USIAA Varsity Fast-pitch Softball Rules:
- All Programs can only have a max of 35 players during the regular season; this limit is lifted to 145 players for preseason tryouts and fall practices only.
- All Programs can choose whether to allow athletic scholarships or not; start-up programs are given a max of 5 years to decide whether or not to provide athletic scholarships to players.
- All D1 Scholarship Programs can only have a max of 12 total scholarships, and a max of 6 full scholarship players.
- All D2 Scholarship Programs can only have a max of 10 total scholarships, and a max of 5 full scholarship players.
- All D3 Scholarship Programs can only have a max of 7 total scholarship players.
- All D4 Scholarship Programs can only have a max of 24 total scholarships, and a max of 12 full scholarship players.
- All Programs can only have a max of 30 players on the active roster for all regular season games.
- Number of Players in Batting Order = All teams must have a 10-man batting order in which both the DEH and the pitcher must bat.
- The DEH must be declared on the lineup card prior to the game.
- The DEH may hit in any place in the batting order and is considered eligible for re-entry under the re-entry rule like any regular position player.
- The DEH can go into the field for any of the other 9 players (usually outfielders) in the game and that player will then become the DEH; If this occurs, the batting order doesn't change.
- The team that wins the coin toss has the choice of batting first or last.
- The batting order is predetermined by each team's manager.
- Each team has 3 innings per game in which all 10 players in the batting order must bat.
- An inning ends when all 10 players are either dismissed or stranded on base.
- All doubleheaders (DH) will be 2 innings each.
- All extra innings will still be in the traditional form at where each team's half of an inning ends when 3 outs (dismissals) are recorded; there will be a max of 3 extra innings for all games except for the playoffs.
- A player scores 1 point for every base reached after hitting the ball, rather than a complete circle of all the bases (ex: ground rule double = 2 pts).
- However, they will not subsequently score when moving around the bases on another player's hit unless they manage to steal a base or reach home plate.
- The equivalent of a home run scores 4 points + the number of players on base (if any).
- All teams automatically start with runners on first and second base for all extra innings. These are the players in the two batting order positions previous to the lead-off batter for the inning (will be the first two batters in the order for the first inning).
- The DEH is eligible to be put into the game defensively at any time; If this happens, the batting order does not change.
- The ten (10) players in the batting order can be rotated among the nine (9) defensive positions at the discretion of the coach or manager, and all are eligible for re- entry under the re-entry rule; For example, a manager can move the DEH into LF, and the LF now becomes the DEH.
- All starting players may be removed and re‐enter the game once, but must re‐enter in their original position in the batting order.
- Non‐starters are not allowed to re‐enter unless an injury occurs.
- When a starter re‐enters, the player in the starter’s batting position in the batting order must be removed from the game and is ineligible for the remainder of the game unless an injury occurs.
- Games are called if one team is ahead by:
a) 20 or more runs after any complete inning, beginning with the completion of the second inning, or;
b) 25 or more runs after any complete inning, beginning with the completion of the first inning - Mercy rules do not apply during the postseason.
- A pitcher cannot pitch more than the following limits (unless the team is shorthanded on pitchers due to injury):
a) 65 pitches in the First Round.
b) 70 pitches in the Second Round.
c) 80 pitches in the Third Round.
d) 85 pitches per game in the Quarter-final Round.
e) 95 pitches per game in the Semi-final Round.
f) 100 pitches the Championship Game. - A pitcher can still finish a batter's plate appearance even if the limit is reached, but must come out after completing the plate appearance.
- A pitcher cannot pitch until at least one of the following requirements has been met (unless the team is shorthanded on pitchers due to injury):
a) A minimum of four days have passed since they last pitched, if he threw 50 or more pitches when they last pitched.
b) A minimum of one day has passed since they last pitched, if he threw 30 or more pitches when they last pitched.
c) A minimum of one day has passed since any second consecutive day on which the pitcher pitched.
- 4 points for a win.
- 2 points for a draw.
- 1 "bonus" point for scoring at least 2 home runs (including grand slams).
- 1 "bonus" point for losing by 4 points or less.
- 1 "bonus" point for losing in overtime.
- All D1 Programs play a 52-game season (26h/26a) beginning in the third week of February and ending in the second week of May.
- All D2 Programs play an 50-game season (25h/25a) beginning in the third week of February and ending in the second week of May.
- All D3 Programs play a 48-game season (24h/24a) beginning in the second week of November and ending in the second week of February.
- All D4 Programs play a 44-game season (22h/22a) beginning in the second week of November and ending in the first week of February.
- A max of 16 (D1 & D2) or 12 (D3 & D4) non-regional games are allowed; all non-regional games are required to be against teams that are within 700 (D1) or 500 (D2-D4) miles of the program in question.
- The D1-D4 Tournaments begin on the third week of May and ending 10 weeks later.
- To be eligible for the post-season:
a) D1 programs must have a minimum record of 26-26 (or 25-27 with good academic standing), and not be on probation.
b) D2 programs must have a minimum record of 25-25 (or 24-26 with good academic standing), and not be on probation.
c) D3 programs must have a minimum record of 24-24 (or 23-25 with good academic standing), and not be on probation.
d) D4 programs must have a minimum record of 22-22 (or 21-23 with good academic standing), and not be on probation.
USIAA JV Fast-pitch Softball Rules:
Scholarship and Roster Rules:
- All JV teams can only have 26 players separate from the varsity team; All varsity programs are required to have all of their redshirted players on the active JV roster for all JV games during the regular season with no loss of varsity eligibility, but may also have their practice squad players on the roster as well.
- All JV players must play in at least 4 games, with at least 2 at-bat appearances per game.
- All programs (except D4 schools) must play a 18-game (9h/9a) JV season beginning in the third week of February and ending in the second week of April:
a) All service academies & senior military colleges must also play their respective preparatory school or designated senior military college rival at least twice (1h/1a).
b) Designated senior military college rivals: 1) The Citadel & University of North Georgia, 2) Norwich University & Texas A&M University, & 3) Virginia Military Institute & Virginia Tech. - All programs can only play any of the following:
a) other in-state JV teams (including upper & lower-division teams, except for D4), or
b) in-conference JV teams (also includes the varsity program's conference affiliations as well), or
c) D4 teams (i.e. community colleges & junior colleges). - All of the JV teams must play all of their home games in the varsity program's stadium either 1) at least 3 hours before the varsity games take place or 2) when the varsity team is away; there are no extra innings in JV games to make sure that the varsity game can start on time.
- People with tickets to the varsity games may also go to the JV game 3 hours before for free if they wish.
- The JV team with the best record in each state at the end of the JV season will automatically be crowned the JV state champion.