U14 Girls Softball Rules 1. Games will be seven innings in length or 1 and ½ hours, whichever occurs first. If an inning begins before the time limit expires, the inning should be complete. If the score is tied after 7 innings or 1 and ½ hours the game ends at that point. Ties will not be broken. 2. A 12 inch softball will be used for this division. Pitching distance is 40ft. 3. Once a player is removed from the pitching position she may re-enter “once” later in the game. A pitcher may only pitch four (4) innings a game. 4. Teams fields up to nine players. All substitutions must enter the field in the following innings. Example: first inning a team has three players sitting out- all three must go in the next (second) inning. The three coming out and sitting the second inning go back in for the third inning. This alternating continues throughout the game. 5. Each team bats 10 players, the substitutes are included from the bottom of the line-up. Example: A team has 15 players and only ten on the batting line-up, player number 15 alternates with player 10, player 14 alternates with player 9, player 13 alternates with player 8, player 12 alternates with player 7 and player 11 alternates with player 6. These players switch off every at bat. 6. If a team is ten or more runs ahead at any time after the fifth inning, the game is officially over. The home team, if losing, always gets their last bat to complete the inning. The home team should not bat after the fourth inning, if after the visiting team bats; the home team is ten or more runs ahead.
7. A team may only score a maximum of eight (8) runs an inning except for the seventh inning. 8. Base runners may steal once the ball crosses the plate. However stealing home is not allowed. 9. A batter may not be walked intentionally. 10. A coach may take one visit to the mound per pitcher, per inning. On the second visit the pitcher must be removed. 11. A coach may take one visit to the batter per inning. 12. On a tag play, if in the judgment of the umpire the runner intentionally runs into the fielders to jar the ball loose, she will be ejected from the game. In this situation, a runner should slide or simply “give herself up.” 13. A dropped third strike by the catcher the batter is out. 14. Bunting is allowed. 15. The batting team may not conduct themselves in any manner with the intentions of rattling the opposing pitcher or players. The umpire will issue a warning to the coach for the first offense and the second offense will result in the batting team taking the field and ending that half of the inning. 16. A pre-game meeting should be held at home plate between both head coaches and home plate umpire to discuss the ground rules of the field being played on. The umpire should encourage both coaches to have their batters swinging – not waiting for a walk. The umpire should also mention what time it is and when the time limit will expire.
17. Speed up rule – When a team has two outs and their catcher/ or pitcher is on base, they can choose to substitute the catcher with that last out. This gives the catcher a head start to put on his gear for the next inning and the pitcher a rest before the next inning. 18. The Infield – Fly rule is in effect for this division. 19. Tie Breakers for Playoffs: After the completion of seven (7) innings, (no Time limit) the score is still tied, the tie breaker procedure will begin. This involves the last batter of the previous inning, whose turn at bat had been completed, assuming a position on 2nd base. This would be done at the beginning of each half inning; until, at the conclusion of a full inning, a winner is determined.