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Subscribe to our Newsletter8 & Under Girls Softball Rules
1. A player must not turn nine (9) year of age on or before JAN 1of the current year.
2. Bases are to be sixty (60) feet, coach pitches from inside the thirty five (35) foot circle,
coach will pitch for all six (6) innings.
3. A complete game is six (6) innings, all innings will be limited to six (6) runs with no open inning.
Run rule is 7 after 5, 13 after 4 etc.
4. Team shall consist of ten (10) players, with four (4) outfielders positioned in the outfield until the
ball is in play. Must have a minimum of seven (7) to start the game with, less than 7 will result in
a forfeit.
5. The home team must furnish two new 11” yellow softballs for each game.
6. Catchers must wear full protective gear. Batters are required to wear face guards.
7. A courtesy runner may be used for the catcher. The courtesy runner will be the player that made
the last out. No courtesy runner allowed in last inning or extra innings.
8. All players present for the game must be placed in batting order therefore creating free defensive
substitution between innings. Should a player miss her turn at bat for illness or injury, she may
return to her spot in the lineup without taking an out. A late player shall be placed at the bottom of
the lineup and if that player has not arrived by their first at bat the team will either remove the player from the lineup or take an out each time that players at bat rolls around.
9. Slide rule has been eliminated, runners must avoid contact on an attempted play at a base
10. A player playing the pitcher position must have one foot in the circle and not be in front of the coach pitching until the ball
is put into play.
11. Coaches may not touch the runner while the ball is live, if this occurs runner shall be called out.
12. No Stealing. Leaving base early will result in runner being called out. No warnings needed.
13. No infield fly rule
14. No dropped third strike
15. One warning for batter throwing the bat, each occurrence after this shall result in batter being
called out.
16. If play is stopped due to inclement weather, 3 ½ completed innings will be considered a complete
game if the home team is ahead. If 3 ½ innings have not been completed, then game must restart
from the beginning once it is rescheduled. Exception: Playoffs, all 6 innings must be played
unless run rule comes into play.
17. At the end of each play, time is automatically called once the ball is secured on the infield dirt. At this time, runners may continue to the base they are headed
to, but no further.
18. Each batter will get 5 pitches to hit ball into play or strike out. Any foul ball on the 5th pitch or
after will result in more pitches until ball is in play or batter strikes out.
19. Any ball that hits the pitcher (coach) is a dead ball and will be replayed.
20. No intentional walks, no bunting allowed
21. If any coach intentionally interferes with a live ball the batter shall be called out. Any coach
being hit accidentally shall be ruled dead ball, and all runners advance one base.
22. The pitchers circle will be drawn at a center distance of 35’ from plate.
23. Each team must wear matching uniforms, shirts, pants, and hats.
24.IHSAA regulations apply to all rules/situations not covered above.
25. TIME LIMIT: 80 minutes for regular season and 105 minutes for tournament. No new inning can't start after time has expired. New inning starts on the 3rd out of the prior inning.
10 & Under Girls Softball Rules
1. A complete game is six (6) innings limited to four (4) runs per inning with no open inning, the run rule is 5 after 5, 9 after 4 etc.
2. All six (6) innings will be live pitching with the mound set at thirty-five (35) feet, bases are to be set at sixty (60) feet.
3. Teams shall consist of ten (10) players, with four (4) outfielders positioned in the outfield until the ball is in play.
4. Teams must have a minimum of seven (7) players to start the game, less than 7 will result in a forfeit.
5. The home team must furnish two new 11” yellow softballs for each game.
6. Catchers must wear full protective gear, batters and all defensive players are required to wear face guards.
7. A courtesy runner may be used for the catcher. The courtesy runner will be the player that made the last out, no courtesy
runner allowed in last inning or extra innings.
8. All players present for the game must be placed in the batting order therefore creating free defensive substitution between innings.
Should a player miss her turn at bat for illness or injury, she may return to her spot in the lineup without taking an out.
A late player shall be placed at the bottom of the lineup and if that player has not arrived by their first at bat the team will either remove the
player from the lineup or take an out each time that players at bat rolls around.
9. The slide rule has been eliminated, runners must avoid contact on an attempted play at all bases.
10. Coaches may not touch the runner while the ball is live, if this occurs runner will be called out.
11. Stealing is allowed for any base once the pitched ball crosses the plate. Leaving a base early will result in the runner being called out , no warnings needed.
12. No infield fly rule and no dropped third strikes will apply.
13. One warning will be given if a batter throws her bat while hitting, each occurrence after this (for the warrned team) will result in the batter being called out.
14. If play is stopped due to inclement weather, 3 ½ completed innings will be considered a complete game if the home team is ahead.
If 3 ½ innings have not been completed, then the game must restart from the beginning once it is rescheduled. Exception: Playoffs, all 6 innings must be played unless run rule comes into play.
15. When the pitcher has possession of the ball with both feet inside the circle, all runners must
advance to next base or go back to previous base immediately.
16. Infielders cannot play any closer to the batter then a radius in line with the pitcher, except when bunting.
17. No intentional walks, bunting is allowed (no slug bunts).
18. If any coach intentionally interferes with a live ball the batter shall be called out. Any coach being hit accidentally shall be ruled dead ball, and all runners advance one base.
19. Each team must wear matching uniforms, shirts, pants, and hats.
20. Rules interpretation on slap hitting and slug bunting:
a) slap hitting/drag hitting or slap bunting/drag bunting are all considered a legal hit ball. This is done by a left-handed batter, when she is in her normal batting stance,
she may run up and slap, drag, or bunt at softball while starting from the batter’s box at time of pitching being released.
b) Slug bunting is illegal. If this is spotted by an umpire, play will be considered dead, there will be an automatic out, whether contact is made with the softball or not, and runners must return to
occupied base. Slug bunt is when you square around at the plate and showing or offering bunt to the defense for the sole purpose of drawing the infield into a bunt situation, then free swinging
into the defense. If you show bunt, you must bunt or take a pitch.
21. IHSAA regulations apply to all rules/situations not covered above.
22. TIME LIMIT: 80 minutes for regular season and 105 minutes for tournament play. No new inning can't start after time has expired. New inning starts on the 3rd out of the prior inning.
Girls 12 & Under and Girls 14 & Under Softball Rules
1. A player must not turn 13 for 12U or 15 for 14U on or before JAN 1of the current year.
2. Bases are to be sixty (60) feet, pitching rubber at forty (40) feet for 12U and forty-three (43) feet
for 14U.
3. A complete game is six (6) innings, all innings will be limited to six (6) runs with no open inning.
Run rule is 7 after 5, 13 after 4 etc.
4. In 12U team shall consist of ten (10) players, with four (4) outfielders positioned in the outfield
until the ball is in play. Must have a minimum of seven (7) to start the game with, less than 7 will
result in a forfeit. In 14U team will consist of 9 players with 3 outfielders.
5. The home team must furnish two new 12” yellow softballs for each game.
6. Catchers must wear full protective gear. Batters are required to wear face guards.
7. A courtesy runner may be used for the catcher. The courtesy runner will be the player that made
the last out. No courtesy runner allowed in last inning or extra innings.
8. All players present for the game must be placed in batting order therefore creating free defensive
substitution between innings. Should a player miss her turn at bat for illness or injury, she may
return to her spot in the lineup without taking an out. A late player shall be placed at the bottom of
the lineup and if that player has not arrived by their first at bat the team will either remove the player from the lineup or take an out each time that players at bat rolls around.
9. Slide rule has been eliminated, runners must avoid contact on an attempted play at a base
10. Coaches may not touch the runner while the ball is live, if this occurs runner shall be called out.
11. Infield fly rule will be enforced.
12. Dropped third strike rule is in play. Make sure all coaches, players, and umpires are aware of this
rule.
13 One warning for batter throwing the bat, each occurrence after this shall result in batter being
called out.
14. If play is stopped due to inclement weather, 3 ½ completed innings will be considered a complete
game if the home team is ahead. If 3 ½ innings have not been completed, then game must restart
from the beginning once it is rescheduled. Exception: Playoffs, all 6 innings must be played
unless run rule comes into play.
15. When the pitcher has possession of the ball with both feet inside the circle, all runners must
advance to next base or go back to previous base immediately.
16. Stealing is allowed, runners may leave the base after the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand.
17. If any coach intentionally interferes with a live ball the batter shall be called out. Any coach
being hit accidentally shall be ruled dead ball, and all runners advance one base. Same thing
applies when the ball hits the pitching machine.
18. Each team must wear matching uniforms, shirts, pants, and hats.
19. IHSAA regulations apply to all rules/situations not covered above.
20. TIME LIMIT: 80 minutes for regular season and 105 minutes for tournament. No new inning can't start after time has expired. New inning starts on the 3rd out of the prior inning.
