Slow Pitch Softball Rules Guide
History Slow pitch softball has become increasingly popular in the last decade. Both men and women's slow pitch will be a part of the U.S. Olympic Festival for the 1st time in the summer of 1996. There are now over 52 national championships and additional national invitational tournaments sponsored yearly by the A.S.A. These numbers and the steady increase in slow pitch, fast pitch, 16" softball and modified pitch softball on the rise in the United States. Positions 1. Pitcher 2. Catcher 3. First Base 4. Second Base 5. Short Stop 6. Third Base 7. Left Fielder 8. Left Center Fielder 9. Right Center Fielder 10. Right Fielder Terms Fair ball - any ball hit between the 1st and 3rd base foul lines Foul ball - any ball hit to the outside of the 1st and 3rd base. A ball hitting a base is considered fair. Strike out - batter is out after 3 strikes which result from a) swinging and missing b)foul ball c) call strikes Walk - Batter is awarded a base-on-balls after receiving 4 balls. Battery - pitcher and catcher Cut-off - A throw from the outfield that is intercepted by an infielder for the purpose of throwing out a trail runner. Fielders choice - play which results in the batter being safe because the defensive player elected to retire a preceding base runner. Force out - an out as a result of a defensive player with the ball tagging a runner or the base which the base runner must go because the batter became a base runner. Grand Slam - a bases loaded home run. Sacrifice - run is scored by advancing runners after a fly ball is caught. Assist - when players handle the ball in any play or series of plays which results in a put out. Put out - when players catch a batted fly ball, catch a thrown ball that retires a runner or tag a runner off base. RBI - Run batted in is a run scored because of A) safe hit B) fly ball sacrifice C) infield put out or D) base-on-balls Errors - when a player commits a miss play that prolongs the at bat of the offensive team. Rules 1. Each team consist of 10 players (P.E. teams may be more depending on class size). 2. Games are officially 7 innings long.
3. Each team is allowed 3 outs per at bat. 4. Players can not lead off or steal bases. 5. Runners may leave the base upon ball to bat contact. 6. A base-on-balls is awarded to a batter who receives 4. 7. A foul ball counts as a strike. 8. A batter who receives 3 strikes is considered out. 9. Any batter who fouls off the 3rd strike is out. 10. Base runners may over run 1st base with out liability of being out. 11. Runners may advance at their own risk after tagging up on caught fly ball fair of foul. 12. Ball must be pitched underhand with a specific arch between 6-12 feet at its highest point. 13. There will be a strike zone mat placed behind home plate to determine stikes and ball. 14. Batters wull start with a 1 and 1 count (1 ball and 1 strike). 15. Batters are automatically out for bunting. 16. Batters are automatically our for throwing the bat. 17. When the ball is in play and is overthrown beyond the boundary line, all runners will be awarded the base they were running towards plus one more. 18. There will be a cone outside of the baseline approximately half the distance between 3rd base and home plate. Any player crossing this cone must continue to the home plate and creates a force play at at home plate. 19. If a runner attempts to jar the ball loose from a fielder, the runner is automatically out.