USIAA Slow-pitch Softball Rules
Field Dimensions:
- Pitching distance = 43' (13.11 m).
- Baselines = 60' (18.29 m)
- Outfield fence = 220'
- Each team has 3 innings per game in which all 10 players in the batting order must bat.
a) An inning ends when all 10 players are either dismissed or stranded on base.
b) All doubleheaders (DH) will be 2 innings each.
c) 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. - 10 defensive players are allowed on the field:
a) Pitcher
b) Catcher
c) 1st Baseman
d) 2nd Baseman
e) 3rd Baseman
f) Shortstop
g) Right fielder
h) Right center fielder
i) Left center fielder
j) Left fielder - The Blood Rule:
a) A player who is bleeding, has an open wound, or has blood on the uniform shall be considered an injured player.
b) Such players may not return to the game until the bleeding has stopped and the wound properly covered, and soiled clothing has been treated with a bleach disinfectant.
c) The umpire and/or staff assistant on duty shall determine a reasonable amount of time to get the wound covered and the bleeding stopped so that the player does not have to substitute out of the game. - The "Shorthanded Rule".
a) If a player must leave the game and there is no substitute available, when it is that player's turn to bat an out is declared. If a runner must leave the game and there is no substitute available, the runner will be declared out. - The A.S.A. re-entry rule will apply.
a) A starter may be withdrawn from the game and re-entered in the same spot in the batting order once.
b) Players may not re-enter a second time, and the starter and the substitute may not be in the game at the same time.
c) To bat an Extra Hitter (EH), a team must have 11 players present at the start of the game.
d) A female may only substitute for a female, a male for a male. - Teams must alternate positions in the batting order by sex.
- Players start with a one strike & one ball (1-1) count when at bat;No designated batters are used.
- Batters are not allowed to bunt/chop the ball deliberately downward (whether it is fair or foul).
- A foul third strike is an out.
- Infield practice is not allowed after the first inning.
- The ball is dead and not in play:
a) When no pitch is declared.
b) When a foul ball is not caught.
c) When a runner is called out for leaving a base too soon.
d) When offensive interference occurs.
e) When a defensive player carries the ball out of play (intentionally or unintentionally) - The ball is in play:
a) When the infield fly rule is enforced.
b) When a thrown ball remains in playable territory.
c) When a base is dislodged while base runners are progressing around the bases.
d) When a thrown ball strikes an offensive player.
e) When a thrown ball or fair batted ball strikes an umpire.
f) When a thrown ball strikes a coach. - The ball remains alive until the umpire declares time. Time will be called when the ball is held by a player on the infield area and, in the opinion of the umpire, all play has ceased.
- A foul ball must reach a height of 6' or more to be legally caught for an out, except the 3rd strike in which case any foul is an out.
- On a walk to a male batter (intentional or not) the male batter will advance to second base and the following female will bat for herself. All base runners will advance to the next base forced to, on a walk to a male batter. If a male batter is walked and there are two outs, the female may be given the option of hitting or receiving an automatic walk.
- Males and females do not have to alternate defensively on the bases or in the outfield. The catcher and pitcher do not have to be of opposite sexes and are considered infielders. Teams are not regulated as far as the number of infielders or outfielders or gender of each.
- All teams have no limit on home runs.
- 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).
- At the beginning of each half-inning or when a pitcher relieves another, not more than one minute may be used to deliver not more than one warm up pitch to the catcher or other teammate. One ball will be called on the batter for each pitch thrown over the maximum. No infield or outfield ball is allowed after the first inning.
- The pitch must have a minimum arc of 6 ft. from the ground. The maximum allowable arc is 12 ft. from the ground. If the pitch does not meet these requirements, an illegal pitch shall be called. The batter has the option of taking the pitch for an automatic ball or swinging at the pitch. If the pitch is swung at, the illegal pitch is ignored.
- The pitcher must pause with at least one foot contacting the rubber prior to pitching the ball. The pitcher's foot must remain in contact with the rubber throughout the delivery.
- The pitcher must deliver the ball in a continuous, underhand motion on the first forward swing of the pitching arm past the hip; Any windup or arm motion is allowed as long as the pitch is thrown underhand.
- If a step is taken it may be forward, backward, or to the side provided the foot stays in contact with the rubber and the step is taken simultaneously with the pitch.
- Pitchers must show the ball in front of their bodies for at least one second before starting the delivery, and the pitcher must always face home plate during the pitch.
- The entire pitch must be made within five seconds; however, quick pitches are illegal.
- The general warm-up between innings may not be longer than one minute or 3 pitches.
- If a pitcher wishes to intentionally walk a batter, no pitches need to be thrown.
- 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.
- When a base runner must return while the ball is in play, he/she must touch the bases in reverse order.
- No runner may return to touch a missed base or one he/she had left illegally after a following runner has scored. The defense must appeal for the out to be granted.
- When a defensive player is in possession of the ball a runner may not remain upright and crash into the defender. When sliding, runners must always slide for the base. If considered flagrant in either above case, the runner may be ejected.
- Base runners are entitled to advance but accept the liability to be put out under the following circumstances:
a) When the ball is overthrown into fair or foul territory and remains in play.
b) When the ball is batted into fair territory.
c) When a legally caught fly ball is first touched. - Base runners are entitled to advance without liability to be put out under the following circumstances:
a) When a fielder obstructs the base runner from making a base, unless the fielder is trying to field the batted ball or has the ball ready to touch the base runner.
b) When the ball is in play and is overthrown and goes out of play, all runners advance two bases from where they were when the ball left the thrower's hand. - Obstruction is the act of:
a) A defensive player or team member which hinders or prevents a batter from striking or hitting a pitched ball.
c) A fielder, while not in possession of the ball, in the act of fielding a batted ball, or about to receive a thrown ball, which impedes the progress of a base runner who is legally running the bases. - Interference is the act of an offensive player or team member, umpire, or spectator that impedes, hinders, or confuses a defensive player attempting to execute a play. Contact is not necessary for interference to be called.
- Base Stealing: Base stealing is not allowed. Each base runner may leave his/her base when a pitched ball is batted or reaches home plate, but must return to that base immediately after each pitch not hit by the batter.
- The base runner is out when:
a) In running to any base he/she runs more than three feet from a direct line between a base and the next base when a defensive player is attempting to tag the runner.
b) The base runner passes a preceding base runner before that runner has been put out.
c) The base runner legally overruns first base and makes an attempt to advance to second base and is legally touched while off base.
d) The base runner interferes with a fielder attempting to field a batted ball or intentionally interferes with a thrown ball. If this interference, in the umpire's judgment, is an obvious attempt to prevent a double play (including shouting or waving the arms to distract the defense), the immediate succeeding runner shall also be called out.
e) The base runner is struck with a fair batted ball while off base and before it passes an infielder who could have otherwise made a play.
f) With a base runner on third, the batter or any offensive player interferes with a play being made at home base.
g) In the umpire's judgment, the base coach at first or third base touches or holds the runner physically to assist a runner in returning to or advancing from the base when a play is being made on him/her.
h) A runner, after being declared out or after scoring, interferes with a defensive player's opportunity to make a play on another runner, the runner closest to home plate at the time of the interference shall be declared out. - Base runners are not out under the following circumstances:
1. When a base runner runs around the fielder and outside the baseline in order to avoid interfering with a fielder attempting to field the ball in the base path.
2. When a base runner is hit with a fair batted ball that has passed through an infielder, excluding the pitcher, and in the umpire's judgment no other infielder had a chance to play the ball. The ball remains "alive" under this condition.
3. When a base runner is hit by a fair batted ball after it is touched or touches any fielder.
4. When a base runner is hit by a fair batted ball while in contact with a base - Injured Runner: If an accident to a batter-runner or base runner prevents him/her from proceeding in the game, a substitute runner will be permitted. If no substitutes are available, the runner will be declared out.
- 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.
- All programs can only have a max of 34 players during the regular season; this limit is lifted to 46 players for preseason tryouts and 100 for spring practices only.
- There can only be a max of 20 (i.e. 10 per gender) athletes playing on the baseball and/or fastpitch softball team on the slow-pitch softball team as well at the same time; any athlete on either a baseball or fastpitch softball team may also play on the slow-pitch softball team if they so choose, & they will not forfeit their scholarship in doing so.
- All programs can only have a max of 26 players on the active roster for all regular season games.
- All programs are required to give all 8 inactive players free season tickets in the designated student sections for all home games.
- A team consists of 10 defensive players.
a) In addition, a team may play legally with 8 players, provided they have at least 4 male players and 4 female players.
b) A team may play with as many as 12 players (6 men, 6 women; 10 on defense and 2 Extra Hitters). If a team plays with 12 players, they will not be assessed automatic out.
c) Teams playing with 9, or less players will be assessed an automatic out because two batters of the same sex may not bat consecutively without penalty.
d) Players arriving late may have their name added to the bottom of the order; but an Extra Hitter(s) may not be added after the game has started.
e) All substitutes must report to the plate umpire before batting.
- The official bat must be approved:
a) Bats must not exceed 38oz (if playing in NSA) in weight.
b) They must also not exceed 34" in length, and the diameters may be no larger than 2.25" along the barrel.
c) All bats must be stamped with USSSA, ASA, or NSA approval.
d) At any time during a game, if an umpire requests to check game bats, they must be produced.
e) If ever in doubt about the legality of a particular bat, each governing body produces approved bat lists each year. - Metal cleats are prohibited:
a) Only soft or hard rubber cleats may be used, along with turf shoes or sneakers. - 11- and 12-inch balls:
a) Slowpitch teams can use either 11" and 12" balls with yellow covers. - Runners must score by touching the scoring plate:
a) A scoring plate, or a space designated for runners to pass through, is set eight feet outside the third base line and even with home plate.
b) Runners who are attempting to score never actually touch the home plate between the batter’s boxes; they must run through the scoring plate, instead.
- 4 points for a win.
- 2 points for a draw.
- 1 "bonus" point for scoring at least 4 home runs (including grand slams).
- 1 "bonus" point for losing by 8 points or less.
- 1 "bonus" point for losing in overtime.
- All D1 Programs play a 24-game season (12h/12a) beginning in the last week of August and ending in the second week of November.
- All D2 programs play an 22-game season (11h/11a) beginning in the last week of August and ending in the first week of November.
- All D3 & D4 programs play a 20-game season (10h/10a) beginning in the last week of August and ending in the last week of October.
- A max of 10 (5 home and 5 away) 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 first week after the regular season, & finish five weeks later.
- To be eligible for the post season:
a) D1 programs must have a minimum record of 12-12 (or 10-12 with good academic standing), and not be on probation.
b) D2 programs must have a minimum record of 11-11 (or 10-12 with good academic standing), and not be on probation.
c) D3 & D4 programs must have a minimum record of 10-10 (or 9-11 with good academic standing), and not be on probation.