NWCGC SOFTBALL RULES FOR 2008
(revised March 22, 2008)
RULES SHALL FOLLOW NATIONAL FEDERATION OFFICIAL RULE BOOK, WITH THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC RULES FOR THE NWCGC. **RULES IN BOLD PRINT ARE NEW FOR THE 08’ SEASON. GENERAL RULES: 1. BOTH VARSITY AND JR. VARSITY WILL PLAY MODIFIED FAST PITCH RULES. 2. NO PLAYER MAY PLAY ON BOTH LEVELS. 8TH GRADERS MAY ONLY PLAY ON THE VARSITY LEVEL (UNLESS DUE TO SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES PERMISSION IS VOTED UPON BY THE ATHLETIC DIRECTORS TO ALLOW AN 8TH GRADE STUDENT TO PLAY ON THE JV LEVEL TEAM. THE JV LEVEL IS FOR THE 7TH AND YOUNGER GIRLS. 3. FULL UNIFORMS ARE NOT REQUIRED. EACH PLAYER SHOULD HAVE A JERSEY WITH A UNIQUE NUMBER. 4. 60 FOOT BASE PATHS. 40 FT. PITCHING DISTANCE FOR THE VARSITY LEVEL. 40 FT PITCHING DISTANCE FOR THE JV LEVEL. THE HOME TEAM SHALL PROVIDE A NEW 12 INCH SOFTBALL 5. NO STEALING OF BASES, EVEN IF PLAYED UPON BY THE PITCHER OR CATCHER. RUNNERS MAY NOT LEAVE THEIR BASE UNTIL THE PITCHER HAS RELEASED THE BALL. 6. PITCHERS MAY PITCH A MAXIMUM OF 3 INNINGS: ONE PITCH THROWN IN AN INNING COUNTS AS A COMPLETE INNING. 7. SEVEN INNING GAMES WITH A ONE HOUR AND 15 MINUTE TIME LIMIT. UMPIRES AND SCOREKEEPERS SHOULD RECORD THE START TIME. NO NEW INNING MAY BEGIN AFTER THE 75 MINUTE LIMIT, UNLESS THE SCORE IS TIED. ANY INNING STARTED BEFORE THE 75 MINUTE LIMIT SHOULD BE COMPLETED. EXTRA INNINGS MAY EXTEND THE GAME BEYOND THE 75 MINUTE LIMIT. 8. HOME TEAM SHOULD PROVIDE THE UMPIRE. 9. BATTING HELMETS ARE MANDATORY FOR BATTERS, BASE RUNNERS, AND ON-DECK HITTERS. 10.CATCHERS MUST WEAR FACEMASK, CHEST PROTECTOR AND SHIN GUARDS. NO METAL CLEATS ARE ALLOWED.
11. CAP ON RUNS PER INNING-7 RUNS PER INNING CAP, UNLIMITED NUMBER OF RUNS ALLOWED IN THE FINAL INNING OF PLAY-UMPIRE MUST NOTIFY BOTH TEAMS WHEN THE LAST INNING IS STARTING. 12. SLAUGHTER RULE: 10 RUNS AFTER 5 INNINGS (4 ½ INNINGS IF THE HOME TEAM IS LEADING). 13. FORFEIT TIME IS 15 MINUTES AFTER SCHEDULED START TIME. 14. FIVE (5) WARM-UP PITCHES BETWEEN INNINGS. 15. BATTER IS NOT OUT ON A FOUL BALL ON THE THIRD STRIKE. 16. BATTER IS OUT ON A DROPPED THIRD STRIKE. 17. BUNTING AND CHOP HITTING IS LEGAL 18. BATTER IS AWARDED FIRST BASE WHEN HIT BY A PITCH. 19. A RUNNER SHOULD BE CALLED OUT IF THE FIELDER IS IN LEGAL DEFENSIVE POSITION (with the ball in their possession) AND THE RUNNER CREATES CONTACT WITH THE FIELDER. *Umpires-for further clarification, see NFHS rule book-“avoid contact” with fielder. LINE-UP RULES 1. A TEAM MAY START A GAME WITH A 9-PLAYER LINE-UP IF THEY HAVE ONLY 9 PLAYERS AVAILABLE. IN THIS CASE, THEY MUST PLAY THE ENTIRE GAME WITH A 9 PLAYER LINE-UP. THEY MAY FINISH WITH 8 DUE TO INJURY OR DISQUALIFICATION, BUT THEY WILL BE CHARGED WITH AN OUT EACH TIME THE MISSING PLAYER’S TURN COMES UP IN THE BATTING ORDER. 2. A TEAM MAY START WITH A 10 PLAYER LINE-UP AND USE 10 DEFENSIVE PLAYERS. A TEAM WHICH STARTS WITH 10 PLAYERS MAY FINISH UP WITH 9 DUE TO INJURY OR DISQUALIFICATION, BUT THEY WILL BE CHARGED WITH AN OUT EACH TIME THE MISSING PLAYER’S TURN COMES UP IN THE BATTING ORDER. 3. TEAMS MAY START THE GAME WITH AN 11 PLAYER LINE-UP, WITH ONE PLAYER DESIGNATED AS THE EXTRA PLAYER. IN THIS CASE, ONLY 10 DEFENSIVE PLAYERS ARE USED, BUT THE EXTRA PLAYER MAY ENTER THE GAME DEFENSIVELY AND ANOTHER PLAYER SITS OUT. A TEAM THAT STARTS WITH 11 PLAYERS MAY FINISH WITH 10 DUE TO INJURY OR DISQUALIFICATION, BUT THEY WILL BE CHARGED WITH AN
OUT EACH TIME THE MISSING PLAYER’S TURN COMES UP IN THE BATTING ORDER. 4. A PLAYER WHO APPEARS IN THE STARTING LINE-UP, WHO IS REMOVED FROM THE GAME, MAY RE-ENTER THE GAME ONE TIME. THIS PLAYER MUST RE-ENTER INTO THE SAME SPOT IN THE BATTING ORDER. 5. EACH TEAM HAS THE OPTION OF A CONTINUOUS BATTING ORDER, WHERE ALL THEIR PLAYERS PRESENT BAT IN THE ORDER. IF A TEAM ELECTS TO USE THIS OPTION, THEY MUST PLAY THE ENTIRE GAME WITH THE CONTINUOUS BATTING ORDER. THEY MAY FREE SUBSTITUTE DEFENSIVELY. 6. EACH TEAM MUST PLAY THE ENTIRE GAME WITH WHICHEVER OF THE ABOVE LINE-UP OPTIONS THEY CHOSE AT THE START OF THE GAME. PITCHING RULES 1. PITCHER MUST START HER DELIVERY WITH BOTH FEET IN CONTACT WITH THE PITCHERS RUNNER. 2. PITCHER MAY TAKE A FORWARD STEP TOWARD THE BATTER DURING THE DELIVERY. 3. BALL MUST BE DELIVERED IN AN UNDERHAND MOTION ON THE FIRST FORWAD SWING OF THE PITCHING ARM. 4. PITCHERS MAY USE A WINDMILL TYPE DELIVERY IF THEY SO CHOSE. 5. ANY PITCHER WHO HITS 3 BATTERS MUST BE REMOVED FROM THE GAME, AND WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO COMPLETE THEIR 3 INNINGS OF PITCHING. (They can however return to the game in an alternative position.) 6. ONCE A PITCHER IS REMOVED FROM PITCHING THEY MAY NOT COME BACK IN AT THE PITCHING POSITION, EVEN IF THEY HAVE NOT COMPLETED PITCHING A MAXIMUM OF 3 INNINGS. ADDITIONAL RULES TO BE FOLLOWED STARTING MARCH 2007: 1. NO COMPOSITE BATS (no Rocketech bats) 2. 80% OF ALL SCHEDULED GAMES MUST BE PLAYED BY A TEAM IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A TROPHY AT THE END OF THE SEASON. (This has been the rule the last several years, just wanted it to be in print).
3. UMPIRES OFFICIATING THE GAME MUST HAVE ON PROPER PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING A MASK. 4. UMPIRE FEES- THE FULL FEE IS PAID FOR BY THE HOME TEAM. $41.OO FOR A SINGLE GAME IN 2008 $71.00 FOR A DOUBLE HEADER IN 2008