter must bat unless there are 2 outs. If there are 2 outs, the female batter will have the option to walk or bat.

    3. Forfeits

    1. Teams must be ready to play and meet game start requirements at the posted game time. Any team not ready to play at this time shall forfeit, and the opposing team shall take a default win.
    2. If neither team is ready to play, both teams shall forfeit.
    3. Any team found to be playing with a player not registered with the League or team shall forfeit the game.